Attributing scientific and technical progress: the case of holography

Holography, the three-dimensional imaging technology, was portrayed widely as a paradigm of progress during its decade of explosive expansion 1964–73, and during its subsequent consolidation for commercial and artistic uses up to the mid 1980s. An unusually seductive and prolific subject, holography successively spawned scientific insights, putative applications and new constituencies of practitioners and consumers. Waves of forecasts, associated with different sponsors and user communities, cast holography as a field on the verge of success—but with the dimensions of success repeatedly refashioned. This retargeting of the subject represented a degree of cynical marketeering, but was underpinned by implicit confidence in philosophical positivism and faith in technological progressivism. Each of its communities defined success in terms of expansion, and anticipated continual progressive increase. This paper discusses the contrasting definitions of progress in holography, and how they were fashioned in changing contexts. Focusing equally on reputed ‘failures’ of some aspects of the subject, it explores the varied attributes by which success and failure were linked with progress by different technical communities. This important case illuminates the peculiar post-World War II environment that melded the military, commercial and popular engagement with scientific and technological subjects, and the competing criteria by which they assessed the products of science

Do urban social enterprises benefit from agglomeration? Evidence from four UK cities

Pinch S. and Sunley P. Do urban social enterprises benefit from agglomeration? Evidence from four UK cities, Regional Studies. This paper examines the relevance of clustering theory for an understanding of the location of social enterprises (SEs). This is accomplished through an analysis of the extent to which managers of SEs in four major UK cities perceive themselves to benefit from agglomeration effects. The paper concentrates on two broad sets of agglomeration processes: the first is Marshallian externalities and Porter's cluster processes; and the second set includes urbanization economies and local institutional relationships. The study suggests the key benefits of agglomeration to SEs are that it enables access to demand for SE goods and services together with institutional support, funding and commercial contracts, as well as access to both formal and informal networks that can provide a wide range of knowledge and mutual support. It was, however, difficult to find direct evidence to support the importance of the Marshall–Arrow–Romer (MAR)-type spillovers related to labour market pooling, the efficient procurement of indirect inputs or localized knowledge spillovers

Inequality in pre-school provision : a geographical perspective

This paper is a preliminary analysis of pre-school services, a field which, with a few exceptions (Holmes, Williams and Brown, 1972; Freeman, 1977) has been ignored by geographers and indeed other urban analysts concerned with service allocations in cities. There are numerous possible explanations for this state of affairs, not the least important being the fact that study of the under-fives has been dominated by psychologists concerned with the intellectual, emotional and social development of young children. Furthermore, as this paper reveals, numerous elements need to be integrated to analyse this problem from a spatial perspective - accessibility indices within cities, the social structure of neighbourhoods, the operation of the local political system and the development of social policy at the national and international level. Various authors have examined these issues in isolation but few have brought the necessary synthesis for a spatial view of pre-school services. It must also be remembered that there are in any case relatively few 'official' pre-school facilities so that inevitably the major items of expenditure in the fields, of housing, transportation, social services and the like have received the lion's share of attention. However, the major reason must be the fact that these services primarily affect the lives of women and in common with all such issues have been neglected by geographers. Despite a number of recent pleas for a redress of this imbalance (eg. Monck & Hanson, 1982) there has so far been relatively little empirical research (eg. Tivers, 1977). One final difficulty is that the complex almost chaotic nature of pre-school services makes the collection of comprehensive data extremely difficult. In this respect I have been extremely fortunate in Southampton for the extensive help given to me by Ros Park, Hilda Carter and Margaret Clarkson of the Pre-School Playgroups Association; Pam Whyte of the National Childminders Association; Mrs Jones of the Southampton Area Education Office and Maureen Booth of Hampshire County Council. None of these persons is of course responsible for any errors of fact or interpretation

