IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/regstd/v41y2007i9p1193-1208.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Accident of the Region: A Strategic Relational Perspective on the Construction of the Region's Significance

Author

Listed:
  • Arnoud Lagendijk

Abstract

Lagendijk A. (2007) The accident of the region: a strategic relational perspective on the construction of the region's significance, Regional Studies 41, 1193-1207. In both academic debate and popular perceptions the region is presented as an important entity in economic, political, social, and spatial processes. This has resulted in a strong performative role of the region not only in mainstream debates across these domains, but also in a wide range of political and policy processes and practices. Recent critiques have challenged certain key features of the dominant perception of the region, notably its portrayal of the region as something bounded and fixed. But what triggered the emphasis on the region in the first place? To what extent can the significance of the region be attributed to broader political, economic, and social shifts? To what extent does it present a more accidental outcome of processes and actions that, in combination, happened to put the region centre stage? To address/explore these questions, the paper will adopt the Strategic Relation Approach (SRA) launched by Jessop and further developed by Hay and Sum. This approach advances a historical perspective on the production of hegemonic concepts and also seeks to integrate 'softer' discursive approaches within a broader, structuralist perspective. The result is a more precise identification of how certain more structural changes and shifts induced moments for the creation of new discursive articulations and actions oriented towards the region. Lagendijk A. (2007) La region accidentelle. Une perspective relationnelle strategique sur l'elaboration de l'importance de la region, Regional Studies 41, 1193-1207. Qu'est-ce qui explique le performatif solide de la 'region' sous une optique academique et generale? Jusqu'a quel point ce resultat est-il 'structurel' ou 'accidentel'? Cet article cherche a examiner cette question a deux niveaux. C'est-a-dire, du point de vue des changements politiques, economiques, sociaux plus importants et a partir des mediations institutionnelles et discursives. L'evaluation emploie une facon d'aborder la question fondee sur l'approche relationnelle strategique (Strategic Relation Approach; SRA) et sur des elaborations institutionnelles discursives recentes. On prete une attention particuliere a la question des aspects economiques par rapport aux aspects extra-economiques des 'imaginaires regionaux' et a la notion de la region comme le lieu de la contre-hegemonie. Politique regionale Structuration Discours Effet relationnel Amenagement du territoire Lagendijk A. (2007) Der Zufall der Region. Eine strategisch-relationale Perspektive der Konstruktion der Signifikanz einer Region, Regional Studies 41, 1193-1207. Wie lasst sich die vorherrschende Rolle der, Region' in der akademischen und popularen Auffassung erklaren? Wie, strukturiert' oder, zufallig' ist dieses Ergebnis? Diese Frage wird in diesem Beitrag auf zwei Ebenen erortert: auf der Ebene eines breiteren politischen, wirtschaftlichen und gesellschaftlichen Wandels und auf der Ebene institutioneller und diskursiver Mediationen. Fur die Bewertung kommt eine evolutionare Perspektive auf der Grundlage des strategisch-relationalen Ansatzes (SRA) und aktueller institutionell-diskursiver Ausfuhrungen zur Anwendung. Besondere Beachtung finden die Frage der wirtschaftlichen im Vergleich zu den ausserwirtschaftlichen Aspekten der, regionalen Imaginaren' sowie die Vorstellung der Region als Standort der, Gegenhegemonie'. Regionalpolitik Stukturierung Diskurse Relationalitat Regionalentwicklung Lagendijk A. (2007) El accidente de la region. Una perspectiva relacional estrategica sobre la construccion del significado de region, Regional Studies 41, 1193-1207. ¿Como se explica el exito de la idea de la 'region' en el mundo academico y popular? ¿En que medida es este resultado 'estructural' o 'accidental'? En este articulo examino esta cuestion a dos niveles: desde las amplias transformaciones politicas, economicas y sociales y desde las mediaciones institucionales y discursivas. En esta evaluacion adopto una perspectiva evolucionaria basada en un enfoque estrategico-relacional y las recientes elaboraciones de discursos institucionales. Presto especial atencion a la cuestion de los aspectos economicos en comparacion con los aspectos extraeconomicos de los 'imaginarios regionales' y considero la region un lugar 'contrahegemonico'. Politica regional Estructuracion Discursos Relacionalidad Desarrollo regional

