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G-COT

The Geographical Construction of Technology

York University, Toronto, gnorclif{at}yorku.ca

This paper explores the process of technological innovation from a geographical perspective. Some explanations of technological change concentrate on the development of technology itself - in which makers play a central role, while other explanations focus more on consumption and the users of technology. In this paper, discussion will focus on interactions between makers and users, and on the particular places in which such interactions occur. It is proposed that these interactions, especially during the early phase of rapid product development, produce creative spaces. An adaptation of the social construction of technology (SCOT) model is therefore proposed which stresses the geographical settings in which rapid innovation occurs, and therefore is called geographical construction of technology (G-COT). The G-COT model is illustrated by the case of the Coventry bicycle industry from its foundation in 1869 to 1880 when this town had become the world's largest center of bicycle production.

Key Words: innovation • technology • social construction • Coventry • bicycle • geographical construction of technology

This version was published on July 1, 2009

Science, Technology & Human Values, Vol. 34, No. 4, 449-475 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0162243908329182


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