Borders

The symbolic role of national borders for cross-border regionalisation remains little-known. In order to broaden our understanding of the meaning-making capacity of borders, this paper looks at what happens when the border is apparently not the object of a symbolisation strategy. The case of Greater Geneva appears particularly informative as this cross-border cooperation seeks to develop an integrated urban agglomeration marked by the ‘erasure’ of the Franco-Swiss border. Rather than an absence of symbolisation, the border is recoded as a ‘planned obsolescence’ through its ‘invisibilization’ in the Genevan borderscape. However, the dissonance between this recoding by cross-border cooperation elites and existing popular imaginations weakens the cooperation project. To the extent that borders are powerful symbols which are intended to stimulate emotions and empathy, the ability to mobilize their meaning-making capacity is at the heart of symbolisation politics, as much for the proponents of open borders and cross-border cooperation as for the reactionary forces that emphasize national interests and ontological insecurity.

This article proposes a systematic analysis of the Interreg IV A projects related to cross-border territorial development which were conducted along Europe's internal borders between 2007 and 2013. It reveals the diversity of the initiatives and shows that they can be separated into different categories according to whether they aim to (1) create or improve networks between actors, (2) produce territorial observations, (3) develop strategies or, finally, (4) produce tangible for the public at cross-border level.

This Critical Dictionary on Borders, Cross-Border Cooperation and European Integration takes up the challenge to answer these questions. It is the first encyclopedia, which combines two so far not well-interconnected interdisciplinary research fields, i.e. Border Studies and European Studies. Organized in an alphabetical order, it contains 209 articles written by 124 authors from different countries and scientific disciplines, which are accompanied by 66 maps. The articles deal with theory, terminology, concepts, actors, themes and spaces of cross-border cooperation at European borders and in borderlands of and around the European Union (EU).

In this article "Introduction. Theorizing Borders" Chris Rumford examines different transformation processes affecting borders and boundaries. The author demonstrates this with regard to the role of political borders, but also the changing relations between boundaries and society. This also results in changing perceptions of borders, to which attention should be paid. The multiple types of borders that now exist are illustrated through a series of examples before concluding that further theoretical-conceptual discussion turns out to be highly relevant.

The Longwy cross-border area provides a fertile ground for discussing theories on the transformation of social issues into spatial issues, from the past domination of the steel industry and the brutality of the changes that have occurred over a thirty-year period to the sharp increase in cross-border working. Various representations of the notion of the cross-border rub shoulders here. The discourses of the institutions propose readings that are more and more focused on going beyond borders and moving further and further away from contradictory social relations. Yet researchers are reasserting the fact that it is social relations that define a territory, which, in return, inscribes them in its territory. But they do not agree on whether or not the class struggle has disappeared.

The article takes a look back at the emergence of the field of border studies at the beginning of the 21st century.  A look back at the emergence of the field at the beginning of the 21st century. It insists on the need to build a common language and shared concepts, but without defending the idea of a single, unified theory.  This text puts forward a programme to follow to delve deeper into the research themes in the field, a programme which places a great deal of importance on the analysis and understanding of individual accounts and to everyday experiences from the study field..

This article details a study conducted in an automotive company situated in close proximity to the French-German border in Moselle. The aim of the study was to uncover the role that borders play in the organisation and life of the company. The method adopted was intended to be multidisciplinary from the outset in view of the imbricated nature of the phenomena studied. The preliminary results focus on linguistic practices in the company and what they reveal about the company's relations with its local area and the effects of borders and the obstacles they create for the work and personal experiences of the employees.

The Center for Inter American and Border Studies (CIBS) has established itself as a benchmark in the field of border studies by capitalising on the expertise on its own border territory. As well as often being high-profile, this territory presents some important challenges in terms of governance, demography and migration, as well as access to education and healthcare, employment and economic development. To meet these challenges the centre has developed an interdisciplinary approach specific to the territory studied, and a high level of expertise.