Political geographies of region work
(2024)- Abstract
- Regionalisation processes and regionalist contestation have been the subjects of long-standing debates on state rescaling and political geographies of discontent. Similar dynamics are also present in Norway, where a recent regional reform has faced opposition along centre-periphery lines. These phenomena raise questions about how different actors discursively enact the institutionalisation and/or counter-institutionalisation of regions. Against this backdrop, this thesis explores the contested merger between Troms and Finnmark counties in North Norway and its related political geographies, and further develops the notion of region work; that is, the discursive representations and practices involved in regionalisation processes. To do this,... (More)
- Regionalisation processes and regionalist contestation have been the subjects of long-standing debates on state rescaling and political geographies of discontent. Similar dynamics are also present in Norway, where a recent regional reform has faced opposition along centre-periphery lines. These phenomena raise questions about how different actors discursively enact the institutionalisation and/or counter-institutionalisation of regions. Against this backdrop, this thesis explores the contested merger between Troms and Finnmark counties in North Norway and its related political geographies, and further develops the notion of region work; that is, the discursive representations and practices involved in regionalisation processes. To do this, the thesis empirically analyses four organisational actors – the Solberg Government and the interest groups For Finnmark, Pasientfokus, and Kystopprøret – using a critical discourse analysis approach. It does so in order to examine region work central to the implementation of the regional reform, organised resistance to it among regional elites, and regional contestation beyond the reform. In advancing the notion of region work, the thesis develops a conceptual typology for analysing the discursive enactment of regions through institutional activism, institutional advocacy, systematic activism, and everyday practice. The thesis also provides insight into how political struggles over regions may come about and unfold by highlighting how regions, beyond their symbolic nature, offer political, institutional, and material stakes of contestation and resources for articulating counter-discourses. Emerging from this analysis, the thesis proposes that the notion of regional counter-institutionalisation, denoting region work in opposition to dominant or hegemonic representations of a region, can have wider theoretical and conceptual significance for how regionalisation processes and the political struggle over regions are approached analytically. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Regionaliseringsprosesser og politisk regionalisme har over lengre tid blitt sentrale temaer i akademiske debatter om nasjonalstaters re-skalering og den såkalte misnøyens geografi. Lignende dynamikker er også til stede i Norge, hvor regionreformen som ble gjennomført i 2020 møtte motstand langs sentrum-periferi-linjer. Slike fenomener stiller spørsmål om hvordan ulike aktører bidrar til regioners institusjonalisering og/eller mot-institusjonalisering gjennom sin diskursive praksis. Med dette som bakgrunn utforsker denne avhandlingen den omstridte fylkessammenslåingen av Troms og Finnmark og dens relaterte politiske geografi. Samtidig videreutvikler avhandlingen begrepet regionarbeid; det vil si, de diskursive representasjonene og... (More)
- Regionaliseringsprosesser og politisk regionalisme har over lengre tid blitt sentrale temaer i akademiske debatter om nasjonalstaters re-skalering og den såkalte misnøyens geografi. Lignende dynamikker er også til stede i Norge, hvor regionreformen som ble gjennomført i 2020 møtte motstand langs sentrum-periferi-linjer. Slike fenomener stiller spørsmål om hvordan ulike aktører bidrar til regioners institusjonalisering og/eller mot-institusjonalisering gjennom sin diskursive praksis. Med dette som bakgrunn utforsker denne avhandlingen den omstridte fylkessammenslåingen av Troms og Finnmark og dens relaterte politiske geografi. Samtidig videreutvikler avhandlingen begrepet regionarbeid; det vil si, de diskursive representasjonene og praksisene som sammen bidrar til gjennomføringen av regionaliseringsprosesser. Med dette som formål analyserer avhandlingen fire organisatoriske aktører – Solberg-regjeringen og interesseorganisasjonene For Finnmark, Pasientfokus