Multi-Culturalism and the New Regionalism in ASEAN - Essay Example

MULTI-CULTURALISM AND THE NEW REGIONALISM IN ASEAN Summary ASEAN as a grouping is one of the most successful examples of regionalism of multi cultural societies weaved together in a very short period of over four decades peacefully and homogenously. ASEAN has however shown stronger political and economic leanings. Some analysts say that it was borne out of the need to assert homogenous power of the grouping against an external political and economic threat rather than a common ideology. Regionalism also entails coagulation of a number of political, social, economic and cultural issues. With the growth of globalization, geographic distances seem to have been compressed. Economic integration can be replicated in the political field but true growth of regionalism will come about through a coagulation of regional identities. Multiculturalism can contribute to creation of common identities and can thus provide a strong bond for the sustained growth of regionalism. The impact of multiculturalism in fostering regionalism and growth of ASEAN will thus form the central theme of this research. A realist approach with thorough analysis of data and study of primary as well as secondary sources will be adopted to arrive at specific answers to the key research questions. The rigorous approach thus adopted is expected to bring about a greater understanding of the phenomenon of multiculturalism in the specific context of South East Asian regionalism. Introduction The modern world is increasingly regionalized and globalized. This is posing greater challenges for individuals and nation states. Some of these are resulting in a clash of identities between individuals and states. Multiculturalism attempts to reduce these fault lines by bringing people closer together to melt different cultures and identities. Regionalism provides a geographical and political dimension to multiculturalism. However regionalism does not naturally imply assimilation of cultures. Multiculturalism needs stronger roots and deeper commitments than regionalism. Association of South East Asian Nations or ASEAN has emerged as an enduring regional phenomenon. It is a political and economic confederation based on the needs to protect and project economic and political power of the resurgent economies of South East Asia, such as Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Multiculturalism can also form a strong glue to bind together the people of ASEAN. Though it will be a long a slow process, a multicultural ASEAN society would be far more homogeneous than it is today, thereby enabling peace and prosperity in the region more consistently. Multiculturalism can also see the spread of regionalism beyond South East Asia to include the peripheral countries as Australia, New Zealand and India, who want to benefit from a common economic market but are stifled by cultural differences. Multiculturalism can thus act as a powerful medium of growth of regionalism in South East Asia and this facet is proposed to be explored herein. Statement of the research problem Multiculturalism is the coexistence of many cultures within the same community, without one culture dominating the other. It is said to overcome restrictions of racism, sex, color and creed. Globalization has led to a greater understanding of the need for multiculturalism as not only economies but people, social and commercial groups are integrating concomitantly. When taken in the regional context, the merging of culture and nationality will produce an admixture of multi culturalism with regionalism. (Fawcett, 2003). The two most significant regional groupings in the post Second World War era have been the European Union and ASEAN. (Rajaratnam, 1992). The European Union has crystallized over the last few decades after intense interaction between European nations based on their past legacy over a number of centuries. The ASEAN on the other hand is a relatively recent phenomenon. The aim of ASEAN is to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development. (www.aseansec.org). The organization has launched a number of initiatives to succeed in this endeavour in the political, economic and cultural field. The success of these initiatives is dependent on a large number of national and regional factors which impinge on its consummation. While the impact of economic and political enterprise is easy to discern, influence of culture is difficult to determine. However culture does a have significant impact in coagulation of nations and people. Multi Culturalism can strengthen the bonds of regionalism in ASEAN. It can be effectively utilized to galvanize the region and expand its sphere of influence for mutual benefit. However multiculturalism is viewed differently by people of various countries within the same region. There may be a need to foster a national approach to build multiculturalism in ASEAN as against a standard, regional model. There are many such dimensions of the role of multiculturalism in the growth of regionalism in South East Asia which need to be considered in detail. Hypothesis and Research Questions Hypothesis. The research will test the following hypothesis - Multiculturalism can be an important influence in fostering regionalism and can foster growth of ASEAN. Research Questions. ASEAN is a conglomeration of different states with multiplicity of religions, ethnicity, languages and traditions. Culture