Mediterranean “regionalism"

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Abstract

The concept of the Mediterranean ‘region’ has been contested both theoretically and empirically time and again. But, what are its current meanings if any? What do the never-ending internal divisions between and within countries in this imagined space tell us about the state of the Mediterranean today? Conceptually, this contribution takes Wittgenstein’s notion of “meaning is usage” to frame how various international organizations have been constituting the Mediterranean over time and to critically examine whether the Mediterranean can be referred to as a regional international society of some kind. It argues that there are some “minimal” elements of the Mediterranean as a regional international society but the practices and patterns of relations in this ‘region’ are far from the ideal types of institutions or norms that such a society should abide by in theory. Therefore, empirically, the contribution looks at the case of Pan-Arabism to shed light on the integrative failure of countries within the so-called Mediterranean. It concludes that Mediterranean ‘regionalism’ represents at least a bleak experience of regional international society or possibly even a failed one.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationHandbook on the Geographies of Regions and Territories
EditorsAnssi Paasi, John Harrison, Martin Jones
Number of pages10
Place of PublicationCheltenham
PublisherEdward Elgar Publishing
Publication date2018
Pages385-394
Chapter31
ISBN (Print)9781785365799
ISBN (Electronic)9781785365805
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018
SeriesResearch handbooks in Geography series

Bibliographical note

Professor Michelle Pace is Professor in EU-MENA politics at Roskilde University, Denmark and Honorary Professor at POLSIS, University of Birmingham, UK

Keywords

  • Mediterranean
  • regionalism
  • region
  • Wittgenstein
  • international society
  • global international society
  • regional international society
  • Pan-Arabism
  • institutions
  • norms

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