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Trinity of Change Agency: Connecting Agency and Structure in Studies of Regional Development

Author

Listed:
  • Grillitsch, Markus

    (Lund University)

  • Rekers, Josephine

    (Lund University)

  • Sotarauta, Markku

    (Tampere University)

Abstract

The promise of connecting agency and structure in studies of regional development is to disentangle causal effects and to better understand to what extent and how individuals, groups of individuals, and organisations can shape regional trajectories. This is not without challenges because agency and structure are deep theoretical constructs, which are not easily translated into empirical research. We have devoted a research project to study how agency and structure are connected in the context of regional development and have faced many difficulties on the way. Here, we would like to share our experiences and proposed solutions grouped into six challenges, which were present in all of the 12 comparative case studies in Finland, Norway and Sweden. The challenges refer to the ontology of agency and structure, the research design, the time period of study, the spatial scale, the research instrument, and the data collection.

Suggested Citation

  • Grillitsch, Markus & Rekers, Josephine & Sotarauta, Markku, 2019. "Trinity of Change Agency: Connecting Agency and Structure in Studies of Regional Development," Papers in Innovation Studies 2019/12, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:lucirc:2019_012
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Anna Herzog & Rüdiger Hamm, 2021. "A masterplan for urban resurgence: The case of Mönchengladbach, Germany (2008–2019)," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(3), pages 644-658, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    agency; structure; regional development; research design; comparative case study; critical junctures; key events;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • P48 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Other Economic Systems - - - Legal Institutions; Property Rights; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Regional Studies
    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General
    • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

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