thus has an important role to play in fostering regional coagulation. The impact of multiculturalism in contributing to growth of regionalism in the context of ASEAN thus needs deliberate analysis. Within this context the following research questions will be explored:- (a) What is the role of multiculturalism in building regional cohesion? (b) What are the contours of multiculturalism and regionalism in ASEAN? (c) How will multiculturalism impact on sustenance of regionalism in ASEAN? (d) How will multiculturalism be employed for the growth of ASEAN? Definitions of Key Terms ASEAN. ASEAN is a regional grouping of states in South East Asia to include Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. The purpose of ASEAN is to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and through this route promote regional stability and growth. Multiculturalism Multiculturalism or cultural pluralism is the coexistence of many cultures in a society, without any one culture dominating the region. By making the broadest range of human differences acceptable to the largest number of people, multiculturalism seeks to overcome racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination. (Multiculturalism, 2002). Regionalism. Regionalism is defined as the political division of an area into partially autonomous region. It is a policy thereby which the interests of a nation in world affairs are defined in terms of regions rather than particular countries. (Regionalism, 2004) Significance of the study The ten nation ASEAN regional grouping came about in 1967, starting with five nations initially and has gradually gone on to enlarge its sphere in South East Asia, with more and more nations on its periphery such as Australia and India vying to be full time members. Regional groupings arise out of an ideal of commonality of economic and political power. ASEAN, as one of co founder members has stated has been borne out fear rather than an ideal, the fright of being politically overcome by an external threat such as Japan and Korea economically in the 1960’s and 1970’s or Vietnam politically in the 1980’s. (Rajaratnam, 1992). Rajaratnam believes that it is not ideals but common fears that generally hold groups and nations together. On the other hand there is the example of the European Union which has coalesced with a common culture being one of its key drivers. In this context as per Harrison, “multiculturalism...is a theory (albeit vague) about the foundations of a culture rather than a practice which subsumes cultural ideas”. (Harrison, 1984). South East Asia is a melting pot of many cultural identities, Malaysian, Bali, Thai, Viet, Laotian, Myanmarese and so on. The grouping has been a result of political and economic expediency. The recognition of a cultural identity is a recent phenomenon which is being fostered regionally. The impact of multi culturalism on growth of regionalism in South East Asia would thus be an important issue which needs to be explored. The study will provide a fresh insight into this relatively unexplored field contributing to thoughts on strengthening and expanding the regional coalition. Limitations The study will be bounded by issues of cultural impact on ASEAN and regionalism. Regionalism covers other aspects such as political, economic and social convergence which though relevant will be beyond the scope of the research to enable a focused approach to the issue of multiculturalism and regionalism. Chapter 2 – Literature Review Regionalism has arisen essentially from two trends, as a provincial community of nations or as an instrument for exercising power by member nations. ASEAN seems to have increasingly emerged out of the need for a regional conglomerate to exercise its power particularly economic. (Narine, 2002) External threat too seems to have led to growth of regionalism in South East Asia. The politics which favor regionalism and their relevance as well as connected issues with reference to South Asia have been elucidated from time to time. (Solidum, 2004) Regionalism however is not merely a geographical or a political phenomenon, it needs to be seen in a broader historical perspective as the common factors which bind regionalism may be varied between different countries. There is thus a need to study the cultural factors in particular with respect to ASEAN. (Fawcett, 2003). Multiculturalism as an instrument of growth of regionalism is a relatively new trend. There is increased awareness amongst ASEAN countries on the impact of culture in sustaining the alliance and sponsoring its growth. The Fifth ASEAN Summit Declaration had specifically raised consciousness of culture as a tool to raise awareness of an ASEAN spirit and identity among the people of the region. A technological route has been planned for the same and budgetary support has been provided. Measures such as an ASEAN Satellite Channel for transnational and transregional broadcasting was being set up and an ASEANWEB was to be developed. The satellite channel and the ASEANWEB were envisaged to project the views, values and culture effectively to a wider audience. (www.aseansec.org). The budgetary allotment provided to the ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information FY1995/96, was a total of US $2,603,216 from the ASEAN Cultural Fund. (www.aseansec.org). Another important facet is the study of multiculturalism in different national contexts. Culture and identity is a complex issue and