Between the local, national and global: The problem of “regional identities”

Abstract

The main objective of the paper is to examine the concepts of region and regional identity in order to point out their political, social and theoretical/philosophical opportunity, and also their highly problematic character, especially in the current Eastern European context. The author tries to determine the contents of the concept of region from phenomenological perspective and shows that it is hardly possibly because, in practice, “region” refers more to arbitrary political and administrative criteria than to what can be experienced as a common “surrounding world”. The examples of regions analyzed in the paper are those of the infra‐state Polish region Podlasie and of the supra‐state Euregion Neman. In conclusion, the author claims that the opposition cultural/political, or experienced/constructed, should be mediated by European legal and moral rules. It is also claimed that only awareness of difficulties connected with the project of regions can allow their construction in a realistic, not arbitrary and not utopian way.

Santrauka

Pagrindinis straipsnio tikslas ‐ išnagrineti regiono ir regioninio tapatumo sampratas, siekiant ne tik išsiaiškinti ju politine, socialine ir teorine bei filosofine esme, bet ir išties problemiška pobūdi, ypač dabartiniame Rytu Europos kontekste. Autore siekia apibrežti regiono sampratos turini iš fenomenologines perspektyvos ir parodo, kad tai vargu ar imanoma, nes praktiniu požiūriu regionas labiau nurodo politinius ir administracinius kriterijus, o ne tai, kas gali būti vertinama kaip supantis pasaulis. Straipsnyje analizuojami du regionai ‐ lenku infranacionalinis Palenkes regionas ir supranacionalinis Nemuno euroregionas. Tvirtinama, kad kultūros bei politikos ir patirties bei supratimo prieštaravimus turi derinti Europos istatymai ir morales normos. Autore teigia, kad tik kylančiu sunkumu del regionu tyrimo isisamoninimas leidžia ju realu, o ne arbitralini ar utopini konstravima.

Keywords:

• civilization
• culture
• globalization
• identity
• nation‐state
• phenomenology
• politics
• region

Reikšminiai žodžiai:

• civilizacija
• kultūra
• globalizacija
• tapatumas
• tauta ir valstybe
• fenomenologija
• politika
• regionas