Regionalism(s)

The volume documents the proceedings of a conference on Regionalism(s) that took place in Innsbruck in November 2013 and was jointly organized by the five Centers for Area Studies at the University of Innsbruck. As the title indicates, it offers a variety of perspectives on this topic, both in regard to the different scholarly approaches (legal, political, sociological, cultural, geographical, historical) and to the focus on various European and American regions. The profound introductory essay provides a legal perspective on the topic, dealing with the vast range of meanings of region, from small territory to macroregion. An expert in Constitutional Law, Gamper stresses the necessity to differentiate between regions in federal states on the one hand, and regions within unitary states with a decentralized administration on the other, and discusses the challenges that are to be faced. The book is divided into three sections. The first one, titled “Case Studies of Regionalism(s) in Europe on a National Level,” offers perspectives from Italy, France, and Russia. In the second part of the book we are confronted with three different perspectives on “Regionalism(s) on a European Level and Cross-Border Cooperations.” The three essays in the third and last part of the book leave Europe behind and cross the Atlantic Ocean, heading towards the Americas. With a paper each on South America, the USA, and Canada, this section contains perspectives on regionalism(s) on both the Northern and the Southern continent, again, however, with a special focus in each case. The authors represent not only different disciplines but also the different scholarly traditions and conventions of their home country. Their perspectives thus offer a fascinating view from various angles on the highly topical issue of ’region.’