Thus far we have had little to say directly about locality research. Rather we have been concerned with criticising the radical separation of the abstract from the concrete and emphasizing the hierarchical nature of abstraction. As we have already hinted, Andrew Sayer‘s work is implicated in debates over locality studies. He appears to exemplify the radical separation of the abstract from the concrete. With respect to locality studies, his view of the role of space in social theory is also of interest, especially since the conceptual parallel he develops between the abstract/concrete distinction and the social/spatial distinction appears to command substantial support from others (e.g. Saunders, 1985). Sayer’s views are therefore a useful point of departure for examining current approaches to locality studies, in particular the role that should be assigned to abstraction in studying such an obviously geographical phenomenon as the locality.