دولتپژوهی (Jun 2016)
Incomplete Process of Nation - state Building and Growth Retardation of Regional Integration in the Persian Gulf
Abstract
Purpose: The aim of the present paper is understanding the obstacles and causes of the low level of the cooperation and integration among Persian Gulf countries. Persian Gulf is one of the most important geopolitical subsystems in the world. The countries that are located in this region have many indicators for integration. However, disintegration dominates the political relationships. As a result of this situation, conflicts, dark ties, deep crisis, and four wars have occurred only in the last four decades in this region. Methodology: The origin of the challenges and conflicts in the Persian Gulf region could be studied at different levels, one of them is internal or national challenges and the most important of them is challenges of the nation-state building among countries in this region. In this paper, with the linkage between political and historical sociology and regional studies, the incomplete process of nation-state building and its influences upon regional integration and security in Persian Gulf have been reviewed. Findings: This article studies the impact of the unfinished process of nation-state building on the growth retardation of the integration in the Persian Gulf region. Tribal and ethnic structures have been powerful obstacles to influence the new ideology, formation of the nation and the establishment of the institutions of the new state in these communities. The incomplete nation-state building process is rooted in the internal structure of these communities but their effects and implications are seen at the national, regional and International level. Cooperation and integration in this region needs the acceptance of civil, political and social citizenship right and the growth of nation-state building and formation of the national state. Originality/Value: With regards to the importance of regional and political studies about Persian Gulf, this article is taken account as a new step and insight for emphasis upon internal factors for understanding the growth retardation of integration in the Persian Gulf. From this view, for finding the causes of disintegration and understanding the roots of conflict and war in this region, we should refer to the sociopolitical factors of state and society in Persian Gulf countries.
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