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Regions, Regionalism and Regional Differences in Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2013

Christopher Cochrane  and
Andrea Perrella
Christopher Cochrane*
Affiliation:
University of Toronto
Andrea Perrella*
Affiliation:
Wilfrid Laurier University
*
Christopher Cochrane, Department of Political Science, University of Toronto, Sidney Smith Hall, Room 3018, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3, [email protected]
Andrea Perrella, Department of Political Science, Wilfrid Laurier University, Alvin Woods Building, Rm 4-120, 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5, [email protected]
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Abstract

Abstract. This article contests the concepts of “region” and “regionalism” in Canadian political science. There is widespread agreement among observers of politics in Canada that the country is divided in politically consequential ways along regional lines. There is little agreement, however, about what causes these regional divisions or, indeed, about where the lines of regional division should be drawn. As a result, rival explanations for regional differences in Canada are commonly tested against different evidence arising from different definitions of region. This article argues that “region” should be conceptualized in generalizable terms as the physical space that surrounds an individual, and that “regionalism” should be conceptualized as an affective attachment to the people, places and institutions within a geographic area. Regionalism, from this perspective, is a concept that plays an important role in driving regional differences in opinion differences rather than simply describing these differences. The article applies this argument to a study of regional differences in Canadian opinions about government involvement in the economy. The empirical analysis points to the need for the development of concepts that can be generalized across explanations and levels of analysis. Even on the single issue analyzed here, regional differences appeared to have different causes in different regions, and these different causes seemed to operate at different levels of analysis.

Résumé. Cet article questionne le bien-fondé des concepts de “région” et de “régionalisme” tels qu'utilisés dans la littérature en science politique au Canada . La plupart des politologues s'entendent pour souligner l'importance des clivages régionaux dans la politique canadienne. Par contre, on s'entend moins sur l'identification des sources de ces divisions régionales, ainsi que sur la délimitation de ces différentes régions. Par conséquent, les études scientifiques des facteurs possibles qui sous-tendent les clivages régionaux sont souvent difficile a comparé puisqu'elles utilisent différentes définitions du concept de “région”. Cet article défend l'idée que le concept de “région” devrait être limité à décrire l'espace physique où se situe un individu. Par ailleurs le concept de “régionalisme” devrait inclure l'idée d'un attachement affectif aux personnes, endroits et institutions d'un emplacement géographique donné. Le régionalisme, dans cette perspective, doit être compris comme une cause des clivages régionaux, et non comme une simple description de ces différences. Cet article propose l'utilisation de cette distinction conceptuelle à une étude des différences régionales quant à l'opinion publique sur le rôle que devrait avoir le gouvernement dans l'économie. L'analyse empirique démontre l'importance de développer des concepts qui peuvent être généralisés au point de s'appliquer à différentes explications et niveaux d'analyse. Si on se fie au seul enjeu étudié dans cet article, les clivages régionaux semblent avoir différentes causes dans chacune des régions, et ces causes semblent opérer à différents niveaux d'analyse.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 45 , Issue 4 , December 2012 , pp. 829 - 853
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association 2012

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