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Prof. Dr. Sebastian LentzLeibniz-Institut für Länderkunde

Leipzig

Regional Typologies in Anthropogeography

13-14 October 2005, Luxembourg

ESPON- “A European Territorial Research Community”

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General Assumptions

framing

conditions

…

the

power

of

history

• Regionalisation is a variant of a common daily as well as a scientific way of bringing order into reality;

• Regions do not exist per se – they are made and they are reproduced in and through societal interaction;

• Concepts of regions in Anthropogeography are closely linked to the evolutionary paths of this discipline.

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naturalisticand

individualistic concepts of the objects’

nature

framing

conditions

…

the

success

of

evolutionary

theory

finding the spatial mosaic

Source: Maull (1956: 121)

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creating the spatial mosaic

Makingterritories

-

spatial knowledge

is transformed

into claim to power

gathering

information

for

societal

needs

…

colonial

discovery

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structural and functional typologies

creating

the

spatial

mosaic

…

definitions and intentional uses

Source: Weichhart (1995: 28;

translated)

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research within regional units

framing

conditions

…perceptional

and reactive

conceptsof the

objects’ nature

Source:

Blotevogel (1984: 92)

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research within regional units

Differentiating regional units

Dominance of quantitative methodsframing

conditions

…

critique

on

scientific

methods

Source:

Kilchenmann

(1968: att.)

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functional typologies

creating

the

spatial

mosaic

…

designing

administration

spatially

definitions and different intentional usages

empowering regionsas agents

i.e.: defining planning regions

Source: Nationalatlas(vol. 1/1999: 69)

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functional typologies

creating

the

spatial

mosaic

…

designing

administration

spatially

definitions and different intentional usages

i.e. defining analytical regions

Source: Nationalatlas(vol. 1/1999: 67)

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functional typologies

creating

the

spatial

mosaic

…

optimizing

allocation

definitions and different intentional usages

analytical and structuring concept

Source: BBR (2005: 17)

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Hägerstrand‘stime-

geographyas web model

Integrating dimensions

of timeand

action-space;

Social theory and spatial longings

time –

space –

relations

…

Source: Held (1989: 193)

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Agents in Regions – Regions as Agents

the

socio-political

dimension

…

communication

about

spaces

Level of Goals

Individual spatial aims

In a spatially related conflict agents develop self-related space-related aims, according to their subjective perception, values and interests.

Level of Perception

Individual perception of space

Spatial structures predetermine human actions in a conflict, however selectively distorted as agent-specific mental construction and/or images (mental maps)

Level of Action/level of means

Individual strategic images of space

For the purpose subjective bias with the goal to implement own spatial interests of utilization in a space-related conflict.

Model after

Reuber (1999)

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goals of geographical recognition

change

from the

region

to the

ways of

producing

a region

…

ways of

production in

geography

ways of defining

intentions behind usages

constructivism as consequence

the region as an epistemic object

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thank you.

Prof. Dr. Sebastian LentzLeibniz-Institut für Länderkunde

Leipzig

13-14 October 2005, Luxembourg

ESPON- “A European Territorial Research Community”