Interpretations of the Historical Dynamics of International Regionalism in Moderns Social Sciences: Addressing the Issue

One of the features of the modern (post-bipolar) Regional Studies is the attention that it pays to the history of regionalism. Nevertheless, despite the attempts that have been made to identify characteristics of the development of regionalism in the past centuries, the (sub)field of regionalism’s history still faces historical, theoretical and methodological obstacles. The author of the article makes an attempt to assess the current state of the (sub)field and identify crucial issues that deserve special attention. The author also intends to foster discussions among scholars on the history of international regionalism and its study. Based on the analysis of the publications of the Russian and foreign scholars, the article proposes a systematization of the views on the evolution of the phenomenon. The question is raised about the need for a critical assessment and reinterpretation of the understandings of the historical development of international regionalism that have been established within the framework of Regional Studies. The author identifies relevant — according to the author’s view — historical, theoretical and methodological issues in this context including: interpretations of the regionalism’s nature; distinction of regionalism and regionalization; regionalism’s homogeneity or variety of regionalisms; the interconnection between the regional and the global tiers of the international system and international relations; the chronology and periodization of the history of the phenomenon. In the end, the author comes to the conclusion that it is necessary to rethink the ingrained views on the history of the development of international regionalism and to foster a broad discussion on this topic.