Contesting International Society in East Asia

This book asks whether a regional international society exists in East Asia and why its existence matters to both regional and global orders.

Barry Buzan (Edited by), Yongjin Zhang (Edited by)

9781107077478, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 16 October 2014

284 pages, 3 tables
23.1 x 15.7 x 2.5 cm, 0.54 kg

'The editors and authors have produced an exceptionally coherent work and maintained the themes put forth at the start. The book is an illuminating application of the English School to the region and provides another tool to better understand the complexity of a diverse and multifaceted East Asia making an important contribution in both fields.' Terence Roehrig, Perspectives on Politics

Bringing together some of the most innovative scholars in both the English School of international relations and East Asian studies, this volume investigates whether or not significant and distinct international social structures exist at the regional level represented by 'East Asia', and what this can tell us about international society both regionally and globally. The book's main finding is that the regional dispute over how its states and peoples should relate to the Western-dominated global international society makes the existence of East Asian international society essentially contested. While this regional-global social dynamic is present in many regions, it is particularly strong in East Asia. This book will appeal to audiences interested in developing English School theory, the study of East Asian international relations and comparative regionalism.

1. Introduction: interrogating regional international society in East Asia Barry Buzan and Yongjin Zhang
2. International societies in pre-modern East Asia: a preliminary framework Feng Zhang
3. Imagining 'Asia': Japan and 'Asian' international society in modern history Shogo Suzuki
4. An East Asian international society today? The cultural dimension David C. Kang
5. Regional and global forces in East Asia's economic engagement with international society Mark Beeson and Shaun Breslin
6. Outside-in and inside-out: political ideology, the English School and East Asia Alice D. Ba
7. East Asia and the strategic 'deep rules' of international/regional society Yuen Foong Khong
8. East Asia as regional international society: the problem of great power management Evelyn Goh
9. Social boundaries in flux: secondary regional organizations as a reflection of regional international society Rosemary Foot
10. Conclusion: the contest over East Asian international society Barry Buzan and Yongjin Zhang.

Subject Areas: Regional government [JPR], Comparative politics [JPB], Political science & theory [JPA], Cultural studies [JFC], Society & social sciences [J]