Latin American integration as a wicked problem: the case for a plural approach

Abstract

Latin American integration has usually been considered as means to some ends, a solution to some problem. However, the discrepancy between what it is and what it has aspired to be, suggests that it is a problem in and of itself. This paper applies an increasingly influential conceptual approach from social planning literature to argue that it is not just any problem but a ‘wicked’ problem. Contrary to ‘tame’ problems, which are exact science problems, wicked ones are social or societal and, thus, a matter of public policy. Wicked problems are inter alia elusive to define, unique, inherently paradoxical, consequential, subject to many interpretations and, as such, have no right solution. Latin American integration, it is argued here, meets these criteria, and the implications are important for both academics and decision makers. Should regional integration continue to be approached as a tame problem, results are likely to continue to disagree with expectations.

Keywords

• Latin America
• regional integration
• wicked problems
• regionalism