‘Real’ Regulation Reconsidered

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Abstract
The concept of regulation has become critical to recent debates about the nature of restructuring in geographical and economic contexts. This paper is an exploration of the theoretical implications of viewing regulation as social practice as opposed to economic imperative. Emphasis is placed on French regulation theory and those attempting to reconstruct an understanding of regulation from within a hermeneutic—interpretive framework. By definition, these two approaches represent contrasting points of view. However, the author warns against setting the context of regulation within such oppositional parameters. The commentary is not about providing a definitive approach to regulation, but, rather, is an exploration of the methodological and epistemological issues arising from the divergent approaches to regulation that have emerged in the literature. The author draws heavily on the debate between interpretivists and legal positivists and argues that this domain provides a new and exciting avenue for research on the nature of regulation in the spatial sciences.