1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910790501903321

Autore

Duina Francesco G. <1969->

Titolo

The social construction of free trade : the European Union, NAFTA, and Mercosur / / Francesco Duina

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Princeton, New Jersey : , : Princeton University Press, , [2006]

©2006

ISBN

0-691-12353-5

1-4008-4941-1

Edizione

[Course Book]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (269 p.)

Classificazione

MK 5250

Disciplina

382/.71

Soggetti

Free trade

Free trade - Social aspects

Regionalism

Trade blocs

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (pages [217]-240) and index.

Nota di contenuto

Introduction and theoretical framework -- Visions of free trade -- Institutions, politics, and the making of regional markets -- The evolution of law and society in the EU, Mercosur, and NAFTA -- The use of regional law to standardize reality -- The targets and content of regional law -- Societal adjustments to integration -- Conclusion -- Reflections on the present and future.

Sommario/riassunto

This book offers a compelling new interpretation of the proliferation of regional trade agreements (RTAs) at the end of the twentieth century. Challenging the widespread assumption that RTAs should be seen as fundamentally similar economic initiatives to pursue free trade, Francesco Duina proposes that the world is reorganizing itself into regions that are highly distinctive and enduring. With evidence from Europe, North America, and South America, he challenges our understanding of globalization, the nature of markets, and the spread of neoliberalism. The pursuit of free trade is a profoundly social process and, as such, a unique endeavor wherever it takes place. In an unprecedented comparative analysis, the book offers striking evidence of differences in the legal architectures erected to standardize the



worldview of market participants and the reaction of key societal organizations--interest groups, businesses, and national administrations--to a broader marketplace. The author gives special attention to developments in three key areas of economic life: women in the workplace, the dairy industry, and labor rights. With its bold and original approach and its impressive range of data, The Social Construction of Free Trade represents a major advance in the growing fields of economic sociology and comparative regional integration.