What shapes the anatomy of inventors? A life-history analysis of Swedish patent inventors
Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
Standard
What shapes the anatomy of inventors? A life-history analysis of Swedish patent inventors. / Skytt-Larsen, Christine Benna.
I: Geografisk Tidsskrift/Danish Journal of Geography, Bind 116, Nr. 2, 06.07.2016, s. 123-133.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Author
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - What shapes the anatomy of inventors?
T2 - A life-history analysis of Swedish patent inventors
AU - Skytt-Larsen, Christine Benna
PY - 2016/7/6
Y1 - 2016/7/6
N2 - Using life-history interviews on a sample of Swedish inventors, this article studies seminal sociocultural factors and milieus that are critical for the development of inventive capacities. This approach allows the inventors to reflect on and describe the milieus, actors and events in their lives which they themselves believe have formed their inventive capacities. The main findings of the article are that the sociocultural milieus of early childhood, especially the educational backgrounds or skills of parents and grandparents, play an important role in shaping the anatomy of inventors. Further, the social milieu of an inventor’s final education, whether elementary school or university, is a seminal factor in the development of inventive creativity, given the importance of dedicated teachers, co-students and supervisors. Finally, egalitarian organizational structures in the workplace and a solid knowledge infrastructure are also important and influential factors. The study shows that the essence of these seminal milieus varies for different types of inventor, hence three descriptive ideal types of inventor are presented, namely the workshop inventor, the engineering inventor and the academic inventor.
AB - Using life-history interviews on a sample of Swedish inventors, this article studies seminal sociocultural factors and milieus that are critical for the development of inventive capacities. This approach allows the inventors to reflect on and describe the milieus, actors and events in their lives which they themselves believe have formed their inventive capacities. The main findings of the article are that the sociocultural milieus of early childhood, especially the educational backgrounds or skills of parents and grandparents, play an important role in shaping the anatomy of inventors. Further, the social milieu of an inventor’s final education, whether elementary school or university, is a seminal factor in the development of inventive creativity, given the importance of dedicated teachers, co-students and supervisors. Finally, egalitarian organizational structures in the workplace and a solid knowledge infrastructure are also important and influential factors. The study shows that the essence of these seminal milieus varies for different types of inventor, hence three descriptive ideal types of inventor are presented, namely the workshop inventor, the engineering inventor and the academic inventor.
U2 - 10.1080/00167223.2016.1180998
DO - 10.1080/00167223.2016.1180998
M3 - Journal article
VL - 116
SP - 123
EP - 133
JO - Geografisk Tidsskrift
JF - Geografisk Tidsskrift
SN - 0016-7223
IS - 2
ER -
ID: 164111811