Space and Society in Tér és Társadalom: The First 40 Years

Abstract

On the 40^th anniversary of its foundation, this editorial examines the long-term development and challenges of Tér és Társadalom (“Space and Society”, TéT). It situates the journal’s origins in an intellectual tradition rooted in a multidisciplinary approach, theoretical and methodological plurality, and a focus on the research of complex, spatially embedded social phenomena, with a slight bias towards qualitative and policy studies. It investigates how TéT emerged in the focus point of multiple disciplines concerned with spatial issues, and evolved over four decades. Through the example of four representative issues, the editorial distinguishes between a founding period with a strong emphasis on defining the outlines of the field; an expansionary golden age characterised by a fusion between empirical research and regional policy; an era of institutional uncertainty marked by disciplinary opening and theoretical refocusing; and a period of deepening international integration driven by pressures in modern academic publishing and convergence towards international standards. In contrast with improving journal metrics, the editorial also identifies risks of standardisation associated with selection mechanisms enforcing structural uniformity, while disincentivising exploratory behaviour and viewpoint diversity. This presents the risk of academic publishing’s already apparent loss of social relevance, increasing retrenchment, and increased risks of future disruptive effects. The editorial suggests that an open intellectual tradition embracing complex thinking about complex spatial phenomena, rewarding originality, and remaining open to explore unknown territory, should be the guiding star of Tér és Társadalom in securing its place in modern academic publishing.