Original scientific paper
CROATIA AND ITS REGIONS
Ivan Rogić
; Faculty of Architecture, Zagreb
Abstract
ln the paper "Croatia and Its Regions" the author expounds the thesis that regions
are forms of re/territorialization of society at the end of (paleo)industrialism. From a
practical point of view, they are unions of communes established for the purpose of
successfully defending, on a local and regional level, those processes and elements
of development that are necessary in the ecological and cultural reconstruction of
the national territory. Thus looked upon, regions are not elements of government
organization and they do not compete with the state in matters of sovereignty. On
the contrary, they are the consequence of a strengthened ecological sUbjectivity.
They emerge as alliances of communes, communal associations, unions of communes,
in order to efficiently remove interference with development common to
particular groups of communes. Based on the latter, regions can be formed transnationally.
This means that certain ecological difficulties cannot be dealt with if and
when unions of communes are not created throughout the whole area dominated by
these difficulties, and not only within a territory bounded by one frontier. Following
up the need to reconstruct the ecological and cultural particularity of its own territory,
regions can find themselves in opposition to the state when the state has remained
prisoner to the (paleo)industrial reductions, and thus acts indifferently regarding the
quality of its own territory. This opposition is however developmental in character
and is not as farreaching as to promote the region into a rival competing with the
state in issues of sovereignty. Due to the fact that the region is another designation
of the actual living environment of a certain social protagonist, it cannot have borders
set in advance. These borders are the result of the relationship protagonist/environment.
Therefore, the region is considered a dynamic unit. Its stability depends on
the durability of the relationship protagonist/environment and on the stability of the
union of communes built upon this relationship.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
32561
URI
Publication date:
1.9.1992.
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