Spatially bound regimes between convergence and space dependence. A varieties-of-refiguration perspective on social change around the world

Spatial arrangements increasingly shape and reflect social changes in an interconnected world, acting as both foundations and drivers of change. This paper explores the perspective of the varieties of refiguration to analyze the dynamic interplay between spatial arrangements and social change, emphasizing convergent and divergent trends across societies. Drawing on the theoretical framework of four spatial figures—place, territorial space, route, and network space—these spatial logics are presented as action-oriented constructs that underpin social interactions and institutional regimes. We introduce the notion of spatially bound regimes to highlight how actor groups contest and maintain spatial arrangements within cultural–political power dynamics. Additionally, we propose space dependence as a mechanism for understanding persistent spatial arrangements, thereby extending the concept of path dependence to describe the resistance to change rooted in spatial infrastructures, distances, and increasing returns. Four vectors—states, individuals, organizations, and technologies—serve as empirical dimensions for capturing convergence and divergence and elucidating the interconnected forces of transnationalization, digitalization, individualization, and hyper-organization. While global trends often push toward homogenization, divergent dynamics emerge through countermovements, contesting spatial arrangements and figurations. This paper concludes that spatial arrangements are essential for understanding the diverse trajectories of social change. By integrating spatial logics, spatially bound regimes, and salient vectors as dimensions of empirical investigation, our perspective provides ways of examining the complexities of convergence and divergence in social change. Our concepts enrich the varieties-of-refiguration perspective, offering nuanced insights into the multifaceted interrelations between spatial and societal change.