Nationalism as a Primary Institution in Northeast Asia

This paper contrasts and complements earlier work of Buzan and Zhang by offering an English School analysis of East Asia that is limited to the smaller regional scope of Northeast Asia. The paper argues that the inter-state society of Northeast Asia can be categorized as power political in English School theory and analyzes this inter-state society through the lens of primary institutions. In relations that are power political, classical primary institutions embedded in the region’s inter-state relations are limited, and in the case of Northeast Asia, no universal, secondary institutions exist to regulate behavior. Therefore the contention put forth is that intersubjective understandings of primary institutions provide a better vehicle for analysis of the region. The claim made in this analysis is that the master primary institution most apparent in Northeast Asia is nationalism, and the derivative primary institution of victimhood nationalism appears most prominent in interstate relations. This analysis thereby expands the theoretical range of primary institutions in international society, while offering an English School perspective on regional relations in Asia.