INRL468 REGIONAL STUDIES
Room O202, Wednesday 9.00-11.50
Contact Information
Dr. Defne Günay
Office: Y123
Office Hours: Wed 14.00-15.00, Thu 11.00-12.00
Email: defne.gunay@yasar.edu.tr
Website: dgunay.yasar.edu.tr
NOTE: E-mail is the preferred way of communication. Feel free to contact me via email at any time throughout
the semester. You can also see me in the office outside office hours, after making an appointment.
Course description
This course aims to develop students’ knowledge on different regions, regionalisms and regionalization in the
world, whether and how they emerge, what drives states and other actors towards regionalism and what are
the processes of regionalization. In this context, the relationship between globalization and regionalization will
be analysed, rationalist, constructivist and critical theories of regionalism will be studied. Finally a comparative
analysis will be used to understand under what circumstances regionalization deepens or not. Students will gain
academic research, written and oral presentation skills and policy briefing skills.
Course assessment
30% Midterm exam
40% Essay
Students will write a 3000 word essay on when, why, how regionalization succeeds and fails through a
comparison of two regions. You are not allowed to compare Europe and the Middle East with each other. You
are expected to use a theoretical framework and reach analytical conclusions on what facilitates and hinders
regionalization. You are expected to use minimum 7 academic sources and proper citation. Essay drafts will be
presented in class with an assigned discussant and upon the feedback you receive you will revise and submit the
final draft of your essays at the end of the semester. A good presentation of your essay will also receive
constructive comments therefore the better your presentation is the higher your essay mark will likely be.
Students who memorize or read the reports cannot expect a top grade.
10% Participation
In-class participation with informed comments and good quality performance as a discussant with constructive
comments will receive 10%. Doing at least two compulsory readings is essential for each week and your
comments and participation will be assessed on the basis of this requirement.
10% Briefing on a regional organization
Pick a regional organization from the regions in the syllabus, explain how it emerged, what its purposes and
functions are and the challenges it faces. The requirement is a 10 minute oral presentation with supporting
slides and visual material including a bibliography on the final slide. No written report is needed. Students who
memorize or read the reports cannot expect a top grade.
10% Regional news reports
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Each student (in alphabetical order of first names) will give a news report on three regions of their choice twice
during the semester. The report will cover any significant newsworthy event taken from credible journals,
newspapers, magazines that took place in the past week for three regions. The oral report will take 10 minutes
and after the oral report, students will submit hard copy of their reports (max 450 words). Students who
memorize or read the reports cannot expect a top grade.
Course Schedule and Readings
Mary Farrell, Björn Hettne, Luk van Langenhove, Global Politics of Regionalism (Pluto Press, 2005)
Shaun Breslin, Christopher W. Hughes, Nicola Phillips and Ben Rosamond, New Regionalisms in the Global
Political Economy (Routledge, 2002)
Fredrick Söderbaum, The Political Economy of Regionalism (Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2004)
Week 1
Week 2
Introduction
Theories of regionalism I
Compulsory
- Fredrick Söderbaum, The Political Economy of Regionalism (Basingstoke: Palgrave,
2004), pp.15-28
- Brigid Gavin and Philippe De Lombaerde, “Economic Theories of Regional Integration,”
in Farell, et.al.,eds., pp. 69-83.
- Mark Pollack, “Rational Choice and EU Politics,” Sage Handbook of EU Politics, available
at http://aei.pitt.edu/8004/1/pollack-m-09a.pdf
Week 3
Theories of regionalism II
Compulsory
- Söderbaum, The Political Economy, pp.40-50
- Instead of Sjursen: Emanuel Adler and Michael Barnett, “A Framework for the Study of
Security Communities,” in Adler and Barnett, eds., Security Communities (Cambridge
University Press, 1998), pp.29-67
- Nikki Slocum and Luk van Langenhove,”Identity and Regional Integration,” in Farell
et.al., eds., pp. 137-155
Recommended
- Acharya, “Regionalism and the Emerging World Order,” in Breslin et.al., eds., pp.20-33
Theories of regionalism III
Compulsory
- Söderbaum, The Political Economy, pp.28-30
- Jamie Gough, “Changing scale as Changing Class Relations,” Political Geography, 23
(2004), pp.185-211
- Bieler, A. (2002) ‘The struggle over EU enlargement: a historical materialist analysis of
European integration’, Journal of European Public Policy, 9(4): 575-97.
Regionalism, States and Globalization (Email me your selection of regional organization and
get approval)
Compulsory
- Helen Wallace, “Europeanization and Globalization,” in Breslin et.al., eds., pp.137-50.
- Sandra Destradi, “Regional powers and their strategies: empire, hegemony, and
leadership,” Review of International Studies, 36 (2010), pp 903-930
- Linda Weiss,. "Globalization and the Myth of the Powerless State." New left
review (1997): 3-27.
- Kenichi Ohmae,"Rise of the Region State." Foreign Aff. 72 (1992): 78.
Comparative Regionalism
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
2
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Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week
10
Week
11
Alberta Sbragia,. "Review article: comparative regionalism: what might it be?."JCMS:
Journal of Common Market Studies 46.s1 (2008): 29-49.
