Pacific Asia in the Global System: An Introduction

The rise of Pacific Asia within the tripolar global industrial–capitalist system is of extraordinary interest. Few doubt that the dynamics of Asia will shape the global political economy of the twenty–first century. It is clear that the Pacific Asian region is undergoing extensive development and these processes generate questions of intense interest to a wide community of enquiry. It is likely that the task of deciphering the interplay of the divergent cultural logics of the three regions of Pacific Asia, North America and the European Union will occupy scholars, policy analysts and political actors for some considerable time.

This introduction will serve as a first stop for those interested in Japan, its role within the Pacific Asian region and, in turn, that region s role within the evolving global system. In this volume P. W. Preston critically analyses the political economy, social institutions and culture of Pacific Asia. The analysis focuses on Japan, it relations with the inner periphery of South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong, and the outer periphery of Southeast Asia, and its developing linkages with the reforming socialist countries of China and Indo–China.

The critical perspective, awareness of cultural and ethnic trends and a sophisticated grasp of political economic and social patterns makes this volume an essential introduction of the region.

Contents.

Preface.

Acknowledgements.

Part I: The Theme of the Shift to the Modern World: .

1. Classical Social Theory.

Part II: The Phases of the Shift to the Modern World in Pacific Asia:.

2. Analyzing the Process of the Shift to the Modern World in Pacific Asia.

3. From Ancient Empires to Nineteenth–century Industrial–capitalism.

4. The Shist to the Modern World: Reactions, Resistance and Empire.

5. After the Pacific War: Decolonization, Nation–building and the Cold War.

6. The Emergence of Pacific Asia.

Part III: Changing Relationships in Contemporary Pacific Asia:.

7. The Region and the Global System.

8. Changing Patterns of Relations between Japan, the USA and China.

9. Contemporary Pacific Asia in the 1990′s.

Part IV: Debates, Disputes and Lessons in Respect of the Development Experience of Pacific Asia:.

10. The Particularity of the Historical Development Experience of Pacific Asia.

11. The Pacific Asian Model I: Political–economic and Social–institutional Processes.

12.The Pacific Asian ModelII: Cultural and Political–cultural Processes.

Part V: Pacific Asia in the New Global System:.

13. Pacific Asia in the Twenty–first Century Global System.

Bibliography.

Index.

P.W. Preston is Reader in Political Sociology in the Department of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Birmingham.

"The breadth of political, social, and historical content in this book promises its relevance to many readers." S. Turner, University of Otago

"This broad historical sweep displays the merits of the author′s approach to best advantage, and will be of value to students requiring a rapid overview of the origins of contemporary Pacific Asia underpinned by key sources which are subject to careful precis." Richard Wiltshire, Progress in Human Geography