Revised Proposal for Department Research Initiative on Space, Innovation and Power

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Professor Peter Clark
Professor Henrik Meinander
Professor Juha Siltala

Content

The interaction of a triangle of forces, space, innovation and power, lies at the heart of the evolution of Nordic and European society from the Middle Ages to the present day. Spatial concepts and relationships are constantly reshaped and reconfigured by economic, cultural and other innovations, and by the effects of power structures, whether one thinks of the state or the city or big business. In turn, the significance of innovations is determined by the velocity and scale of their dissemination through space and by their accommodation with power structures, whilst power structures themselves are often maintained and advanced in the context of space through their relationship with innovation.

Power relations and innovations are mediated by individual horizons of expectations, and these are based on economic bargaining power. Political democracy is linked with the distribution of economic power resources, and the individual consciousness of oneself as a subject and not merely as an object of forces beyond one's influence has emerged from growing economic possibilities and the accompanying "empowerment." The department has strong traditions in social and cultural history and elite research, which enables us to examine recent changes in business and working life and economic power relationships from a wide perspective, with particular emphasis on the role of work, property and state power as alternative sources of security and bargaining power, a thematic matrix up to now most often neglected.

Our approach is by definition collaborative and interdisciplinary, the main areas of interest embracing not only social and cultural history but intellectual history, psychology and urban history, and offering an interface to economists, sociologists and social historians.

In this project we are concerned with the interaction of our triangle of forces in specific periods of time, looking both at the pre-industrial and modern and contemporary periods. Among our concerns, we would be interested in locating the spaces of innovation- urban spaces, regional spaces, mental spaces- and their distinctive character, commercial, political, cultural, social etc. We would examine the factors contributing to their development- the role of states and elites? education? migration and internationalisation? cities? economic bargaining power and market forces? We would be less concerned with innovations as such, but how new ideas evolve and are transmitted dynamically within and across spatial boundaries. Spaces of innovation would be reviewed critically, examining whether they create structures and mentalities which inhibit innovation in the future, and whether the social costs of innovation outweigh their economic and political benefits. The spectation of the ongoing trade off between costs and benefits prevents any too simplified approach to creativity with deterministic biases.

Scope

A prime concern of the project would be to look at the development of innovative spaces in the Baltic region ( with particular reference to Finland, Sweden, Russia and Estonia). We would compare their diverse experiences and examine the variables promoting and retarding new ideas. We would look at the development of social welfare structures and the impact of globalisation and power relations on the workforce.

However we also believe that it is important to see contemporary developments in a wider regional and chronological perspective. For this purpose the project might look at two earlier innovative worlds. Firstly, Northern Italy in the high and later Middle Ages which is widely regarded as having been the forge for an explosion of new economic, cultural, artistic and political ideas, which get disseminated to some extent elsewhere in Europe. What was the role here of cities and the Church? And why after 1600 did this region cease to be truly innovative? And secondly Britain in the 17th and 18th centuries which emerged as the leading European laboratory for ideas in the field of political theory, governance and civic society, industrial urbanism. How far was this linked to the decay of the state and the growth of market forces, particularly linked to foreign trade and manufacturing? Did this 18th century world create structures and mentalities, for instance in the urban industrial regions, which inhibited in the late 20th century new economic advances? What has been the role of the state as mediator and mitigator in social conflicts?

Organisation

There would be regular seminars and workshop to develop the argumentation of the project. Outside speakers would be invited. The different period groups in the department would be responsible for developing a specific agenda of research for their period, within the overall framework.

As already indicated, the project would aim to develop a strong interdisciplinary dimension, and also seek links with other centres of expertise in Finland. The project would plan to establish collaboration with scholars from overseas.