Dr Magdalena Pfaffl, PhD
Dr Magdalena Pfaffl holds a PhD for her research about the innovative potential of remote villages. Her research is pioneering the use of human
geography approaches for permanent Mars settlement. She understands remote villages, both on and off-Earth, as having a potential to be self-imposed heterotopias and highly dynamic places of innovation spreading lateral development towards the central mainstream. During her research, Dr Pfaffl conducted case studies in Australia, Israel and Sweden.
In 2020 Magdalena started Ares Habitats in order to apply her research and have an impact. With Ares she works on developing a database of Swedish heterotopic villages and assist families and individuals in finding and moving to the community where they will thrive.
It all started with a university project in machine mining where I tested the concept of using a tunneling machine to excavate settlements into the Martian regolith. The approach was viable but more and more questions emerged. These questions eventually led to a doctoral thesis about the innovative potential of remote villages.
Her PhD thesis titled Remote Villages as Heterotopias and Places of Utopics. Analogue Case Studies in Sweden and Israel in Preparation for Future Mars Settlement was published at James Cook University (Australia) in December 2019.
Prior to her research career, Dr Pfaffl received a Masters of Engineering in Mine Management (MMinEng) from the University of New South Wales (Australia). She has worked as a production manager in the quarrying industry and a project manager in tunneling in Sweden, as well as as a mining engineer in Germany and Australia. She lived in remote locations in South Australia and Queensland between 2010 – 2015.
Today Magdalena is applying her expertise through her own company, Ares Habitats, and is building Sweden’s first database of remote villages on heterotopia.se .
Dr Pfaffl is an Arctic Frontiers Emerging Leaders graduate and an Australian Postgraduate Award awardee. She held lectures among others at University of Vienna and Imperial College in London.
What is a “heterotopia”?
Heterotopia is a concept originally described by the French philosopher Michel Foucault. Heterotopia, meaning ‘other place,’ refers to physical locations that exist outside the norms of regular society, creating spaces that allow for, or even require, alternative social norms.
In his original text, Foucault primarily focuses on places where individuals find themselves involuntarily, either partially or entirely. These can include prisons, mental asylums, the military, or secluded boarding schools. However, he also mentions ‘heterotopias of transition‘. These are places where individuals choose to seek refuge for a limited time during periods of significant change, or to find solace away from the pressures of mainstream society.
Heterotopia and innovation
But there is more to heterotopia. Departing from Foucault’s focus on outside-imposed heterotopias, Kevin Hetherington, in his book ‘The Badlands of Modernity,’ identifies heterotopic places within society as a source of new innovation in social order. The potential for alternative societal norms in a heterotopia allows for free and creative thinking beyond the constraints of the status quo, ultimately fostering innovation. Hetherington explains his thinking on the example of the cafés in modern Paris where new ideas could be discussed across different classes of society.
Remote villages and the pursuit of utopia
In my own research on self-imposed heterotopias that can be found in remote areas, I could show there to be a prevalence for the pursuit of utopia— working towards creating a better world.
This pursuit can be described as ‘utopics.’ Utopics represents an incredible process of innovation, especially when it occurs within a heterotopia that encourages unrestricted thinking and facilitates exchanges among like-minded and highly engaged individuals. Whether utopia is eventually attained or remains a distant goal becomes less important—it is the transformative journey itself that holds paramount significance.
Numerous examples abound wherein the innovative mindset of rural areas not only enhances the local conditions but also influences urban environments.
Consider, for instance, the concept of a circular economy, where resources and capital are encouraged to circulate within the immediate community. This approach has been embraced early on by ‘eco-villages’ and has gradually permeated suburbs and urban settings.
Hetherington, K. (1997) The badlands of modernity. Heterotopia and Social Ordering. London: Routledge.
Foucault, M. and Miskowiec, J. (1986) ‘Of Other Spaces’, Diacritics, 16(1), pp. 22–27.
Pfaffl, M. (2019) Remote villages as heterotopias. James Cook University.
download thesis
My PhD thesis titled “Remote villages as heterotopias and places of utopics: analogue case studies in Sweden and Israel in preparation for future Mars settlement” is now available to the public. Download the thesis from James Cook University’s Thesis repository >> here <<