Rethinking the theoretical genesis, research paradigm and research agenda of Geo-computational Social Sciences

Abstract

<p>The geo-computational social sciences (GSS) has emerged as a new frontier in the interdisciplinary fields. However, the GSS has somehow trapped into a predicament as the field evolves, due to many fundamental theoretical issues remaining unsettled, such as the underlying theoretical legitimacy, conceptual domains, and research paradigm. Aiming to rectify these fundamental flaws, this paper first traces the evolving and intersecting trajectories of sociology, geography and geographical information science and focuses on the spatial turn and ideological trend of computationalism, based on which the theoretical legitimacy of GSS is defended. Second, we crystalize its conceptual domains with reference to Deleuze's conceptualization of Rhizome and further unfold the conceptual domains from two perspectives. Third, in reference to Kuhn's paradigm framework, we clarify the research paradigm of GSS through a systematic theoretical deduction from three aspects, i.e., epistemology, ontology and methodology. Finally, we propose the research agenda for GSS against China's context in the post-pandemic era to advance the theoretical innovations and applications of modern geography.</p>

作为一个前沿的交叉学科研究领域，社会地理计算彰显出巨大的发展前景。然而由于过度关注方法和技术本身，缺乏对“是什么”和“为什么”等底层理论问题的探讨，社会地理计算的发展面临着泡沫化、碎片化和无根化的突出困境，引发了学术界对其理论“合法性”的质疑。针对这些学术挑战，本文首先在学术史回溯中寻绎社会地理计算的理论逻辑。通过考察社会学、地理学以及地理信息科学源流演化与互动融合的发展脉络，揭示出社会地理计算的逻辑理据根源于“空间转向”与“计算主义”两大标志性学术事件的碰撞；其次，以“游牧空间”反谱系学的思维模式划分了社会地理计算的概念域，进而从横向分化与融接、纵向交叉与拼装两条路径阐释其“根茎”结构；再次，立足于范式的基本准则和框架，通过系统性“理论演绎与归纳”的方式，在认知论层面界定了社会地理计算的概念范畴与核心特征、在本体论层面确立了社会系统中的何物存在、在方法论层面提出了“理论与算法双重驱动”的分析方法及具体的研究路径；最后，将社会地理计算放置于后疫情时代“百年未有之大变局”考验的现实语境下，廓清了社会地理计算所肩负的使命担当，以期为当代地理学的理论创新和实践应用提供参考。