The broad spectrum of topics surrounding what is termed the 'knowledge economy' has attracted increasing attention from the scientific community in recent years. The nature of knowledge-intensive industries, the spatiality of knowledge, the role of proximity and distance in generating functional knowledge, the transfer of knowledge via networks, and the complex interplay between knowledge, location and economic development are all live academic issues. This book, the fifth volume in Springer's Knowledge and Space series, focuses on the last of these: the multiple relationships between knowledge
The revival of interest in collective cultural memories since the 1980s has been a genuinely global phenomenon. Cultural memories can be defined as the social constructions of the past that allow individuals and groups to orient themselves in time and space. The investigation of cultural memories has necessitated an interdisciplinary perspective, though geographical questions about the spaces, places, and landscapes of memory have acquired a special significance. The essays in this volume, written by leading anthropologists, geographers, historians, and psychologists, open a range of new interpretations of the formation and development of cultural memories from ancient times to the present day. The volume is divided into five interconnected sections. The first section outlines the theoretical considerations that have shaped recent debates about cultural memory. The second section provides detailed case studies of three key themes: the founding myths of the nation-state, the contestation of national collective memories during periods of civil war, and the oral traditions that move beyond national narrative. The third section examines the role of World War II as a pivotal episode in an emerging European cultural memory. The fourth section focuses on cultural memories in postcolonial contexts beyond Europe. The fifth and final section extends the study of cultural memory back into premodern tribal and nomadic societies.
This volume explores interdependencies between knowledge, action, and space from different interdisciplinary perspectives. Some of the contributors discuss knowledge as a social construct based on collective action, while others look at knowledge as an individual capacity for action. The chapters contain theoretical frameworks as well as experimental outcomes. Readers will gain insight into key questions such as: How does knowledge function as a prerequisite for action? Why are knowledge gaps growing and not diminishing in a knowledge society? How much knowledge is necessary for action? How do various types of knowledge influence the steps from cognition to action? How do different representations of knowledge shape action? What impact have spatial conditions for the formation of knowledge? What is the relationship between social and geographical space? The contributors consider rationality in social and economic theories as well as in everyday life. Attention is also given to action theoretic approaches and rationality from the viewpoints of psychology, post-structuralism, and human geography, making this an attractive book for students, researchers and academics of various backgrounds. This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license.
This open access volume raises awareness of the histories, geographies, and practices of universities and analyzes their role as key actors in today’s global knowledge economy. Universities are centers of research, teaching, and expertise with significant economic, social, and cultural impacts at different geographical scales. Scholars from a variety of disciplines and countries offer original analyses and discussions along five main themes: historical perspectives on the university as a site of knowledge production, cultural encounter, and political interest; institutional perspectives on university governance and the creation of innovative environments; relationships between universities and the city; the impact of universities on national and regional economies and cultures; and the processes of internationalization through student mobility, the creation of education hubs, and global regionalism in higher education.
Die Beziehungen zwischen Mensch und materieller Umwelt zählen nicht nur zu den fundamentalen Grundfragen der Geographie, sondern sie haben in jüngster Vergangenheit auch überraschend viel Interesse bei anderen sozialwissenschaftlichen Disziplinen gefunden. Beiträge von Geographen, Soziologen, Psychologen und Anthropologen versuchen in diesem Buch u. a. Antworten auf folgende Fragen zu geben: Kann die physisch-materielle Welt ursächlich auf die soziale Welt einwirken? Wie können Aspekte wie Natur, Technologie, Umwelt und lokale Kontexte in humangeographische (sozialwissenschaftliche) Untersuchungen integriert werden, ohne der physisch-materiellen Welt eine deterministische Bedeutung für menschliches Handeln zuzuweisen? Mit welchen theoretischen Ansätzen können die Dichotomien zwischen Individuum und Umwelt oder zwischen Kultur und Natur überwunden werden? Welche Raumkonzepte erweisen sich für sozialwissenschaftliche und humanökologische Studien als tragfähig? Welche Rolle spielen Unterschiede des Wissens? Wie werden Probleme der 'Umweltgerechtigkeit' gelöst?
During the first decade after the turn towards democracy and market economy, Hungary's society experienced profound changes. The book analyses related political, legal, institutional and socio-economic structures and processes in order to contribute to a further understanding of Hungary's ongoing transformation processes and its current situation as one of the leading candidates for EU membership. The topics include constitutive elements of a modern market economy as well as education, income structures, the poverty situation, post-communist voting behaviour, regional and urban development and Hungary's cross-border co-operations. The role of Budapest within the European city system and Hungary's economic situation within Europe are also discussed. Drawing together comprehensive empirical data and a geat variety of viewpoints, the book offers innovative examples of the application of different theoretical approaches to transformation studies and studies of economy and society in general.
Der Band widmet sich der zentralen Rolle der Erwerbsarbeit in der Gesellschaft und beleuchtet verschiedene verwandte Themen. Er analysiert die Auswirkungen von Arbeit auf das individuelle und kollektive Leben und thematisiert Aspekte wie Arbeitsbedingungen, soziale Gerechtigkeit und wirtschaftliche Entwicklungen. Die Beiträge bieten sowohl theoretische als auch praktische Perspektiven und regen zur Auseinandersetzung mit aktuellen Herausforderungen und Zukunftsfragen der Arbeitswelt an.
Inhalt: P. Meusburger: Einleitung – Entstehung und Zielsetzung dieses Buches H. H. Blotevogel: Sozialgeographischer Paradigmenwechsel? Eine Kritik des Projekts der handlungszentrierten Sozialgeographie von Benno Werlen J. Oßenbrügge: Total entankert, normal verstrickt. Anmerkungen zur Situation der Geographie und ihrer Reformulierung durch Benno Werlen W.-D. Sahr: Der Ort der Regionalisierung im geographischen Diskurs P. Weichhart: Die Räume zwischen den Welten und die Welt der Räume P. Meusburger: Subjekt – Organisation – Region. Fragen an die subjektzentrierte Handlungstheorie G. Hard: Raumfragen W. Zierhofer: Die fatale Verwechslung. Zum Selbstverständnis der Geographie H. Klüter: Raum und Organisation R. Danielzyk: Ein Konzept für empirische Regionalforschung M. Schafranek: Regionale Begrifflichkeit und die Dialektik von global und lokal B. Werlen: Handlungszentrierte Sozialgeographie. Ein Blick auf die Kritiken
