A critique of Benno Werlen's concept of social geography

After a description of the central aspects of his concept, Benno Werlen's approach of applying Giddens' structuration and action theory to social geography is criticized from two points of departure. Firstly, the question is raised as to whether B. Werlen can attain his own objectives, in particular by a broad discussion of 'globalization' and 'regionalization'. Secondly, the major part of the paper offers a dialectical analysis of Werlen's social geography by highlighting the shortcomings in his ideological ways of understanding space and society. It becomes obvious that this is a rather problematic endeavour implying serious inconsistencies and a number of basic weaknesses concerning the perception of social space. To my mind it is highly unlikely that the main findings and the methodology of this concept will lead to a substantive development of social geography.