Emotion, Identification With Social Identity Reproduction

Based on the critical review of the structuralism and cognitivism in light of relation-based ontology, this study proposes a concept of relational orientation social identity, constructs a theory of social identity reproduction with affective feeling as its driving force, and demonstrate that the affective feeling deriving from interactive practices provides dynamics and valence for the reproduction of social identity. Afterwards, the puzzles concerning the rapid emerging and fading away of the symbolized concept of East Asian Community are examined under the proposed theoretic framework.Chapter I poses the theoretic question what drives the reproduction of social identity of actors in international relations. Two main problems of the identity theory under structural constructivism are identified in this chapter, namely, the incompatibility of the two main concepts and the lack of dynamic mechanism of the formation and evolvement of social identity. The ontological assumptions of structural constructivism theory are examined in order to disclose the root of above-mentioned problems; Chapter II proposes the concept of relational orientation social identity, which is characterized as situational, variable and the interacting between affective process and cognitive process; Chapter III defines the main concept-affective feeling, argues that affect is independent of cognitive process and an indispensable elements leading to rational social behavior and that affective feeling has impact on behavioral inclination and cognitive activities; Chapter IV delineates the theoretical framework based on the previous discussions, i.e. social identity reproduction mechanism with affective dynamics. This chapter also deals with the problem of methodological dilemma regarding affective research; Chapter V traces the historical development of the salience of the social identity of ASEAN as the organizer of regional cooperation and argues that the competitive identity-verifying actions initiated by China, Japan and Korea activated positive affective feeling, which contributes to the behavioral and cognitive inclination of ASEAN so as to propel the symbolized concept of East Asian Community; Chapter VI elucidates the process that how the commencement of East Asian Summit and the ensuing challenges, provoked by regional powers towards ASEAN's identity as driving force in regional integration, evoked negative affective feeling among ASEAN countries and led to the change of their identity verification strategy, which manifested and further contribute the fading away of the collective identity symbol-East Asian Community.This study intends to go beyond the research agenda set by the western IR theories, which deeply influenced by structuralism and cognitivism tradition and to theorize the various and variable phenomena involved in identity formation in international politics and to rectify and complete mainstream IR theory based on oriental international experiences.