- Philippe De Lombaerde. "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in Comparative Regionalism:
A Comment on Sbragia." JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies 49.3 (2011): 675681.
- Amitav Acharya "Comparative regionalism: a field whose time has come?."The
International Spectator 47.1 (2012): 3-15.
Regionalism in Europe (briefing on OSCE)
Compulsory
- Brigid Gavin, “Regional Integration in Europe,” in Farrell et.al., eds., pp.222-37.
- Ole Waver, "European security identities." JCMS: Journal of Common Market
Studies 34.1 (1996): 103-132.
- Henk Overbeek. "Sovereign debt crisis in Euroland: root causes and implications for
European integration." The International Spectator 47.1 (2012): 30-48.
Recommended
- Jeffrey Checkel, “Social mechanisms and Regional Cooperation: Are Europe and EU that
Different?” in Acharya and Johnston, eds., pp.221-44
- Andreas Bieler, “Austria and Sweden’s Accession to the EU,” in Breslin, et.al., eds.,
pp.150-163
MID-TERM WEEK
Regionalism in the Middle East
Compulsory
- Pinar Bilgin. "Whose ‘Middle East’? Geopolitical inventions and practices of
security." International Relations 18.1 (2004): 25-41.
- Richard N Haass. "New Middle East, The." Foreign Aff. 85 (2006): 2.
- Helena Lindham Schultz and Michael Schultz, “The Middle East,” in Farell, et.al.,eds.,
pp.187-202
Recommended
- Michael Barnett and Etel Solingen, “Designed to Fail or Failure of Design? The Origins
and Legacy of the Arab League,” in Acharya and Johnston, eds., pp.180-220
- Paul Aarts. "The Middle East: a region without regionalism or the end of
exceptionalism?." Third World Quarterly 20.5 (1999): 911-925.
Regionalism in Latin America (Briefing on MERCOSUR, Latin American Integration Association,
Union of South American Nations)
Compulsory
- Nicola Phillips, “Governance after Financial Crisis,” in Breslin et.al., eds., pp.66-81
- Malamud, Andrés, and Gian Luca Gardini,”Has Regionalism Peaked? The Latin
American Quagmire and its Lessons,” The International Spectator: Italian Journal of
International Affairs, 47:1 (2012):116-133.
http://apps.eui.eu/Personal/Researchers/malamud/TIS_Peaking_Regionalism_Malamu
d-Gardini.pdf
- Jorge I. Dominguez, “International Cooperation in Latin America: the design of regional
institution by slow accretion,” in Acharya and Johnston, eds., pp. 83-128
Regionalism in Africa (Briefing on African Union, ECOWAS, COMESA, EAC, Organization of
African Unity...)
Compulsory
- Giovanni Arrighi, “The African Crisis,” New Left Review 15 (May-June 2002)
- Ian Taylor, “Good Governance or Good for Business” in Breslin et.al., eds., pp.190-204
- Daniel Bach, “The Global Politics of Regionalism in Africa,” in Farell et.al., eds., pp.17187.
- Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari, “The African Union and Security,” South African Institute of
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Week
12
Week
13
Week
14
Week
15
International Affairs Jul 26, 2013.
http://www.cfr.org/councilofcouncils/global_memos/p32415
Recommended
- Jeffrey Herbst, “Crafting Regional Cooperation in Africa,” in Acharya and Johnston,
eds., pp. 129-144.
- James J. Hentz, “The Southern African Security Order: regional economic integration
and security among developing states”. Review of International Studies, Vol. 35 (2009):
189–213
Regionalism in Asia Pacific (Briefing on ASEAN, APEC, SEATO)
Compulsory
- Helen Nesadurai, “The Global Politics of Regionalism: Asia and Asia-Pacific,” in Farell,
et.al., eds. pp.155-71
- Peter Katzenstein, “Regionalism and Asia,” in Breslin et.al., eds, pp.104-119
- Christopher Hemmer and Peter Katzenstein, “Why Is There No NATO in Asia? Collective
Identity, Regionalism, and the Origin of Multilateralism”, International Organization,
Vol. 56, No. 3 (Summer 2002)
- Amitav Acharya, Ideas, Identity, and Institution-Building. “Ideas, Identity, and
Institution-Building: From the 'ASEAN Way' to the 'Asia-Pacific Way'?” The Pacific
Review, Vol. 10, No. 3 (1997):319-46.
Recommended
- John Ravenhill, “The 'New East Asian Regionalism': A Political Domino Effect,” Review
of International Political Economy, vol.17, no. 2 (2010), 178-208
- “APEC-ticism,” The Economist, 6 October 2013.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2013/10/asia-pacific-economic-cooperation?zid=295&ah=0bca374e65f2354d553956ea65f756e0
- Yuen Foong Kong and Helen Nesadurai, “Hanging together: Institutional Design, and
Cooperation in South East Asia: AFTA and ARF,” in Acharya and Johnston, eds., pp.3283
Essay presentations
Essay Presentations+ Inter-regionalism
- Readings tbc
ESSAYS DUE+ Overview of the course
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