Methodology and method of economics or theories of regional development

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Date
2013-08
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Technická Univerzita v Liberci
Technical university of Liberec, Czech Republic
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to present the main methodological approaches and research methods used in the construction of economic theory and formulate conclusions which arise for economic reality. At the same time, the attention is paid to the fact that theories of regional development are constructed on the basis of the same methodological foundations. In recent years, there is noted a significant difference in the development of countries and also strengthening of disparity development within these countries. Moreover, there is an increasing pressure on economic theory, mainly on the growth and development theory to explain the nature of these differences and disparities between countries and regions and to give directions to adequate economic (macroeconomic and regional) policy. Theories of regional development are part of a broad framework of economic theory and prefer spatial and geographic aspects. The methodology can be defined as the study of methods used in scientific research. The method then presents the scientific approach used in examining the phenomena of reality. In this paper, the attention is paid to methodological approaches and methods of classical economics, Keynesian economics, neoclassical economics, neoliberal economics, neo-Marxist economics and institutional or neoinstitutional economics. Within each approach, there are mentioned methods such as historical-inductive method, empiricism, abstraction, axiomatic-deductive method, marginal analysis, methodological individualism, subjectivism, critical realism, dialectics, structuralism, historical approach, praxeology, descriptive analysis and others. The article also includes two schemes. The first presents the basic characteristics of methodological approaches and methods of individual theoretical economic directions. The second scheme shows the main ideas of the authors of theories of regional development in the division as applicable to a particular stream of thought. The author of the article concludes that the future development of economic theory regarding research methods will probably go towards synthesis and complexity.
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Subject(s)
economic methodology, method, positive economics, positivism, realism, individualism, monetarism, Keynesian economics, neoclassicism, neoliberal economics, neo-Marxist economics, institutional economics, theories of regional development
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ISBN
978-80-7372-953-0
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