Boundaries and transborder relations, or the hole in the prison wall: On the necessity of superfluous limits and boundaries

Boundaries can be seen as barriers or as places of contact. It has been suggested that we are "prisoners of borders”, of all kinds of borders (political, religious, social, cultural, linguistic etc.). While this statement appears to be somewhat exaggerated, it holds some truth. Boundaries are elements in spatial organization, and they influence daily life in many ways (not only for people living right along them). The paper addresses the question if we must call ourselves "prisoners” or if we simply have to live with all kinds of borders. Departing from theoretical observations, the paper discusses the various aspects boundaries assume in the European context before looking at a few concrete Swiss examples. They reveal that even regions at a certain distance of the state border will feel its effects (the case of Zurich airport), but the most important benefit can been drawn by people living in the border area itself (through price differences between the two countries, as exemplified by the Swiss-Italian border). There may be asymmetry on state borders, but this asymmetry can also swing around: the advantages often lie on both sides. The paper concludes by pointing to the persistence of the boundary concept. They are a necessity for the organization of space and society, but they are not absolute. There are always holes in these prison walls, and the examples where boundaries were impermeable are probably rar

Defying Political Boundaries: Transborder Tourism in a Regional Context

Political boundaries have traditionally been considered barriers, or obstacles, to all kinds of communication and interaction. The end of the 20th century has seen a gradual defunctionalisation of many political boundaries and a subsequent increase in transborder cooperation. Among the economic sectors that benefit from such an opening of borders is tourism, particularly on a regional scale. This paper examines the specific case of Switzerland, a landlocked country with a long tradition of regional transborder collaboration. After a general introduction, four examples are presented to demonstrate the rich variety of local transborder attractions that are complementary to each other and thus help to create a system of regional tourism

Harry Stack Sullian's self-system

The following article includes Harry Stack Sullivan’s interpersonal theory and more specifically, his use of the “self-system.” This theory is mainly built out of the social context of human experiences, however congenital factors are not denied. The social element of human growth starts with a central state of interpersonal affiliation in infancy and endures throughout adulthood. Interpersonal connections are the significant requirements for standard human progression. Furthermore, destructive exhibitions can be explained by deviance, psychopathology, and immaturity