Social and cultural logic of regionalism

Abstract

Research into the globalisation processes leads to establishing the set of concepts with the relative heuristic, methodological, and theoretical effectiveness as well as consequent practical effectiveness. Yet, a simple analysis shows this set of concepts as dependent on certain political programmes and projects. Scientific research is not a prirori limited by any other language - except its own, i.e. scientific language. To accept the language of non-scientific discourse means (mostly) to accept the non-scientific logic, too. Scientific establishment of region, community or similar social unit is a matter of logic different from the logic of political programmes or projects. Scientific research seeks logic of a subject (region, e.g.) from outside as well as from inside. That is why ideas and principles of social constructivism would have to play an important role among the scientific research tools. These principles and ideas are not a part of simple language and logic of political programmes and projects. Substitution of scientific language and scientific logic by political ones could lead to a fatal error. A region is the result of social construction, yet the scientific construct of a region is only one dimension of this complex process. This process can be called a social and cultural cartography process and could be based on parallel or complementary research methodologies - on standard methodology (working by means of standard descriptive and analytical quantitative research tools) and on social constructivism methodology (social and cultural cartography). Such complementary research is capable of overcoming relatively naive language and logic of political programmes and projects as well as limited heuristic possibilities of a standard scientific approach.

Keywords

• regionalism
• social cartography
• simulations
• social construction of region