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Making history matter more in evolutionary economic geography

Author

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  • Martin Ron

    (University of Cambridge, Department of Geography, CB2 3EN Cambridge, UK)

  • Sunley Peter

    (University of Southampton, School of Geography and Environmental Science, Southampton, UK)

Abstract

Our focus in this paper is on a somewhat curious feature of evolutionary economic geography, namely that although concerned with evolution – with processes of historical change and transformation – evolutionary economic geography seems not to take history as seriously as it would be expected to do. We argue that evolutionary economic geography is inescapably an historical social science, and that as such would benefit from exploring the different ways in which history can be used in causal investigation, from problematising the different temporalities of economic change and transformation, and from giving more attention to appreciative theorising and narrative case study over variable-centred approaches.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin Ron & Sunley Peter, 2022. "Making history matter more in evolutionary economic geography," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 66(2), pages 65-80, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:zfwige:v:66:y:2022:i:2:p:65-80:n:5
    DOI: 10.1515/zfw-2022-0014
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Evolutionary economic geography; History; Temporalities; History-to-theory; History-in-theory; Historical cognizance; Narrative methods; Appreciative theorising;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
    • B52 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - Historical; Institutional; Evolutionary; Modern Monetary Theory;

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