| This thesis takes part in the discussion of the new regionalism that refers to the mushrooming of regional processes in various parts of the world since the end of the 1980s or early 1990s. Seeing regions as dynamic rather than static, this work is primarily concerned with the question of how 'East Asia' is socially constructed in the post-Cold War period. Through a new theoretical framework, it argues that East Asia is a region in the making and has multifaceted features.; To capture the intricate dynamics of the East Asian region in the era of globalization, the study takes a critical approach and frames the issue as one that is subjected to the structural transformation of globalization and internal changes brought about by group interactions and communications. It identifies and analyzes the formal and informal and their multitudinous linkages by incorporating both the state and non-state actors into a single framework.; The analyses demonstrate that East Asia as a regional construct is not a fixed entity with static characteristics but is a heterogeneous process that changes over time and involves a diverse group of actors. The objectives and interests of these actors may overlap, leading to the sharing of ideas and efforts in region building, but can at times contradict when differences arise. As such, actors do not act in exclusivity but often interact through multi-level networks.; The findings suggest that there is a dynamic cyclical pattern in the social construction of East Asia whereby political regionalism to a large extent supports and promotes economic regionalization, but also due to the Asian crisis there is now a stronger awareness and desire to take charge of matters and to ensure proper safety nets are put in place. More importantly, reflectivist factors such as shared ideas allow new forms of identity and interest to be created enabling political regionalism to move beyond the crisis rationale and sustain itself as a framework for region creation, albeit only as one of many dimensions that make up the new regionalism. |