Urban social geography: an introduction. Sixth edition

The 6th edition of this highly respected text builds upon the successful structure, engaging writing style and clear presentation of previous editions. Examining urban social geography from a theoretical and historical perspective, it also explores how it has developed into the modern day. Taking account of recent critical work, whilst simultaneously presenting well established approaches to the subject, it ensures students are well-informed about all the issues. The result is a topical book that is clear and accessible for student

Paul Krugman's Geographical Economics, Industrial Clustering and the British Motor Sport Industry

PINCH S. and HENRY N. (1999) Paul Krugman's geographical economics, industrial clustering and the British motor sport industry, Reg. Studies 33 , 815-827. Paul Krugman is one of a growing band of economists who have discovered the importance of the region in stimulating national economic competitiveness. Whilst the early reactions to his ideas by geographers tended to be hostile, there have recently been calls by geographers for a more considered view of his concepts. This paper examines the utility of Krugman's ideas for explaining the geographical cluster of small firms constituted by the British motor sport industry. It is argued that Krugman's emphasis upon accidents of history and external economies of scale provides only partial insights into the reasons for the evolution and maintenance of this industrial agglomeration. Greater insights are provided by an approach which focuses upon the dissemination of knowledge through the concept of untraded interdependencies. PINCH S. et HENRY N. (1999) L'economie geographique d'apres Paul Krugman, l'agglomeration industrielle et l'industrie du sport automobile en Grande-Bretagne, Reg. Studies 33 , 815-827. Paul Krugman fait partie d'un groupe d'economistes de plus en plus nombreux qui ont decouvert l'importance de la region en tant que catalyseur quant a la competitivite economique nationale. Tandis que les premieres reactions des geographes a ses idees avaient tendance a etre hostiles, plus recemment un avis plus reflechi de ses idees a ete reclame. Cet article cherche a examiner l'utilite des idees de Krugman pour expliquer l'agglomeration geographique des petites entreprises qui constituent l'industrie du sport automobile en Grande-Bretagne. On affirme que l'accent que met Krugman sur les effets ponctuels et les economies d'echelle externes ne donne que des apercus partiels sur l'evolution et le maintien de cette agglomeration industrielle. Une facon qui porte sur la diffusion des connaissances par l'idee des interdependances non-commerciales donne des apercus plus clairs. PINCH S. und HENRY N. (1999) Paul Krugmans geographische Wirtschaftswissenschaft, industrielle Ballung und die britische Autorennsportindustrie, Reg. Studies 33 , 815-827. Paul Krugman gehort zu der immer zahlreicher werdenden Schar der Wirtschaftswissenschaftler, welche die Bedeutung der Region bei der Belebung der wirtschaftlichen Wettbewerbsfahigkeit eines Landes entdeckt haben. Obschon anfanglich die Reaktion der Geographen auf seine Ideen meist feindlicher Natur waren, gab es in jungster Zeit unter ihnen Aufrufe zu abwagenderer Betrachtung seiner Vorstellungen. Dieser Aufsatz untersucht die Nutzlichkeit der krugmanschen Ideen zur Erklarung der geographischen Ballung kleiner Firmen, welche die britische Autorennsportindustrie bilden. Es wird die Ansicht vertreten, dass Krugmans Betonung historischer Zufalle und ausserlichen Einsparungen durch gesteigerte Produktivitat nur teilweise Einsichten in Grunde fur Entwicklung und Fortbestand dieser industriellen Ballung liefert. Vertiefte Einsichten werden durch ein Angehen vermittelt, das sich auf die Vebreitung von Kenntnissen durch das Konzept einer vom Handel nicht berucksichtigten-wechselseitigen Abhangigkeit konzentriert.Krugman, Ausserliche Einsparungen, Industrielle Ballung, Vom Handelnicht Berucksichtigte, Wechselseitige Abhanigkeit, Autorennsport, Krugman, Economies Externes, Agglomeration Industrielle, Interdependances Non-COMMERCIALES, Sport Automobile, Krugman, External Economies, Industrial Agglomeration, Untraded Interd,