GE 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

REGIONALISM

Learning Objectives:
 Differentiate between regionalization and globalization
 Explain how regions are formed and kept together
 Identify the factors leading to a greater integration of the
Asian region
 Analyze how different Asian states confront the challenges
of globalization and regionalization

Regions are a group of countries located in the same geographically specified area. Regions can be
a combination of two or more than two regions that are organized to oversee and regulate the flows
and policy choices.
What is Regionalism?
√ The term regionalism conveys the sense of intentional, top-down region-building involving
inter-governmental collaboration. Regionalization, on the other hand, refers to the growing density
of interaction and co-operation between neighboring countries.
√ He & Inoguchi (2011) defined regionalism as an inspirational and revolutionary involving the
reorganization of economic, cultural, political and social lives along with the imagined region
rather than according to the standard political unit of the nation-state.
Regionalism and Globalization are two different concepts yet interrelated. Regionalization is the
process of dividing an area into smaller segments called regions. It focuses on the promotion
GE 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
of regional integration. Meanwhile, globalization is the interdependence, and interconnectedness
of states, a process of international integration arising from the interchange of ideas, world views,
products, and other aspects.

GLOBALIZATION REGIONALIZATION

Promotes the integration of economics across Divides an area into smaller segments
state borders all around the world
NATURE

MARKET Allows many companies to trade on Monopolies are likely develop

international level; allows free market

CULTURAL and Acceleration to multiculturalism through free Does not support multiculturalism
SOCIETAL and inexpensive movement of people
RELATIONS

Globalized international communities Regionalized area does not implicate other

favorably inclined to aid countries that are areas affairs
AID
stricken by disasters

TECHNOLOGICAL Globalized area has great advances in Technology is rarely available in one region
ADVANCES technologies or country

MONOPOLY means one producer controls supply of a good or

service, and where the entry of new producers is preventive or
highly restricted
GE 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

REGIONAL INTEGRATION
It is a process in which two or more neighboring
states agree to work and cooperate closely together to
achieve wealth, stability and peace.

The whole world is moving towards
integration, and it is imperative. In
Asia, the Southeast Asian countries
have already formed Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Regional integration has often focusing on removing
barriers to free trade, because we need something
from another part of the world. This increases free
movement of the people, goods, labor, and capital
across national borders diminish the possibility of
regional armed conflict, and adopting cohesive
regional stances on policy issues like environment,
climate change, and migration.

Different countries respond politically and economically to globalization in many ways.

Some make up for their large sizes in taking part of the global integration processes, other
countries are small enough and less of resources, taking advantage their strategic location on how
they partake globalization. However, in most cases, countries form a regional association for
military defense. The most known growing defense is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
that was formed during the Cold War. The NATO aimed to protect the threat of the Soviet Union;
and as a response, the Soviet Union created the Warsaw Pact.
Countries also form regional alliance to pool their resources and expand their leverage
against trading partners to make themselves more powerful. The Organization of the Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC), organized in 1960 by Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and Kuwait
to regulate the production and sale of oil across the globe. Moreover, there are other countries that
form regional blocs to protect their independence against the pressures of superpower politics. In
1961, the presidents of Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, and Yugoslavia made the Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM) to promote world peace international cooperation, national sovereignty, human
rights, non-intervention, racial and national equality, and peaceful conflict resolution. Countries
under NAM refused to side with the CAPITALIST (Western Europe & North America) and the
communists (Eastern Europe). The economic crisis also forces the countries to integrate together,
this crisis made ASEAN more unified and coordinated, and the beginnings of economic
cooperation.
GE 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

Singapore’s foreign minister S. Rajaratnam (right) at the historic

meeting in Bangkok to sign the founding ASEAN declaration on
August 8, 1967, together with (from left) foreign ministers Narciso
Ramos of the Philippines, Adam Malik of Indonesia, Thanat Kho

Challenges to Regionalization

 Resurgence of militant nationalism and populism

 Continuing financial crisis
 Conflict between sovereignty and regional stability
 Differing visions of regionalism
GE 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

Now, I let you do the

matrix on how regional
organization was formed.

Instructions: Fill in the table below to show how regional organization was formed.

NAME OF ASIAN
ORGANIZATION/ASSOCIATION

IMPORTANT PEOPLE
(FOUNDER)

MEMBERSHIP

FUNCTION