Applications of the Expansion Method

The disciplines of the social sciences have turned to models to identify and define relationships between critical variables. The dynamism of these variables can render models inadequate. The expansion method provides a means of reintroducing the complexities of the real world without destroying the models in the process. As such, the expansion method is geography's response to the theories of social sciences. As a technique, it provides a systematic methodology appropriate for the investigation of contextual variability in virtually any empirical research setting. As a research paradigm, the expansion method suggests that the contextual variability of general processes be at the forefront of social scientific investigation. This is the first book to bring together researchers with interests in the expansion method. The authors examine the theoretical implications of the paradigm, contribute methodological advances, and offer a variety of applications in substantive areas, including population, urban systems, social policy analysis, economic development and remote sensing.