Dangers of the Empirical Turn: Some Comments on the Curs Initiative*

Smith, Neil

doi:10.1111/j.1467-8330.1987.tb00149.x

Cited by 123 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…In practice, the NRG struggled to work with different spatial scales (from the world‐economy to the micro‐social), and all‐too‐often privileged ‘localities’ as providing the most fertile ground for geo‐historical synthesis (Jonas 1988). The ‘locality debate’ (Smith 1987; Cooke 1987) taught us inter alia that thinking critically about and through scalar categories is essential to the ways that human geographers need to come to terms with the changing world around them, not least because important causal processes seem to operate in a scalar dimension. If nothing else, the ensuing discussions have opened up a world of multiple scales.…”

Section: Tales Of Scales: a Note On Narrative And Explanation In Humamentioning

confidence: 99%

Pro scale: further reflections on the ‘scale debate’ in human geography

Jonas¹

2006

Trans Inst British Geog

214

139

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Section: Tales Of Scales: a Note On Narrative And Explanation In Humamentioning

confidence: 99%

Pro scale: further reflections on the ‘scale debate’ in human geography

Jonas¹

2006

Trans Inst British Geog

214

139

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“…The initial assault came from North America by SMITH (1987), who bemoaned the perceived shift away from (Marxist) theory to a critical realist-inspired regional world of empirics, worthy of nothing more than a 'morass of statistical data'. Smith famously said:…”

Section: Remembering Society and Space: Curs And The Locality Debatementioning

confidence: 99%

New Localities

Jones¹,

Woods²

2012

Regional Studies

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JONES M. and WOODS M. New localities, Regional Studies. During the mid-to-late 1980s, 'locality' was the spatial metaphor to describe and explain the shifting world of regional studies. The paper argues that the resulting 'localities debate' threw this baby out with the bathwater and rather than invent new concepts to capture socio-spatial relations in the twenty-first century, the paper urges a 'return to locality' to enlighten regional studies. The paper offers three new readings of locality, which when taken together constitute the basis for thinking about regions, society and space through the lens of 'new localities'. It further suggests that for locality to have analytical value it must also have both an imagined and a material coherence, and it puts a 'new locality' framework to work in research on devolved regional economic and social geographies. New localitiesLocality Region Relationality Devolution WalesDe nouvelles localités, Regional Studies. Du milieu à la fin des années 1980, la notion de 'localité' constituait la métaphore pour décrire et expliquer l'évolution des études régionales. L'article affirme que 'le débat sur la notion de localité', qui en a résulté, a jeté ce bébé avec l'eau de bain et, plutôt que d'inventer de nouveaux concepts afin de capter les relations socio-géographiques du vingt-et-unième siècle, l'article prône en faveur d'un 'retour à la notion de localité' pour améliorer les études régionales. Cet article fournit trois nouvelles appréciations de la notion de 'localité' lesquelles, prises ensemble, constituent le bien-fondé des opinions sur les régions, la société et l'espace dans l'optique des 'nouvelles localités'. De plus, on propose que la notion de localité doit avoir une cohérence à la fois imaginaire et réelle pour justifier une valeur analytique, et on met en branle un cadre de 'nouvelle localité' dans la recherche au sujet des géographies économiques et sociales régionales dévolues. De mediados a finales de los ochenta, la 'localidad' era la metáfora espacial preferida para describir y explicar el mundo cambiante de los estudios regionales. En este artículo sostenemos que el 'debate de localidades' resultante acabó tirando el grano con la paja; en vez de inventar nuevos conceptos para captar las relaciones socioespaciales en el siglo XXI, aquí instamos a 'volver a la localidad' para esclarecer los estudios regionales. En este artículo ofrecemos tres nuevas lecturas de localidad que juntas constituyen la base para reflexionar sobre las regiones, la sociedad y el espacio a través del objetivo de las 'nuevas localidades'. Además sugerimos que para que el concepto de localidad ofrezca un valor analítico, también

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“…Although the limitation Ball suggests may have deeper roots in the British tradition it is also in accordance with the present popular trend that Neil Smith (1987) has called the "empirical turn". unification (see Maki, 1987).…”

Section: Concrete Analysismentioning

confidence: 60%

Misguided Rhetoric on Rent: A Comment on Ball and Clark

Haila

1989

Environ Plan A

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Recently in this journal Ball and Clark have debated the theory of land rent. This comment is an attempt to show that the art of wording in that debate has been, above all, misleading. In the process of the controversy the original questions have been displaced by others, and discussion has been choked by ready answers quoted from classic authority. This comment is an attempt to penetrate behind the rhetorical veil and to reveal the important questions that deserve to be discussed in a sincere way. In order to make clear the main issue-the use and the relevance of the theory of land rent-the recent project of Ball is crystallized into a thesis: the received theory of rent should be rejected. Ball's attempts to justify this thesis are weighed, and it is concluded that Ball has not managed to justify the thesis. This means that the alleged alternative theory based on the criticism against the theory of land rent is rather a belief and an illusion than a properly justified stand. Therefore, apart from providing a short outline for an alternative approach, the main outcome of the comment is an invitation to further discussion.

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Dangers of the Empirical Turn: Some Comments on the Curs Initiative*

Cited by 123 publications

References 10 publications

Pro scale: further reflections on the ‘scale debate’ in human geography

Pro scale: further reflections on the ‘scale debate’ in human geography

New Localities

Misguided Rhetoric on Rent: A Comment on Ball and Clark

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