The Logic of Conformity: Japan's Entry into International Society
© 2013
In The Logic of Conformity, Tomoko T. Okagaki examines Japan’s entry into the European state system in the late nineteenth century. Okagaki focuses on the extraordinary degree of conformity that Japan demonstrated in accommodating itself to Western norms of international relations within a very short period of time. By introducing a political science perspective to the study of Japan’s modernization, which has heretofore been studied mostly as a historical subject, she emphasizes the significance of contextual factors that constrained the ways in which Japan entered international society.
As Okagaki shows, while the international system defined the mode of Japan’s socialization in many ways, Japan’s entry also symbolized a transformation of the international system from that of Euro-dominance to legal equality. A sophisticated and significant contribution to the literature on state building and the history of international relations, The Logic of Conformity is a fascinating study of how the concept of sovereignty is reshaped by the entrance of newcomers.
Product Details
- Series: Japan and Global Society
- World Rights
- Page Count: 208 pages
- Dimensions: 6.3in x 0.9in x 9.3in
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Reviews
‘This is a thought-provoking contribution to the study of Japanese history, political science, and international law. By juxtaposing the long-term domestic background with a selection of global theoretical models, Okagaki achieves a refreshing breath of perspective.’
Andrew Cobbing
International Journal vol 69:03:2014 -
Author Information
Tomoko T. Okagaki is a professor of International Politics in the Faculty of Law at Dokkyo University. -
Table of contents
Author's Note
Part 1. The Framework of Analysis
Chapter I. Introduction: Explaining Japan's Entry into the International System
Chapter II. State Socialisation and Institutionalisation of the International System
Part 2. The Process of Conformity
Chapter III. Adoption: Introduction of the Law Of Nations, 1853-1860s
Chapter IV. Absorption: "Civilisation and Enlightenment," 1870s
Chapter V. Adaptation: International Law as a Tool, 1880s-1899
Part 3. The Logic of Conformity
Chapter VI. Socialisation and Institutionalisation Dynamics
Chapter VII. Conclusion
Selected Bibliography
Sources in English
Sources in Japanese
Acknowledgments
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Subjects and Courses