The Path to Integration through Identity: A South American Approach

Summary

Regional integration begins before treaties: it begins when different societies recognize themselves as part of a shared project. This work develops the theory of identity-based integration and explains how cultural, political, and historical foundations create commitment, align interests, and sustain cooperation. UNASUR's trajectory shows what happens when affinity among governments substitutes for the institutional and social work of building a South American identity: integration fails despite the region's need for it.