Cultures of Border Control: Schengen and the Evolution of European Frontiers - Hardcover

"Ruben Zaiotti provides a fascinating, comprehensive, and intelligent analysis of the role of culture in the evolution of international borders. This exceptionally crafted piece of theoretical and empirical work will be a must read for anyone interested in how nature and nurture combine to construct international reality." (Emanuel Adler, University of Toronto)"

In recent years, a number of European countries have abolished national border controls in favor of Europe's external frontiers. In doing so, they challenged long-established conceptions of sovereignty, territoriality, and security in world affairs. Setting forth a new analytic framework informed by constructivism and pragmatism, Ruben Zaiotti traces the transformation of underlying assumptions and cultural practices guiding European policymakers and postnational Europe, shedding light on current trends characterizing its politics and relations with others. This book also includes a fascinating comparison to developments in North America, where the United States has pursued more restrictive border control strategies since 9/11. As a broad survey of the origins, evolution, and implications of this remarkable development in European integration, "Cultures of Border Control" will be of interest to students and scholars of international relations and political geography.