Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, its leaders have been preoccupied with efforts to increase state capacity in order to exercise more effective control over their western frontier by controlling their minority population and generating the conditions for economic development in the area. Although these state-building initiatives have always incorporated an international component, the collapse of the USSR, the transnational characteristics of development, and China’s concern around the challenges of terrorism, separatism, and extremism have necessitated an accompanying region-building project in Eurasia. Using a synthesis of the region-building approach and the concept of regionalization, this study traces how Chinese domestic elite-led narratives about security and development generate domestic state-building initiatives which in turn produce region-building projects. Furthermore, this study assesses how region-building projects are promoted through narratives embedded in foreign policies that establish the historicity of China’s engagement in Eurasian affairs and norms of non-interference and co-development. Finally, it traces the empirical construction of regions through integrative infrastructure. By revealing the three symbiotic phases of Chinese domestic state-building and region-building, this study demonstrates how region-building projects have facilitated China’s ability to increase state capacity, control, and development in its western frontier. Furthermore, China’s region-building projects have gradually transformed Eurasia in a manner that has resulted in its eastward orientation through the usage of connective infrastructure and co-development projects that place China at the center of Eurasia. This project demonstrates how China has emerged as a dominant power in Eurasian affairs that not only exercises significant political and economic power, but more importantly, ideational power.

This study starts out with the hypothesis that the integration process in Europe is connected to cross-border régionalisation, a process which supports the institutionalization of subnational cross-border cooperation - region-building. Cross-border régionalisation is characterized by the decentralisation of vertical links and enhanced opportunities for horizontal links across state borders. In addition, political integration is expected to have some impact on the cross-border institutional forms that emerge at the subnational level. Three different approaches are utilized in order to establish the empirical connection between political integration and region-building. These are: an analysis of the factors which determine the general pattern of cross-border cooperation in Europe, an analysis of the policy network related to the regional and structural policies of the European Union (EU), and case studies of cooperation in the heartland of Europe, the Regio Basiliensis along the external border of the EU, and the EUREGIO along one of the internal borders. Two institutional factors are found to have a significant impact on the number of subnational cross-border cooperations, EU-membership and centrality. Federal constitution was shown not to be significant. It is suggested that the interaction between actors at different politico- administrative levels creates network relations, which typically bring both private and public actors together. More precisely, region-building is described as the outcome of the interaction which takes place between actors. A closer examination of the emerging policy network shows that community initiatives, the Interreg-programme in particular, improve the prospects for multi­level interaction. The EU plays a crucial role in providing the incentives for cooperation by increasing resource dependency and by establishing direct ties between the European Commission and a large number of subnational actors through partnerships. It appears as if the Commission wishes to demonstrate its capacity to deal with problems relevant to individual citizens. By, in part, bypassing central governments, it seems to increase its own importance vis- à-vis member states. The modus vivendi of cross-border region-building and régionalisation is the degree to which institutional actors at different levels share the same objectives. As shown by the case studies, there is a common interest in cross-border cooperation up to the point were public statues are introduced. Interests seem to coincide as long as the structures and contents of cross-border cooperation do not ultimately challenge the authority of state institutions. Therefore, it is not surprising that it seems impossible to give cross-border regions any rights under international law. Functional cooperation, rather than regionalist manifestations of cultural or political unity across borders, constitutes the backbone of region-building. Activities transcending borders are less controversial than those that may contribute to the establishment of new borders. It is concluded that region-building is a process which is embedded in the institutionalization of a multi-level interaction pattern. More favourable multilevel relations have been achieved through the transfer of some authority to the supranational level. This is the main reason why traditional integration theory fails to explain why there is a connection between political integration and cross-border cooperation. / digitalisering@umu

