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The Caribbean in a Turbulent World

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Inter-American Cooperation at a Crossroads

Part of the book series: International Political Economy Series ((IPES))

Abstract

The crisis that overtook the world economy in 2007–9 intersected a long-term process of global reconfiguration that is marked by declining US power. Concurrently, this is taking place during a process of global climate change that presents potentially cataclysmic consequences for small island states. Caribbean societies1 are vulnerable to both of these global developments and challenged in their capacity to adapt to them. Political fragmentation and a ‘dependency syndrome’ combined with limitations of size have resulted in a pattern of reactive rather than strategic decision making and a tendency to seek solutions through alignment with extra-regional powers. Regional cooperation represents one means by which Caribbean societies can secure a greater measure of autonomy vis-à-vis the wider world. However, Caribbean regionalism contends with a formidable legacy of geography, history and geopolitics and as such, remains an elusive goal.

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Authors
  1. Norman Girvan
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Science and School of Advanced International Studies, Université Laval, Canada

    Gordon Mace (Professor and Director of the Inter-American Studies Centre) (Professor and Director of the Inter-American Studies Centre)

  2. The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Canada

    Andrew F. Cooper (Distinguished Fellow and Professor) & Timothy M. Shaw (Professor and Director and Senior Fellow) (Distinguished Fellow and Professor) &  (Professor and Director and Senior Fellow)

  3. Department of Political Science, University of Waterloo, Canada

    Andrew F. Cooper (Distinguished Fellow and Professor) (Distinguished Fellow and Professor)

  4. Institute of International Relations, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago

    Timothy M. Shaw (Professor and Director and Senior Fellow) (Professor and Director and Senior Fellow)

Copyright information

© 2010 Norman Girvan

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Girvan, N. (2010). The Caribbean in a Turbulent World. In: Mace, G., Cooper, A.F., Shaw, T.M. (eds) Inter-American Cooperation at a Crossroads. International Political Economy Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230294837_4

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