Liquid Regionalism: A Conceptualisation

The conceptualisation of Liquid Regionalism aims to offer a concise characterisation of the current wave of regionalism in the Americas, highlighting two critical aspects. First, the crises faced by regional blocs cannot be solely attributed to political or economic circumstances; instead, they stem from a structural issue rooted in the institutional frameworks of these processes. Second, academic studies and political discourses often lack clarity regarding the precise definition of regionalism. This ambiguity allows the term to encompass everything from regional interaction dynamics to full-fledged integration efforts, obscuring important distinctions and hindering a deeper understanding of regionalism. This chapter seeks to expand on these issues by providing a more detailed exploration of Liquid Regionalism, the theoretical foundations supporting it, and its place within the typology of analysis we have developed. The first section offers an overview of Zygmunt Bauman’s concept of Liquid Modernity, which informs the aspects integrated into our conceptual framework. The following section examines the interplay between Bauman’s ideas, the definition of Liquid Regionalism, and the assumptions of regional integration theories traditionally used to analyse these phenomena. Finally, the chapter elaborates on the typology itself, incorporating theoretical debates and detailing the criteria used to identify the characteristics and parameters that define this analytical framework.