A World of

Regions
 Governments, associations,
societies and groups form
regional organizations and /or
networks as a way of coping
A World of with the challenges of
Regions globalization.
Countries form regional
alliance – as there is strength
in numbers
 It is also a process and must be
treated as an emergent, socially
constituted phenomenon. It
means that Regions are not
A World of
Regions natural or given rather they are
constructed and defined by
policymakers , economic actors
and even social movements.
Example – ASEAN
 Group of countries located
in the same geographically
specified area or an
Definition of amalgamation of two or
Regions
more regions organized to
regulate and oversee flows
and policy choices.
 Regionalization – regional
concentration of economic flows
Regionalism – political process
characterized by economic policy
Regionalization cooperation and coordination
and Regionalism among countries
should not be  often seen as a political and
interchanged economic phenomenon but it
actually encompasses a broader
area. It can be examined in relation
to identities, ethics, religion,
ecological sustainability and health.
 Some are large enough and
have a lot of resources to
Countries dictate how they participate in
respond processes of global
economically &
politically to integration.
globalization in China for example offers its
various ways. cheap and huge workforce to
attract foreign businesses and
expand trade with countries.
 Other countries make up for
Countries their small size by taking
respond advantage of their strategic
economically & location.
politically to Singapore and Switzerland
globalization in
various ways. compensate their lack of
resources by turning
themselves into financial and
banking hubs.
 1. Military Defense
Examples:
 NATO –North Atlantic Treaty
Organization - most widely known
Reasons in defense grouping, formed during
forming regional the cold war of Western European
countries and US to protect Europe
associations . against Soviet Union.
 Warsaw Pact – Eastern European
countries under Soviet domination.
 RP US Military Bases Agreement /
treaty, signed on March 16, 1947
 2. To pool resources, get better
returns for their exports as well as
expand their leverage (advantage)
against trading partners
Reasons in  Ex. OPEC – Organization of the Petroleum
forming regional Exporting countries to regulate production
associations . and sale of oil by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi
Arabia and Venezuela.
 Took over domestic production and dictated
oil price in the world market in the 1970’s.
Became so powerful that they convinced 9
other producers to join.
 3. To protect independence - from
the pressures of superpower
politics.
Reasons in Nam – Non Aligned Movement – to
forming regional pursue world peace and intl
associations . cooperation. Refused to side with
either the First World capitalist in
Western Europe or the communist
states in Eastern Europe.
 4. Economic Crisis compels
countries to come together
 Ex. Thai economy collapsed in 1996 – after
foreign currency speculators and troubled
Reasons in international banks demanded that the
forming regional government pay back its loans. Withdrawal
associations . of foreign investments bankrupted the
economy. This crisis spread to other Asian
countries that devalued their currency.
 ASEAN countries – agreed to establish an
emergency fund