Legalization as Mechanism of Integration: Culture, Preferences and Regional Integration in Asia.

This paper studies the effects of the extended “ASEAN Way” of cooperation as a cultural approach to international collaboration. It explores why, how and through which mechanisms Asian states reproduce a cultural approach that leads to a type of collaboration that appears to persistently lead to less institutionalized and legalized institutions, the so-called “ASEAN Way.” This type of institutionalization even appears to emerge if more cooperation-inclined states like the US, Japan or other European states are engaged. Starting from Miles Kahler's rationalist explanation for the variation of preferences for institutionalization among Asian states, the paper highlights the mechanisms and processes through which culture translates into specific outcomes, in this case “less institutionalized forms of cooperation.” The paper specifically focuses on the issue of "legalization" in promoting and furthering integration and resolving bilateral conflicts. The paper argues that legalization is a preferred option of Western states that â€" given diverging historical experiences that have led to a different culture of cooperation, does not constitute the preferred Asian "tool-kit". Through a systematic case study analysis focusing on Southeast and East Asia, the paper shows how culture shapes the preferences of Asian states and how these translate into specific approaches toward conflict resolution. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]