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 something linked to a region) and the suffix -ism (which allows the formation of nouns with meanings associated with a tendency, 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 an 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 based on the claims and identity of each region or a particular one . 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).
Regionalism is thus 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 .
Regionalism tends to reject national obligations and demands, demanding that the objectives of the regions be taken into account. In this way, the State is expected to become closer to local demands, objecting to centralisation and presenting an opposition to nationalism .
Another quality of regionalism is that it protects local customs and traditions. Local culture is therefore considered a value that must be defended.
The case of Spain
Regionalism is a current that is very present in the reality of Spain . In this case, there is a promotion of regional identity and a defence of self-government, although national unity is not renounced.
Autonomous communities such as La Rioja, Aragon , Cantabria and Asturias have, in general, an attachment to regionalism. If we focus on Cantabria , to mention one community, regionalism is more prevalent in rural areas .
Other tendencies, however, are nationalist, either believing that the region should remain part of Spain with the right to self-determination or demanding independence. The Basque Country and Catalonia are the regions where the pro-independence demonstrations are strongest.
There is, however, no clear distinction between regionalism and regional nationalism . What is important to bear in mind is that Basque or Catalan nationalism is exactly the opposite of Spanish nationalism: that is, the Basques want an independent Basque nation (just as the Catalans do with respect to 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 a region has nothing to do with the internal divisions of a country and transcends the boundaries of the national state.
This type of regionalism aims to promote international cooperation so that each nation that is part of 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 Common Market of the South ( Mercosur ); the North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ); the Organization of the 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 one nation, is a member of CELAC , Mercosur and UNASUR . This shows that regionalism is relevant to the geopolitics of this State.
It should be noted that regionalism is sometimes rejected for political or ideological reasons. This was the case with the Free Trade Area of the Americas ( FTAA ), an attempt at a multilateral agreement that was intended to cover all the countries of the American continent but was rejected by political leaders such as Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and Brazil's Lula da Silva . These leaders considered that the FTAA would function as an instrument in favor of US domination over the region.
Globalization undermines regionalism because it affects localism.
The notion in linguistics
In linguistics , a regionalism is a word that is characteristic of a region . It is a syntactic construction that identifies with a particular geographic space.
Regionalisms are therefore used by the population of a district, a region, a municipality , a province , a department or even a country. In other territories , these words are not common.
Regionalisms can be related, in a certain way, to dialects or slang . For example, "money" is named with the regionalism "lana" in Mexico and with the regionalism "guita" in Argentina .
Artistic regionalism
Artistic regionalism is a movement that emerged in the 1930s in the United States, which revolved around the realistic representation of landscapes and scenes from small towns and rural areas.
In the context of the Great Depression , regionalism became very popular as it showed landscapes and situations that reflected calm in the midst of chaos. According to art scholars, this movement was traditionalist and conservative.
Similarly, regionalism in literature is linked to costumbrismo . Its narratives often portray rural realities or the experiences of indigenous peoples.