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Abstract

This article provides an analytical and critical reading of the theory of the spatial diffusion of innovations as used in geography. It reviews the central concepts of diffusion, information, and innovation, and explains how new practices, ideas, or techniques spread through time, space, social relations, and communication networks. The article discusses major models of diffusion, including the role of carriers, distance, contact, barriers, neighborhood effects, and adoption processes. It also examines critical perspectives on the theory, especially those that stress the importance of economic, social, political, and developmental contexts in shaping the circulation of innovations.

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