Based on the concept of path-dependence, this thesis examines regional representatives’ notion of rationalizations in three Swedish regions. In the provinces of Skåne and Västra Götaland the responsibility for welfare issues like health care, regional development, communications, and culture, is appointed to the two organizations Region Skåne and Västra Götalandsregionen. Both organizations are results of merger processes between old organizations called landsting, with a smaller geographical scale and less responsibility. In Svealand three landsting formally have applied for a similar fusion like the ones in Skåne and in Västra Götaland. The idea behind these fusions is that rationalizations in the field of welfare, are achieved by changing the scale of production, from lesser to larger units. This thesis shows that the perceived effect of rationalization by fusion, can take time. Old norms, values, and cultures that emanate from the landsting are for example conceived by the regional representatives in Västra Götaland and in Svealand, to prevent what kind of rationalizations the organizations are able to accomplish. In Skåne, on the contrary, the notion that the regional organization has overcome its historically defined problems, dominate. In that sense, Västra Götalandregionen and the region-building process in Svealand are path-dependent. But Region Skåne, on the other hand, has overcome its historical institutional legacy. This thesis highlights the importance of examining organization histories to be able to understand why certain decisions are hard to make, and why institutions evolve or not. This is also important to acknowledge when the regions’ representatives try to construct regions. From this perspective, the thesis tries to clarify how people’s expectations can delay what kind of rationalizations an organization can implement and how these expectations seem to legitimize what decisions the organization are able to take. The thesis also tries to clarify one way of using the concept of “path-dependence” in academic studies by the usage of ideal types.

The topic of this thesis is the value of a selected natural resource and its influence on the region{\crq}s development. This thesis has been divided in two parts. The first part is theoretical and it defines natural resources and their evaluation. The theoretical part is concluded by information about regional politics and development. The practical part of this thesis consists of two areas. In the first one, I characterize South Bohemian region as well as Lipno reservoir. In the second one, I deal with the land prices in Lipno area and compare them to the land prices in the area around Orlik reservoir. The amount of the prices indicates differences in holiday resort values of these reservoirs and their contribution to the region{\crq}s development. The main goal of this work is to analyze, on the basis of natural resources{\crq} evaluation, the relationship between the natural resource value and economic development of the selected area of the South Bohemian region. Another significant goal is an elaboration of a survey of methods used in natural resources{\crq} evaluation, from the perspective of nonmarketable resources{\crq} evaluation as well as evaluation of any inmovable object that satisfies people{\crq}s needs. An important aim of the practical part of this thesis is a land price analysis of Lipno reservoir area. The last goal I have proposed to me is to compare the land prices around Lipno reservoir to those of Orlik reservoir. The value of an natural resource can be expressed in different ways, for example, in how much people, who use that holiday resort, esteem it. Considering the topic of my thesis, I have chosen an evaluation according to land prices. If a natural resource is valuable, then its value will be reflected in people{\crq}s willingness to pay for the possibility of living in its nearness. This is also obvious with Lipno reservoir, as the land prices there are much higher than the land prices in any other holiday resort situated near a water reservoir. Nevertheless, even here we can still find places, that have not been fully developped yet and which offer possibities of exploitation. Considering the above-mentioned findings and examples, it is obvious that Lipno water reservoir not only provides the South Bohemian region with incomes from tourisms but it also has a movable value of an ascending tendency. Despite its invaried long-time exploitation potential, its holiday resort function has caused recently, that Lipno area is being valued more and more. This tendency is reflected in the increasing prices of building estates near the reservoir, which indicates people{\crq}s willingness to pay more and more for a valuable holiday resource.

