The Development and Prospect for Economic Geography in a Knowledge-Information-Based Society

지식정보사회의 경제지리학 발전과 과제

This study aims not only to examine the globalization, imformationization, and networking as background of knowledge-information-based society, but also to clarify the research fields of 'geography of knowledge' and further research themes for economic geography in a knowledge-information-based society. As a result of globalization, the degree of regional disparity, which had decreased with neoliberal policy in Europe and America in 1980's, has increased in early development states such as China and Eastern European countries. In opposition to the globalization that has led to increasing regional disparities at a global scale, many scholars argue that grassroots globalization or globalization from below is needed. Based on a pessimistic view on globalization, many maintain that unequal access to information has enlarged the gap between rich and poor. They also argue that the study of the geography of poverty is crucial in oder to solve the problem of bipolization. According to the world system theory, spatial grasp of commodity chains, actors' diversities, flows towards innovation in learning knowledges, and geographical, organizational, and institutional proximities are intertwined. Because these elements make significant influences each other in social networks, the interrelationships among those elements should be carefully considered. A 'geography of knowledge' deals with manufacturing, finance and service, media, cultural, and creative industries. Former researches in economic geography have tended to deal with those industries separately without attempting to make meaningful linkages among discussions on those industries.

본 연구는 지식정보사회의 등장 배경으로 세계화, 정보화, 네트워크화에 대하여 살펴보고 이들이 만들어낸 '지식지리학'의 연구분야와 지식정보사회에서의 경제지리학의 연구과제를 밝히는 것을 목적으로 한다. 1970년대 후반 세계화, 정보화, 네트워크화가 토대가 되어 지식정보사회를 맞이하였으며, 지식정보사회에서는 신경제가 주도적인 역할을 했다. 이러한 신경제는 높은 기술수준과 고부가가치를 가진 지식을 중요시하는 경제이므로 지리학 분야에서 투입과 산출과정에서 지식집약도가 높은 경제활동을 대상으로 하는 '지식지리학'의 등장을 가져왔다. '지식지리학'은 제조업의 첨단기술산업과 신산업집적론, 금융 서비스 산업, 미디어 산업, 문화산업, 창조산업 등이 넓은 의미에서의 지식창조로 경제지리학에서도 이에 대한 연구의 축적이 이루어지고 있다.