Globalisation and Regional Integration: A Comparative Analysis of Europe and East Asia

Abstract

The analysis of the contemporary phase of internationalisation implies an assessment of the diverse processes of regional integration. They are key issues in the construction of post-Fordist regimes that can no longer be developed on strict national bases. Internationalisation is also stemmed by directly global developments interacting with regional processes. This paper identifies two ideal types of regional dynamic, which together account for the economic, politic and social dimensions of these processes. In each case, I specify the regional dynamics of convergence or divergence and discuss their stability. I then investigate how interactions with global trends can lead to hybrid forms of regions.