卡斯特“网络社会理论”对于人文地理学的知识贡献——基于中外引文内容的分析与对比

Knowledge Contribution of Castells’the Theory of Network Society to Human Geography:An Analysis and Comparison of Citations in Chinese and English Literature

以引用曼纽尔·卡斯特《网络社会的崛起》的898篇英文文献和363篇中文文献为数据基础,综合运用引文内容分析和引文情境分析方法,基于中外引文的分析与对比,研究了“网络社会理论”对于人文地理学的知识贡献。研究发现:“流动空间”是国内外文献引用最多的理论观点,且国内研究的引用比例明显高于国外研究;国内外研究对于“网络社会理论”的关注点存在差异,国内研究主要聚焦于网络社会的外在空间形态及其的转型,而国外研究则更加关注网络社会的内在空间动力;引文内容承担着9种引用功能以及3类知识贡献,体现了“网络社会理论”对于人文地理学不同程度的影响。其中,批判性引用揭示了“网络社会理论”的不足之处,指出了“空间二元论”的抽象性、地方空间的重要性以及研究数据、方法和时代背景的局限性,为未来“网络社会理论”在人文地理学领域的应用与创新提供了新的启示。

Manuel Castells’seminal book The Rise of the Network Society holistically explores the theory of network society,which has a great influence on human geography research.The influence of an academic publication often lies in its citation count.However,citation count cannot reflect the exact contribution of network society theory to the discipline of human geography,because citation count never takes knowledge of cited publications into account.Instead,citation content and context analysis can unveil the knowledge contribution of the network society theory to human geography.Through employing citation content and context analysis on 898 English journal articles and 363 Chinese journal articles which cited The Rise of the Network Society,this study investigates the knowledge contribution of the network society theory to human geography based on analysis and comparison of Chinese and English citations.We found that 1)knowledge on‘space of flows’is most frequently cited by both Chinese and English literature,with the cited ratio of‘space of flows’by Chinese literature is obviously higher than that by English literature;2)Chinese and English literature shows different focuses on the theory of network society,with Chinese research pays more attention to the external space form of network society and its transformation while research in English pays more attention to the internal force for spatial transformation;3)citations present nine citation functions and show 3 types of knowledge development contribution in human geography studies,which indicate different degree of influence on human geography.Among nine citation functions,critical citation is most important and worthy of in-depth analysis,which unveils scholars’critical thinking towards the network society theory.Generally,citing authors argue that the spatial dualism of‘of flows’and‘space of places’is over abstract,the‘space of flows’is not superior to the‘space of places’in the network society,and the limitation of research data,methods and technological background restricts the improvement of empirical research on network.These critical citations will enlighten scholars to promote the application and innovation of network society theory in human geography.