Regionalism defends the cultural heritage and folklore of one's own place.
Regionalism is a concept that has several uses. The notion is formed with the adjective regional (which refers to that linked to a region) and the suffix -ism (which allows the formation of nouns with meanings associated with a trend, a doctrine, a movement or a system).
Before moving forward with the definition, it is important to focus on the term region . This is the name given to the area that is characterized by certain features or qualities or to the territorial division of a State that is defined by certain characteristics.
Regionalism in politics
Regionalism in politics is a doctrine that promotes state organization by virtue of the claims and identity of each region or one in particular . This ideology admits and accepts that there is a political entity of a higher level or status (a country), but promotes the recognition of the interests of its parts (the regions in question).
In this way, regionalism is based on differentiating the various areas that make up a unit according to the cultural physiognomy or history of each one. A regionalist movement , in this framework, encourages autonomy .
In regionalism, national obligations and demands are usually rejected, demanding that the objectives of the regions be taken into account. This is how the State is intended to approach local demands, objecting to centralization and presenting an opposition to nationalism .
Another quality of regionalism is that it protects its own customs and traditions. Local culture is taken, therefore, as a value that must be defended.
The case of Spain
Regionalism is a current very present in the reality of Spain . In this case, there is a promotion of regional identity and a defense of self-government, although national unity is not renounced.
Autonomous communities such as La Rioja, Aragón , Cantabria and Asturias have, at a general level, an attachment to regionalism. If we focus on Cantabria , to mention one community, regionalism has greater preponderance in rural areas .
Other tendencies, however, are nationalist, either understanding that the region must continue to be part of Spain with the right to self-determination or demanding independence. The Basque Country and Catalonia are the regions where the independence demonstrations are strongest.
There is, in any case, a clear differentiation between regionalism and the nationalism of the regions. What is important to keep in mind is that Basque or Catalan nationalism is exactly opposite to Spanish nationalism: that is, the Basques want an independent Basque nation (just like the Catalans do with their own nation), with sovereignty and separate from Spain , while Spanish nationalism seeks the unity of Spain (with the Basque Country, Catalonia and the rest of the regions integrated into the national State).
Regionalism, in international relations, promotes regional cooperation.
Regionalism in international relations
Regionalism in international relations promotes supranational integration . In this case, the idea of region has nothing to do with the internal divisions of a country and transcends the limits of the national State.
This type of regionalism aims to promote international cooperation so that each nation that makes up a bloc obtains benefits. In this way, alliances, pacts and associations emerge that are useful for the development of each member.
The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America ( ALBA ); the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum ( APEC ); the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN ); the association of Brazil, India, China and South Africa ( BRICS ); the Caribbean Community ( CARICOM ); the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States ( CELAC ); the Andean Community ( CAN ); the Southern Common Market ( Mercosur ); the North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ); the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries ( OPEC ); the Southern African Development Community ( SADC ); the Arab League ; the Union of South American Nations ( UNASUR ); the African Union ( AU ); and the European Union ( EU ) are examples of regional agreements, pacts and organizations.
There are countries that are part of more than one grouping. Argentina , to name a nation, is a member of CELAC , Mercosur and UNASUR . This shows that, for the geopolitics of said State, regionalism is relevant.
It cannot be omitted to mention that, sometimes, regionalism is rejected for political or ideological reasons. That happened with the Free Trade Area of the Americas ( FTAA ), an attempt at a multilateral agreement that sought to cover all the countries of the American continent but was discarded by political leaders such as the Venezuelan Hugo Chávez and the Brazilian Lula da Silva. . These leaders considered that the FTAA would function as an instrument in favor of US dominance over the region.
Globalization attacks regionalism since it affects localism.
The notion in linguistics
For linguistics , a regionalism is a word that is characteristic of a region . It is a syntactic construction that is identified with a particular geographical space.
Regionalisms, therefore, are used by the population of a district, a region, a municipality , a province , a department or even a country. In other territories , those words are not common.
Regionalisms can be related, in a certain way, to dialects or slang . "Money" , for example, is named with the regionalism "lana" in Mexico and with the regionalism "guita" in Argentina .
artistic regionalism
Artistic regionalism is a movement born in the 1930s in the United States, which revolved around the realistic representation of landscapes and scenes of small towns and rural areas.
In the context of the Great Depression , regionalism became very popular by showing landscapes and situations that reflected calm in the midst of chaos. According to art scholars, this movement was traditionalist and conservative.
In a similar way, regionalism in literature is linked to costumbrismo . Their narratives usually portray rural realities or the experiences of indigenous peoples.