Continental East–West and Global North–South? Re-imagining (B)orders in Globalization
| Author | Victor Konrad |
| DOI | 10.1177/0020881715605417 |
| Published date | 01 January 2013 |
| Date | 01 January 2013 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Continental East–West
and Global North–South?
Re-imagining (B)orders in
Globalization
Victor Konrad1
Abstract
A perspective from border studies imagines an emerging global order based on
how an increasing number, extent and intensity of borders, bordering practice
and borderlands interact with the forces of globalization. The result of this inter-
action is an evolving, richly textured and complex layering of global transition in
which several processes are apparent with spatial signatures. These are related
to and explained by new conceptualizations of borders and an emerging theory
of borders in motion. Foremost among the conceptualizations is the notion of
shifting: borders and borderlands are not necessarily where they appear to be or
where they once were. Another is positioning: imposition and superimposition
that creates constantly changing border spaces, bordering practices and border
places. Finally, packing develops intensities of border function and articulates vari-
able border production. These conceptualizations of borders in motion offer a
new credence and framework of inherited and enhanced territorial differentia-
tion and compilation, which elevates the discourse beyond cardinality, colonialism
and continentality, interrogates these ingrained notions, and suggests that the
world is indeed evolved and evolving (b)ordered space.
Keywords
Bordering practice, borderlands, layered global transition, shifting borders,
positioning borders, packing borders
Introduction
Nation-states and their borders are not diminishing or disappearing with the
advent of globalization. There are more nation-states and borders in the
Article
International Studies
50(1&2) 16–34
2016 Jawahalal Nehru University
SAGE Publications
sagepub.in/home.nav
DOI: 10.1177/0020881715605417
http://isq.sagepub.com
1 Adjunct Research Professor, Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa,
Canada.
Corresponding author:
Victor Konrad, 228, Pikelake, RT 13 A, RR 3, Perth, Ontario, Canada.
E-mail: Victor.Konrad@carleton.ca
Konrad 17
twenty-first century than ever before in human history, and an increasing number
and extent of the borders are being fortified to restrict the passage of most people
while they expedite the flow of most goods (Vallet & David, 2012). The nation-
state rather than disappearing remains as the dominant political entity in globali-
zation, and it continues to wield power at and beyond borders. Meanwhile,
although the global order appears to be moving away from the monolithic domi-
nation of nation-states, this order remains directed by hegemons, stuck in territory
and perceived as power blocs in orientation. Henry Kissinger’s (2014) comments
about world order point to an uncertain trajectory that is not pre-ordained, but a
world drifting unattended and unprepared, not knowing what to prevent and what
to achieve. Nevertheless, there are signs that nation-states and their assemblages
are seeking to embrace, or at least test, other conceptualizations of international
order that offer semblances of pluralism and alternatives that challenges prevail-
ing tenets of exceptionalism and universalism. One of these perceived shifts in
world order is an increasing north–south differentiation. Yet, the re-imagined,
evolving global order of north–south divisions imposes a deterministic cardinality
in its simple geographical explication. Apparently, continental east–west divi-
sions have evolved, or more explicitly re-oriented, into global north–south
alignments.
This article offers a perspective from border studies, which imagines an emerg-
ing global order based on how an increasing number, extent and intensity of bor-
ders, bordering practice and borderlands interact with the forces of globalization.
The result of this interaction is an evolving, richly textured and complex layering
of global transition in which several processes are apparent with spatial signa-
tures. All are related to and explained by new conceptualizations in an emerging
theory of borders in motion. Foremost among the conceptualizations is the notion
of shifting. Borders and borderlands are not necessarily where they appear to be
or where they once were. Another is positioning, which may also be viewed as
imposition and superimposition. This process creates constantly changing border
spaces, spaces of bordering and border places. Packing or concentration develops
intensities of border function and articulates border production. These conceptu-
alizations of borders in motion offer new credence to the framework of inherited
and enhanced territorial differentiation and compilation, which elevates the dis-
course beyond cardinality, colonialism and continentality, interrogate these
ingrained notions, and suggest that the world is indeed evolved and evolving (b)
ordered space (Van Houtem, Kramsch & Zierhofer, 2005).
The article examines the spatial layering of global transition, which appears to
be articulated around evolving borders in globalization, and evaluates the assem-
blage. One purpose is to review and summarize the emerging theory of borders in
motion as a context for interrogating the static conceptualizations of world order.
Another is to suggest how motion operates to generate bordering and create bor-
ders and borderlands. The ultimate purpose is to situate global transitions within
this mobile framework.
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