The concept of a "learning region" in contemporary social science (analytical review)

This article considers the main foreign work, initiating the concept of "learning region" in contemporary social science and political practice. The main objective of the work is a new understanding of the economic and political stage of development of society, expressed in terms of "knowledge economy", "network culture" and "interactive learning". Foreign authors propose their own experience of conceptualizing the notion of "learning region", which are summarized in a general theoretical paradigm. Theoretical basis of the concept of "learning region", which occurs at the intersection of innovation and economic geography theories are evolutionary economic model (A. Marshall), cluster theory (M. Porter), the concept of "social capital" (R. Putnam) and the theory of "industrial areas" (M. Storper). American researcher R. Florida calls the regions key economic unit of a new era of global capitalism, which is included in the new era of knowledge creation and continuous learning. According to Richard Florida's analytical focus "learning region" is the process of learning in networks as an important organizational mode of the knowledge economy. Swedish researcher Bjorn Asheim raises two major themes: networks as the most convenient forms of organizational learning and agglomeration advantages for learning. The author argues that the best organizational form of networking is quasi-integration. Asheim emphasizes geographical aspect of learning networks, which creates advantages of agglomeration defined territorial conventions. According Asheim territorial convention, together with the regional innovation policies and institutions that support innovation, forms the institutional structure of the region. Kevin Morgan pays special attention to the concept of "social capital", which becomes crucial for understanding the nature of capitalism as a "learning economy". Social capital determines the institutional capacity of the region, is the main objective of the regional policy. According to K. Morgan network paradigm is able to unite economic geography and innovation theory. Based on the analysis of these concepts, we can conclude that interdisciplinarity of the concept "learning region" can act as a basis integrative concept of "network culture" and methodological tool for the analysis of its economic and political spheres.

Keywords

Authors

References