Knowledge, Networks and Space: Connectivity and the Problem of Non-Interactive Learning

Gluckler J. Knowledge, networks and space: connectivity and the problem of non-interactive learning, Regional Studies. This paper develops an integrative perspective of network theory and economic geography to attain a more inclusive understanding of the creation and reproduction of knowledge. A sympathetic review of network research in the social sciences conveys that geography is often a marginalized factor and that the empirical evidence about its effect on networks and knowledge has been ambiguous. The paper criticizes network theory for its tendency to overlook processes of collective learning that happen outside networks. By conceptualizing non-interactive learning, it posits that an inclusive theory of knowledge has to integrate network accounts of interactions and geographical accounts of non-interactive learning.