The here to be presented idea that also a regions merely consisting of illiberal states
might follow the path of peace via the building of a security community is all but
uncontested. When I presented the concept of illiberal security communities for the first
time1, people felt deeply uncomfortable with it. There were two main reasons for the
obvious disapproval. Either the theorem was refused because of its notion of community
or due to its illiberal component.
The first group of opponents can be labelled as adherents of the (neo-) realist school.
They reject the mere idea of inter-state communities ? a concept that goes far beyond
self- interest driven (counter-) alliances which, for realists, represent the only possibility
of international cooperation. This quite fundamental critique targets primarily the basic
concept of security communities that was first deve loped by Karl W. Deutsch and his
colleagues in 19572, and which served as ‘row material’ for the here presented,
modified version. The Deutschian theorem of security communities cha llenges the
realist paradigm in two respects. Firstly, it negates the axiomatic relationship between
anarchy and war, and refuses moreover the inevitability of the war prone security
dilemma, which conceptualises international relations as an inherently belligerent,
vicious circle of arms races and power accumulation3. Secondly, by stressing the notion
of community, the Deutschian analysis incorporates the by realists ignored ‘societal’
factors - such as loyalty, collective identity and the power of communication in creating
trust - as being conductive to a stable peace among community members4.
[...]
1 In the course of the summer term 2004 I presented a draft of the theoretical part of this paper to the Colloquium of
the Centre for Transatlantic Foreign and Security Policy Studies, Free University of Berlin.
2 Even though the very first notion of security communities was introduced by Richard van Wagenen in the early
1950s, it is noncontentious that Karl W. Deutsch is the ‘father’ of this concept. Deutsch and his associates were the
first in developing a comprehensive theoretical framework of it that was furthermore empirically applied, Deutsch:
1957. For a short overview see Adler/Barnett 1998: 6-9.
3 Hertz 1950: 157.
4 Deutsch 1968: 272f.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- The Concept's Beginning and Why We Need a Concept of Illiberal Securities
- The Deutschian Concept - Integration and Security Communities
- The ill-fated marriage between Concept of Security Communities and the Liberal Democratic Peace Theorem
- Pluralistic Security Communities Revisited
- Precipitating Conditions for the Emergence of Pluralistic Security Community
- After Cooperation: The Genesis of a Pluralistic Security Community
- Structure: Power and Knowledge
- Process: Institutions, Norms, and Social Learning
- The Security Community's Pillars: Trust and Collective Identity
- How Do We Know a Security Community When We See One?
- An Illiberal Security Community in Southeast Asia?
- Prologue: How Southeast Asia became a Community Region
- Before ASEAN: Two Stillbirths of Regional Cooperation
- The Disparate Beginnings of ASEAN
- ASEAN-A Security Community Building Institution?
- The ASEAN Norms: Centrepiece of a collective Identity?
- ASEAN's Collective (Security) Identity: 2 Mini-Case Studies
- Case Study I: ASEAN and the Cambodia Conflict
- The Conflict's Background
- ASEAN's Reactions to the Vietnamese Norm Violations
- Case Study II: ASEAN and the Mischief Reef Incident in the Context of the Spratly Dispute
- The Conflict's Background
- ASEAN's Reactions to Norm Violations in the course of the Spratly Dispute
- Conclusion of the Case Studies
- Case Study I: ASEAN and the Cambodia Conflict
- Prologue: How Southeast Asia became a Community Region
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
The primary objective of this paper is to challenge the prevalent assumption that security communities can only emerge amongst liberal democratic states. The author argues that the concept of "illiberal security communities" is a valid framework for analyzing regional peace in non-democratic regions, specifically focusing on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
- The concept of security communities and its relevance in international relations.
- The limitations of the liberal democratic peace theorem in explaining security cooperation in illiberal contexts.
- The emergence and development of pluralistic security communities based on shared values and collective identity.
- The role of institutions, norms, and social learning in fostering regional security cooperation.
- The empirical case of ASEAN as an example of an illiberal security community.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: The paper introduces the concept of illiberal security communities and its theoretical significance. It highlights the challenges faced by the author in presenting this concept and its underlying criticisms.
- The Concept's Beginning and Why We Need a Concept of Illiberal Securities: This chapter outlines the origins of the security community concept, primarily attributing it to Karl W. Deutsch's work. It explores the limitations of the traditional, liberal-centric understanding of security communities and argues for the need to expand its scope to encompass illiberal contexts.
- Pluralistic Security Communities Revisited: This chapter elaborates on the process of developing pluralistic security communities, emphasizing the importance of shared values, collective identity, and trust. It challenges the liberal assumption that democratic values are necessary for such communities to emerge.
- An Illiberal Security Community in Southeast Asia?: This chapter delves into the case of ASEAN, examining its evolution as a community region and its potential as an illiberal security community. It analyzes ASEAN's norms, institutions, and collective identity in relation to regional security cooperation.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The core keywords and focus topics of this paper encompass the concepts of security communities, illiberal states, regional peace, ASEAN, shared values, collective identity, norms, institutions, and social learning. It investigates the potential for illiberal states to build security communities and fosters a deeper understanding of regional peace dynamics.
- Quote paper
- Patricia Becker (Author), 2004, ILLIBERAL SECURITY COMMUNITIES - A revised concept and the empirical example of ASEAN, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/28758
