Work

Making a Place for Space: Spatial Thinking in Social Science

Year: 2012

Type: review

Abstract: New technologies and multilevel data sets that include geographic identifiers have heightened sociologists' interest in spatial analysis. I review several of the key concepts, measures, and methods that are brought into play in this work, and offer examples of their application in a variety of substantive fields. I argue that the most effective use of the new tools requires greater emphasis on spatial thinking. A device as simple as an illustrative map requires some understanding of how people respond to visual cues; models as complex as HLM with spatial lags require thoughtful measurement decisions and raise questions about what a spatial effect represents.

Source: Annual Review of Sociology

DOI: 10.1146/annurev-soc-071811-145531

Author: John R. Logan

Institution: Brown University

Language: English

Topic: Spatial and Panel Data Analysis

Subfield: Economics and Econometrics

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Awards: G490693365, R24 Population Center Grant