Abstract
Contesting European regions. Regional Studies. A regional or ‘meso’-level of regulation and policy-making has emerged in Europe. This cannot adequately be explained by functional imperatives or drivers. A constructivist perspective sees the region as the outcome of political contestation over the definition and meaning of territory. Six competing conceptual frames for regionalism are proposed: integrative; competitive; welfare; identity; government; and the region as a refraction of social and economic interests. Any given case will reflect a balance among these conceptions. Such an understanding permits a combination of comparative analysis with an understanding of individual cases and avoids both dismissal of territory and territorial determinism.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 9-18 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Regional Studies |
Volume | 51 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 11 Oct 2016 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Feb 2017 |
Keywords
- regions
- rescaling
- regionalism