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Recapturing Space: New Middle-Range Theory in Spatial Demography pp 11–36Cite as

Challenges of Spatial Thinking

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Part of the book series: Spatial Demography Book Series ((SPDE,volume 1))

Abstract

As it becomes easier to conduct spatial analysis and more spatially referenced data sets become available, it becomes more important to be careful in our spatial thinking. This essay identifies and seeks to clarify several of the key concepts that distinguish spatial social science. What they have in common is a concern with where things are or where they happen, and especially about where they are in relation to others. Much spatial analysis involves some notion of distance. But distance is multidimensional; it refers to a variety of phenomena such as proximity, connection, exposure, access, or even time. Other phenomena, such as spatial dependence, can easily be observed and measured, but their interpretation depends heavily on theory.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA

    John R. Logan

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  1. John R. Logan
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Correspondence to John R. Logan .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Mississippi State University, Ridgeland, Mississippi, USA

    Frank M. Howell

  2. Brooklyn College and Graduate Center, City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, USA

    Jeremy R. Porter

  3. Department of Sociology & Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Stephen A. Matthews

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Logan, J.R. (2016). Challenges of Spatial Thinking. In: Howell, F., Porter, J., Matthews, S. (eds) Recapturing Space: New Middle-Range Theory in Spatial Demography. Spatial Demography Book Series, vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22810-5_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22810-5_2

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