MARKET FORCES, CULTURAL-FACTORS AND LOCATIONAL PROCESSES

The principal models of locational processes developed in the spirit o f universalism are reviewed, including their foundations in neoclassic al economic theory and their explanatory value. The way in which so-ca lled behavioural factors were introduced is then examined, and it is s uggested that this was based on a restricted reading of culture. A bro ader interpretation of the role of culture provides a reminder that it has always been an active agent in spatial economic processes. This l eads to the argument that the kind of economy assumed in location theo ry, regulated by competitive market forces, is itself the expression o f a particular culture which is historically and spatially specific, a nd which has undergone significant change in recent years. of the univ ersality of Claims approaches to location analysis grounded in such an economy must therefore be modified: more culturally sensitive interpr etations are required. The article concludes with the suggestion that the models built on neoclassical foundations may still serve the more limited role of technical devices for optimal resource allocation.