South-American Integration and the new border arrangements: Brazil-Argentina, Argentina- Paraguai and Brazil-Uruguay

• Grant number: 09/06147-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: July 01, 2009
• End date: June 30, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Geography
• Principal Investigator: Wanderley Messias da Costa
• Grantee: Circe Inês Dietz
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This research Project is situated within the Politic Geography scope and is centered on the investigation on the role assumed by South Cone boundaries. The expressive transformations happened in a wide world scope, in last decades, are reflected in different restructuration levels in border functions. In this sense, the aims are: (a) to identify and analyze the main theoretical-methodological contributions being done in Politic Geography and International Relationship concerning boundary questions and open regionalism; (b) analyze the connection of South Cone diplomacy positioning - main enterprises for cooperation/integration and defense policies - to new/old configurations assumed by boundaries; (c) identify the cross-border cooperation network present in the State, civil society and market scope, analyze the scale of action of such networks and evaluate the role they play; (d) identify and assess the leading factors that makes the borders, despite the identified advances, in some segments, are still showing a not-cooperative nature, in other; (e) analyze the IIRSA proposals to the southern portion of South America - shifting the strategic infrastructure such as gas pipelines, hydroelectric power stations, roads and bridges - and survey the measure those infrastructures allow/interfere on changes in border functionality. The proposed methodology to conduct this employment consists of bibliography search in national and international books/articles, search in secondary sources and fieldworks (with interviews and material collecting).