Dr. Johannes Muntschick

Sem (MA/MA-EU) The EU and global Regionalism: Explaining Integration and Disintegration Dynamics

Instructors: Dr. Johannes Muntschick
Shortname: Sem EU
Course Type: Seminar

Requirements / organisational issues

Organizational issues:
- Participation in class is obligatory
- Task assignments

Digital teaching

The course follows an innovative teaching approach that combines - ideally - elements of elarning and live interaction. This includes using methods of asynchronous/synchronous (with time delay/live) teaching and interaction between students and lecturer.

The central learning platform is moodle: https://lms.uni-mainz.de/moodle/login/index.php

This course will use Skype for Business (or other alternatives if necessary) for synchronous/llive teaching and interaction.

Please install and familiarise yourself with the software and make sure that you have internet-ready devices at hand during the time slot of this seminar.

The seminar outline will provide further details (distributed later at a later time).

Recommended reading list

• Börzel, T. A. & Risse, T. [eds.], 2016: Oxford Handbook of Comparative Regionalism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Ikenberry, G., 2008: The End of Liberal International Order? In: Foreign Affairs, 94:1. 7-23.
• Krapohl, S. [ed.], 2016: Regional Integration in the Global South. External Influence on Economic Cooperation in ASEAN, Mercosur and SADC. Cham: Palgrave.
• Ravenhill, J., 2008: Regionalism. In: Ravenhill, J. [ed.]: Global Political Economy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 172-210.
• Spragia, A., 2008: Review Article: Comparative Regionalism: What Might It Be? In: Journal of Common Market Studies, 46:1. 29-49.
• Söderbaum, F., 2016: Rethinking Regionalism. London: Palgrave.
• Warleigh-Lack, A., 2015: Differentiated integration in the European Union: towards a comparative regionalism perspective. In: Journal of European Public Policy, 22:6. 871-887.

Since the end of the Cold War and in the course of an increasing globalisation, we observe a mushrooming of new and renewed regionalisms in virtually all parts of the world – particularly in the global South. There is evidence that globalisation contributes to the fact that a growing number of challenges and cooperation problems in international relations go beyond the sphere of influence of individual nation states. These challenges demand coordinated and cooperative international action in order to generate mutually beneficial solutions for all countries involved. This is where international institutions can make a difference. On regional level, many countries in many different parts of the world pushed regionalism and regional organisations forward in order to master their cooperation problems and/or engage in regional block-building to better face the challenges of globalisation. The latest wave of new regionalism gives evidence of this phenomenon in international relations.

Quite often, at least in the academic debate, the European Union (EU) is seen as political construct ‘sui generis’ that acts as role model for global regionalism. However, there is a multitude of regionalisms in other parts of the globe where countries cooperate in various issue areas (economy, security, infrastructure etc.) more or less successfully. We observe integration and disintegration dynamics – and have evidence for paralysis, symbolism or even failure. Some regional organisations remind very much of the EU with regard to their institutional design and organisational structure. This gives rise to the impression that the EU as an external actor could have unfolded an impact and influence on the emergence and institutional design of such regionalisms. Apart from that, some regionalisms seem to prosper in the ‘shadow’ of regional hegemons who are of key importance for the success and development of regional integration projects. Finally, some regional organisations face disintegration tendencies with member states striving for alternative/bilateral options - or exit.

The seminar is dedicated to global regionalism and aims to analyse, explain and compare the emergence, institutional design and performance (effectiveness) of regionalism in different parts of the world. This includes explaining integration and disintegration dynamics and debate on (the crisis of) multilateralism. Empirical case studies include regional organisations from all continents, i.e. America, Europe, Africa and Asia. The EU may act as bench mark for comparison although the seminar’s academic approach to the study of ‘regionalism’ is certainly not euro-centric.
In the first part of the course, students will gain knowledge about theories of regional cooperation and (dis-)integration, international institutions and (policy) diffusion. This includes the latest research on the topics of 'new regionalism' and 'regionalism in comparison'. In the second part of the course, empirical case study research shall be in the focus and students learn to analyse and explain regionalism based on specific regional organisations. This includes critical assessment of the functionality and performance of regional integration projects - not least against the background of the EU as external actor.

Additional information

Seminar in English

In order to pass the course and gain credits/ECTS points, you will be asked to complete certain task assignments (details provided in the seminar outline at a later stage).

Dates