Stykowość obszaru i jej wpływ na przebieg procesów społeczno-ekonomicznych na przykładzie południowej części województwa śląskiego

The book represents an example of a complex approach to problems connected with region development and the influence of borders on regions. Theoretical conceptions of a contact region is discussed, ways of its development and its influence on social-economic relations are shown. The review of different directions of the research on socialeconomic region is shown as well as numerous procedures of regionalisation. A significant part of the book is devoted to methods of investigations of a contact region, which, because of the complexity of this problem, represent a compilation of many well-known procedures. The author, after showing the literature review, proposed his own conception of investigations on a contact region, and then applied this conception. The investigation area includes the southern part of the Silesian Province an consists of the following districts: bielski, cieszyński, pszczyński, żywiecki and the town district of Bielsko-Biała. This area is especially interesting as it was divided by former borders into three sub-regions: Śląsk Cieszyński, Ziemia Pszczyńska and part of Małopolska. Determination of potential differences at the contact of these areas became the basic aim of the work, as they reveal a contact character of the region studied. The empiric part includes the results of investigations concerning both economic and social aspect of the region, taking into account the run of natural barriers existing in this area. This resulted in identification of the limits of present connections and their refractions at the lines of former divisions. The investigations shown that social relations respond different to the run of historical borders than economic relations. The final effect of investigations was determination of the intensity and direction of transformations which were generated by former borders. Basing on this it was possible to point out the places where the division lines are still visible. The final conclusion is an attempt to prepare a model showing social-economic relations in the region. The conclusions which emerge from the book concern the postulates which should be taken into consideration while preparing new regional divisions. Review character and historical background will let the lovers of the region find interesting plots. The readers will gain not only a pile of substantial information concerning region development but also they will understand better relations which occur in the region studied.