The New Regionalism Approach

Abstract

This introduction outlines the dramatically changed context and content of the renewed trend towards regionalism in the international system. We start by identifying some of the most relevant aspects of the latest wave, the ‘new regionalism’. The central concepts in the study of regionalism are both ambiguous and contested, and attempts are made at clarifying them. The concept of ‘regionness’ is central to the New Regionalism Approach (NRA), which is suggested as a broad, open-ended framework for analysing regionalisation in a multilevel and comparative perspective. Several specific theories and theoretical perspectives are needed for understanding the complexities of present day regionalism, and a distinction is here made between regional and world approaches. Another distinction is that between monodisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches. Finally, the future of the new regionalism, the possibility of a regionalised world order, is touched upon.

Keywords: new regionalism, regional integration, regionness