bordersbetween

The term bordersbetween refers to the spaces or lines that separate distinct entities, such as states, regions, cultures, or data sets. It emphasizes the relational aspect of division, recognizing that borders are not simply lines but zones of interaction, negotiation, and governance.

The term is not a standardized technical label, but it appears in scholarly and critical discourse, particularly within border studies, political geography, sociology, and related fields. It can be used to discuss both physical borders and abstract boundaries, including social, cultural, or digital separations.

Examples of bordersbetween can be found in cross-border cooperation programs and borderlands development projects, where permeability and negotiation define regional resilience. In cultural analysis, bordersbetween describe how identity and belonging are shaped by perceived boundaries. In the digital realm, the concept can articulate data sovereignty limits, access controls, and interoperability challenges that delineate systems and datasets. In social contexts, bordersbetween may refer to group membership, inclusion, or exclusion, and how these lines influence everyday life.

The concept invites examination of border permeability, the negotiated and fluid nature of boundaries, and how globalization, mobility, and technology reshape traditional separations. It aligns with theoretical ideas about liminality, threshold concepts, and boundary objects, which explore how boundaries both constrain and enable interaction across different domains.

See also: border, boundary, frontier, borderland, boundary object, liminality.