Suggested Citation

  • Arnoud Lagendijk, 2007. "The Accident of the Region: A Strategic Relational Perspective on the Construction of the Region's Significance," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(9), pages 1193-1208.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:regstd:v:41:y:2007:i:9:p:1193-1208
    DOI: 10.1080/00343400701675579
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00343400701675579
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/00343400701675579?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. N/A, 2004. "The World Economy," National Institute Economic Review, National Institute of Economic and Social Research, vol. 190(1), pages 8-32, October.
    2. Michael Keating, 1998. "The New Regionalism in Western Europe," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 1193.
    3. Bob Jessop & Ngai-Ling Sum, 2006. "Beyond the Regulation Approach," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3606.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Andy Pike, 2007. "Editorial: Whither Regional Studies?," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(9), pages 1143-1148.
    2. Paul Benneworth & Tiago Ratinho, 2014. "Reframing the Role of Knowledge Parks and Science Cities in Knowledge-Based Urban Development," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 32(5), pages 784-808, October.
    3. Sjur Kasa & Anders Underthun, 2010. "Navigation in New Terrain with Familiar Maps: Masterminding Sociospatial Equality through Resource-Oriented Innovation Policy," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 42(6), pages 1328-1345, June.
    4. Wiebren Kuindersma & Froukje G Boonstra, 2010. "The Changing Role of the State in Dutch Regional Partnerships," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 28(6), pages 1045-1062, December.
    5. Stephen M McCauley & James T Murphy, 2013. "Smart Growth and the Scalar Politics of Land Management in the Greater Boston Region, Usa," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 45(12), pages 2852-2867, December.
    6. Henry Wai‐Chung Yeung, 2009. "Transnational Corporations, Global Production Networks, and Urban and Regional Development: A Geographer's Perspective on Multinational Enterprises and the Global Economy," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 197-226, June.
    7. Jonathan Metzger, 2013. "Raising the Regional Leviathan: A Relational-Materialist Conceptualization of Regions-in-Becoming as Publics-in-Stabilization," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(4), pages 1368-1395, July.
    8. Maximilian Benner, 2021. "A tale of sky and desert: Translation and imaginaries in transnational windows of institutional opportunity," PEGIS geo-disc-2021_08, Institute for Economic Geography and GIScience, Department of Socioeconomics, Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    9. Roger Keil, 2011. "The Global City Comes Home," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 48(12), pages 2495-2517, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Marius Constantin PROFIROIU & Carmen Valentina RADULESCU, 2019. "Local Development Opportunities In The Context Of Sustainable Development By Applying The Concept Of Smart Village In Romania," Proceedings of the INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 13(1), pages 1059-1067, November.
    2. James Hughes & Gwendolyn Sasse & Claire Gordon, 2002. "Saying `Maybe' to the `Return to Europe'," European Union Politics, , vol. 3(3), pages 327-355, September.
    3. Dejan Stjepanović, 2015. "Territoriality and Citizenship: Membership and Sub-State Polities in Post-Yugoslav Space," Europe-Asia Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 67(7), pages 1030-1055, August.
    4. Michael Longo, 2003. "European Integration: Between Micro‐Regionalism and Globalism," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(3), pages 475-494, June.
    5. Jim Glassman, 2018. "Geopolitical economies of development and democratization in East Asia: Themes, concepts, and geographies," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 50(2), pages 407-415, March.
    6. Maxime Fajeau, 2020. "The Adverse Effect of Finance on Growth," Working Papers hal-02549422, HAL.
    7. Rhys Jones & Mark Goodwin & Martin Jones & Glenn Simpson, 2004. "Devolution, State Personnel, and the Production of New Territories of Governance in the United Kingdom," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 36(1), pages 89-109, January.
    8. Mehadi Mamun, 2021. "The Impact of Foreign Aid Conditionality on Poverty Alleviation in Bangladesh: A Recipient’s Perspective," Business and Economic Research, Macrothink Institute, vol. 11(3), pages 151-161, December.
    9. Cristian Spiridon, 2012. "Trade Liberalisation In Europe And The Rest Of The World," CES Working Papers, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 4(3), pages 407-418, September.
    10. John Lovering, 2001. "The Coming Regional Crisis (And How To Avoid It)," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(4), pages 349-354.
    11. Sabina Silajdzic & Eldin Mehic, 2022. "How Effective Is Tax Policy in Attracting Foreign Direct Investments in Transition Countries?," Central European Business Review, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2022(1), pages 19-39.
    12. Svensson, Bo, 2000. "The Scope And Potential Of Multi-Level Governance In Eu External Relations - Lessons From The Euro-Arctic," ERSA conference papers ersa00p54, European Regional Science Association.
    13. Johanna Choumert & Pascale Combes Motel & Charlain Guegang Djimeli, 2017. "The biofuel-development nexus: A meta-analysis," CERDI Working papers halshs-01512678, HAL.
    14. Xu, T.T., 2012. "The role of credit in international business cycles," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1202, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    15. Lagendijk Arnoud & Velde Martin van der & Kuijpers Mark, 2020. "Looking for causes of effects in cases: Evaluating intermunicipal collaboration in The Netherlands applying QCA," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 64(3), pages 149-164, November.
    16. Fabien Tarrit, 2009. "The explosion of the current world crisis: an illustration of the instability of capitalism. A Marxist view," Working Papers hal-02020890, HAL.
    17. Joe Painter, 2013. "Regional Biopolitics," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(8), pages 1235-1248, September.
    18. Sjur Kasa & Anders Underthun, 2010. "Navigation in New Terrain with Familiar Maps: Masterminding Sociospatial Equality through Resource-Oriented Innovation Policy," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 42(6), pages 1328-1345, June.
    19. Merrey, D. J. & Lefore, Nicole, 2018. "Improving the availability and effectiveness of rural and “Micro” finance for small-scale irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa: a review of lessons learned," IWMI Working Papers H049027, International Water Management Institute.
    20. Maria Teresa Balaguer-Coll & Diego Prior & Emili Tortosa-Ausina, 2010. "Devolution Dynamics of Spanish Local Government," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 42(6), pages 1476-1495, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:regstd:v:41:y:2007:i:9:p:1193-1208. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/CRES20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.