A Multiplicity of Regionalisms in Southeast Asia

Abstract

Regional arrangements in Southeast Asia (SEA) beg the question of why this “alphabet soup” exists. This can be addressed by looking at a wider context: these regionalisms are not merely SEA states’ responses to international events, nor are they solely projections of independence/self-assertion. Instead, SEA’s ventures demonstrate Constructivist logic: Southeast Asian states shape and are themselves shaped by the historical and geographical circumstances in which they find themselves. Beginning with the assumption that international relations are fluid and mutually constitutive, SEA regionalisms can be explained by complex engagement, as seen in the evolution of ASEAN and the dynamics of the APT and the EAS. In short, this paper argues that the multiplicity of regionalisms in Southeast Asia is a reflection of Constructivism at work.