Imagined Regional Communities by James D. Sidaway (9780415183475)

Description - Imagined Regional Communities by James D. Sidaway

During recent years, issues related to the formation and consolidation of regional blocs, such as the European Union (EU), the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) or the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA), have generated much discussion. These 'regionalisms' can be subject to contradictory interpretations, for example they are seen as possible stepping stones towards global integration, yet simultaneously they imply fragmentation into discreet blocs. They are also challengers for and enablers of state sovereignty. Imagined Regional Communities provides an original approach to thinking about the processes of regional integration. Focusing mostly on communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America (the 'global south'), it develops detailed case studies based on archives, interviews and critical readings of existing texts. These case studies are related to each other and the overall themes of the book so that a set of narratives and theoretical elaborations emerge that critically reformulate understandings of statehood and sovereignty.

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