From Manners to Rules
Advocating for Legalism in South Korea and Japan

Examines how activism for legal and policy reforms is reshaping regulatory style in South Korea and Japan.

Celeste L. Arrington (Author)

9781108496049, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 7 August 2025

438 pages
23.5 x 16 x 2.8 cm, 0.77 kg

'Through extensive research and comparative analysis, From Manners to Rules traces how public health and disability activists and lawyers drive social change by playing key roles in making and utilizing laws within the dynamics of multiple national and international systems. Clearly describing not only what has changed, but also how the change has been achieved, this book provides a roadmap for creating the conditions and mechanisms for successful advocacy in the future.' Eunjung Kim, Associate Professor of Women's and Gender Studies and Disability Studies, Syracuse University

From Manners to Rules traces the emergence of legalistic governance in South Korea and Japan. While these countries were previously known for governance characterized by bureaucratic discretion and vague laws, activists and lawyers are pushing for a more legalistic regulatory style. Legalism involves more formal, detailed, and enforceable rules and participatory policy processes. Previous studies have focused on top-down or structural explanations for legalism. From Manners to Rules instead documents bottom-up sources of institutional and social change, as activists and lawyers advocate for and use more formal rules and procedures. By comparing recent reforms in disability rights and tobacco control, the book uncovers the societal drivers behind legalism and the broader judicialization of politics in East Asia's main democracies. Drawing on 120 interviews and diverse sources, From Manners to Rules challenges the conventional wisdom that law and courts play marginal roles in Korean and Japanese politics and illuminates how legalistic governance is transforming citizens' options for political participation.

1. Introduction
2. Legalistic regulatory style: indicators and explanations
Part I: 3. The history of disability rights activism in Korea and Japan
4. Mobility rights and accessibility
5. Disability discrimination legislation
Part II: 6. The history of tobacco control in Korea and Japan
7. Liability and litigation challenging the tobacco industry
8. Nonsmoking environments
9. Conclusions
Methods Appendix.

Subject Areas: Law & society [LAQ]