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Cantonisation: Historical Paths to Territorial Autonomy for Regional Cultural Communities
Author(s) -
Henders Susan J.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
nations and nationalism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1469-8129
pISSN - 1354-5078
DOI - 10.1111/j.1354-5078.1997.00521.x
Subject(s) - authoritarianism , autonomy , democratization , politics , political economy , human settlement , state (computer science) , decentralization , ideology , political science , democracy , decolonization , sociology , economic geography , economic system , law , geography , economics , archaeology , algorithm , computer science
. Since the First World War, grants of territorial autonomy have been a widespread means by which regimes of diverse ideologies and political cultures have attempted to address the demands of regional cultural communities within their borders. Cantonisation, or asymmetrical decentralisation along territorial‐cultural lines, has been a common form of territorial autonomy employed by these states. Yet, despite its importance, little is known about whether and why such cantonisation measures have helped or hindered the search for peace and stability in culturally heterogeneous states. Part of the answer lies in analysing the historical‐political contexts, or historical paths, by which cantonisation arrangements have emerged. Comparative analysis identifies five such paths: international settlements; state‐building; democratisation or transitions from authoritarian rule; democratic maintenance; and decolonisation. Each of these paths poses distinctive problems for the evolution of the cantonisation arrangement.