og Kystopprøret – ved hjelp av kritisk diskursanalyse. Hensikten med dette er å empirisk undersøke regionarbeidet som sto sentralt i gjennomføringen av regionreformen, den organiserte motstanden mot reformen blant regionale eliter, og eksempler på regional aktivisme utover reformen i seg selv. Ved å videreutvikle begrepet regionarbeid presenterer avhandlingen en konseptuell typologi for å analysere den diskursive institusjonaliseringen av regioner gjennom institusjonell aktivisme, institusjonell påvirkning, systematisk aktivisme og hverdagspraksis. Avhandlingen gir også innsikt i hvordan regioner, i tillegg til sin symbolske natur, tilbyr politiske, institusjonelle og materielle goder samt ressurser som kan brukes til å artikulere mot-diskurser. På bakgrunn av denne analysen foreslår avhandlingen at begrepet regional mot-institusjonalisering, som betegner regionarbeid i opposisjon til dominante regionale diskurser, kan ha teoretisk og konseptuell betydning for hvordan regionaliseringsprosesser og regionale maktkamper tilnærmes analytisk. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/8550bf41-7a5b-414b-bfdd-b92e0aeca4a0
- author
- Gulbrandsen, Kristin Smette LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- Professor Paasi, Anssi, University of Oulu, Finland
- organization
- alternative title
- Regionarbeidets politiske geografier
- publishing date
- 2024-02
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Regions, Regionalisation, Political geography, Norway, Regioner, Regionalisering, Politisk geografi, Norge
- pages
- 246 pages
- publisher
- Lund University
- defense location
- Världen (sal 111), Sölvegatan 10, Lund
- defense date
- 2024-03-08 13:15:00
- ISBN
- 978-91-8039-931-9
- 978-91-8039-930-2
- project
- Between Political Regionalism and the Politics of Regionalisation: Identity and Protest in Finnmark
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 8550bf41-7a5b-414b-bfdd-b92e0aeca4a0
- date added to LUP
- 2024-01-29 17:31:35
- date last changed
- 2024-02-09 10:59:07
@phdthesis{8550bf41-7a5b-414b-bfdd-b92e0aeca4a0,
abstract = {{Regionalisation processes and regionalist contestation have been the subjects of long-standing debates on state rescaling and political geographies of discontent. Similar dynamics are also present in Norway, where a recent regional reform has faced opposition along centre-periphery lines. These phenomena raise questions about how different actors discursively enact the institutionalisation and/or counter-institutionalisation of regions. Against this backdrop, this thesis explores the contested merger between Troms and Finnmark counties in North Norway and its related political geographies, and further develops the notion of region work; that is, the discursive representations and practices involved in regionalisation processes. To do this, the thesis empirically analyses four organisational actors – the Solberg Government and the interest groups For Finnmark, Pasientfokus, and Kystopprøret – using a critical discourse analysis approach. It does so in order to examine region work central to the implementation of the regional reform, organised resistance to it among regional elites, and regional contestation beyond the reform. In advancing the notion of region work, the thesis develops a conceptual typology for analysing the discursive enactment of regions through institutional activism, institutional advocacy, systematic activism, and everyday practice. The thesis also provides insight into how political struggles over regions may come about and unfold by highlighting how regions, beyond their symbolic nature, offer political, institutional, and material stakes of contestation and resources for articulating counter-discourses. Emerging from this analysis, the thesis proposes that the notion of regional counter-institutionalisation, denoting region work in opposition to dominant or hegemonic representations of a region, can have wider theoretical and conceptual significance for how regionalisation processes and the political struggle over regions are approached analytically.}},
author = {{Gulbrandsen, Kristin Smette}},
isbn = {{978-91-8039-931-9}},
keywords = {{Regions; Regionalisation; Political geography; Norway; Regioner; Regionalisering; Politisk geografi; Norge}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Lund University}},
school = {{Lund University}},
title = {{Political geographies of region work}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/170421001/Political_geographies_of_region_work_-_KSG.pdf}},
year = {{2024}},
}