Ausgehend von der Annahme, dass die Ostseeregion primär eine von Städten und urbanen Zentren geprägte Region ist, untersucht diese Studie die Entstehung und Entwicklung grenzüberschreitender Zusammenarbeit von Großstradtregionen im Ostseeraum. Auf der Grundlage poststrukturalistischer Forschungsansätze ergänzt durch Governancetheorien wird ein umfassendes theoretisches Instrumentarium erarbeitet, mit dem drei Fälle grenzüberschreitender Zusammenarbeit von Großstadtregionen aus der Ostseeregion untersucht werden. Die konzeptionelle Grundidee besteht hierbei darin, Vergleichbarkeit nicht durch die Anwendung vorher festgelegter Kriterien, sondern durch die Formulierung und Anwendung eines gleichbleibenden Katalogs offener Forschungsfragen herzustellen. Zunächst werden für diese Arbeit drei Einzelfallstudien zur Öresundregion, Göteborg-Oslo Region und der Euregio Helsinki-Tallinn erstellt. Dann werden in einer vergleichenden Gegenüberstellung Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede erarbeitet und auf dieser Grundlage Faktoren, welche die Entstehung und Entwicklung grenzüberschreitender Zusammenarbeit begünstigen, abgeleitet. Darüber hinaus rückt das Ergebnis der Analyse drei weitere Aspekte für die Entwicklung grenzüberschreitende Zusammenarbeit in den Mittelpunkt, die in angewendeten theoretischen Ansätzen bisher unberücksichtigt geblieben sind, die aber erheblichen Einfluss auf die Entwicklung der einzelnen Region haben: geographische Lage, Timing und Marginalisierung. / Based on the assumption that the Baltic Sea Region is primarily composed of cities and urban areas, this study explores the evolution and development of the cross-border cooperation of large urban areas in the Baltic Sea Region. Using post-structuralist theoretical approaches supplemented with governance theory, the study develops a comprehensive theoretical tool for the analysis of three cases of cross-border cooperation of urban areas in the Balitc Sea Region. The conceptual idea was to safeguard comparability through the application of a common set of open research questions, rather than to apply a set of pre-given criteria. First, this piece of research provides the three single case studies of the Oresund Region, the Gothenburg-Oslo Region and the Euregio Helsinki-Tallinn. Then a comparative analysis elaborates on the commonalities and differences and derives supporting factors for cross-border cooperation based on that background. Finally, the comparative analysis also points to three additional relevant aspects for the development of cross-border cooperation that have not been included into the theoretical approaches but which had remarkable influence on the development of the single cases: geographical localisation, timing and marginalisation.

La identitat lingüística valenciana sembla, a primera vista, la d’una regió que forma part de la nació espanyola i de la seua història especifica. Això no obstant, quan s’estudia més a fons el discurs polític que es produeix a la Comunitat Autònoma de València, que ha guanyat un caràcter cada vegada més polèmic sobre tot des de la transició espanyola, remet a una comprensió de la pròpia identitat que no necessàriament coincideix amb el concepte nacional espanyol. En realitat, és un discurs que tracta de determinar la llengua e identitat valenciana autòctona. Què significa ser un valencià que parla valencià? És un parlant de dialecte que per a «entendre’s millor» recorre al espanyol? És el representant d’una llengua independent? És membre d’una família lingüística reprimida a Espanya? I com s’accepta a Espanya? O, com ha de posicionar-se políticament en front del context espanyol? Partint d’aquestes preguntes, fem especial atenció als fronts político-identitaris que han estat representades a les Corts Valencianes entre 2014 i 2016, que seran l’element principal del present treball. Aspirem a reflectir i contextualitzar tant històricament com sociolingüísticament els seus discursos per a arribar a una descripció distanciada i diferenciada de les posicions, percepcions i interpretacions contradictòries sobre el valencià. Partint d’una anàlisi semàntica del discurs de conflicte basat en corpus, mostrarem la gènesi i el desenvolupament de les actuals conceptualitzacions / La identidad lingüística valenciana parece, a primera vista, la de una región que forma parte de la nación española y de su historia cultural específica. Sin embargo, cuando se estudia más a fondo el discurso político que se produce en la Comunidad Autónoma de Valencia, que ha ganado un carácter cada vez más polémico sobre todo desde la transición española, nos remite a una comprensión de la propia identidad que no necesariamente coincide con el concepto nacional español. En realidad, es un discurso que trata de determinar la lengua e identidad valenciana autóctona. ¿Qué significa ser un valenciano que habla valenciano? ¿Es un hablante de dialecto que para «entenderse mejor» recurre al español? ¿Es el representante de una lengua independiente? ¿Es miembro de una familia lingüística reprimida en España? ¿Y cómo se le acepta en España? O, ¿cómo debe posicionarse políticamente frente al contexto nacional español? Partiendo de estas preguntas, prestamos la principal atención a los frentes político-identitarios, que estuvieron representados en las Cortes Valencianas entre 2014 y 2016, que serán el elemento principal del presente trabajo. Aspiramos a reflejar y contextualizar tanto históricamente como sociolingüísticamente sus discursos para llegar a una descripción distanciada y diferenciada de las posiciones, percepciones e interpretaciones contradictorias acerca del significado identitario del valenciano. Basándonos en un análisis semántico del discurso de conflicto basado en corpus mostraremos la génesis y el desarrollo de las actuales conceptualizaciones divergentes, ya que son éstas las que convierten esta «lengua propia» en el ‹símbolo de la divergencia identitaria› dentro de un discurso político producido con y sobre la lengua.