The unintended consequences of interregionalism

Abstract

This paper reviews the edited volume titled The Unintended Consequences of Interregionalism: Effects on Regional Actors, Societies and Structures. The book offers an alternative perspective to studies on interregionalism. Despite not being a new phenomenon, interregional dialogues between regional groups from different parts of the world have resurged since the 1990s, together with many studies trying to define and analyze them. Yet, most of the existing works on the topic adopt a deductive approach, contain a Euro-centric focus, and highlight whether interregional dialogues achieved what they intended. The Unintended Consequences of Interregionalism breaks these norms. It not only approaches the topic inductively but also considers myriad regionalisms. Accordingly, the various regions produce distinct “regionalisms” and, therefore, a plethora of “interregionalisms” exist. The edited volume supplies a unique perspective—one that grapples with the unintended outcomes of interregional interactions.