thus multiculturalism may be viewed differently in the countries of the region. Thus the applicability of a template across the board say from Vietnam to Myanmar, needs deliberation. (Hefner, 2001) Regionalism in ASEAN is also being viewed from a broader perspective such as creation of a New Asia-Pacific order. (Camilleri, 2003). In examining the prospects of growth of ASEAN through the multicultural route, the challenges are many as has been stated by the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard on Australian radio in the context of building affiliation between Australia and Indonesia, "The relationship...is a complex one because we are very different societies, very, very different -- you could hardly find two societies more different." (Surabaya, 2005). Thus the feasibility of sustaining regional groupings purely on political and economic factors needs consideration. Regionalism also implies viewing an issue or a problem from a provincial and not a national perspective. (Posadas, nd). Multiculturalism can provide a platform for such a perception by enabling its impact regionally rather than nationally in the ASEAN context. Thus an appraisal of multiculturalism to foster growth of regionalism in the context of two or more totally alien cultures can be analyzed with the help of the large number of sources on the subject some of which have been reviewed herein. Chapter 3 - Research Methodology This chapter aims at denoting the methodology of the research. It describes the research objectives; common research philosophies, research approaches and the research strategy. In addition the research path chosen by the author will be discussed in detail. Finally, the problems that could arise during the research will be described. There are three dominant research paradigms: positivism, realism and interpretism. The author will be looking at these widely used approaches as per succeeding paragraphs. Positivism Positivism adopts a scientific stance on the method of research and interpretation of data. This research philosophy holds that only phenomena which are observable and measurable can be regarded as knowledge. The research often comprises quantitative elements rather than qualitative which dominates interpretivistic research. Phenomenology (Interpretivism) The opposite of the positivistic approach leads to interpretivism also called as phenomenology. This approach often used by social scientists, attempts to comprehend people’s socially constructed interpretations which are subjective to reality. Positivistic and interpretism paradigm are two extremes and most researchers use elements of both practises; which is known as realism. The latter approach is most appropriate to this project as the writer will be examining issues such as regionalism, multi culturalism and so on which cannot by thoroughly subjected to quantitative analysis. Research Approach There are mainly two research approaches, which can be adopted, deductive and inductive. The deductive approach according to Hussay and Hussay is used when a theory and/or a hypothesis are developed and a research design is created to test that theory/hypothesis. Usually correlated with quantitative research, the deductive approach should be developed in such a way whereby facts and samples ought to be in sufficient numerical size for generalization. The same is diagrammatically covered as per Figure 1 below (Trochim, 1999). According to Trochim the inductive approach is often correlated to the collection of qualitative data, such as a sample of subjects in a case study as contrasting to a large number used in the deductive approach. A theory is usually developed from data collection in this approach as explained in Figure 2 below. Both the approaches will be applied as in practice all most all the research projects have to have elements of both the approaches in view of the importance of including both qualitative and quantitative findings. Research Data Data includes facts, observations or experiences on which an argument, theory or test is based. Data includes laboratory notebooks, field notebooks, primary research data (including research data in hardcopy or in computer readable form), questionnaires, audiotapes, videotapes, models, photographs, films, test responses. Kinds of Research Data Quantitative research involves an objective way of studying things through the use of numerical data and mathematical and statistical procedures. Examples of quantitative methods include survey methods, laboratory experiments, formal methods and numerical methods, such as mathematical modelling. Qualitative research involves the use of analysis and opinions such as interviews and documents to understand and explain phenomena. Qualitative research approaches have traditionally been favored when the main research objective is to improve the understanding of a phenomenon. Its many methodologies and techniques have helped researchers get a better insight of a variety of management situations. In the authors view this project requires more of a qualitative and some of the quantitative data approaches because not all research lends itself to purely numerical approach for information collection. Data Collection Approaches There are two approaches to data collection, namely, Primary (obtained first hand) and Secondary (desk study or existing sources) research. Primary sources are those data which are unpublished and which have been gathered from the organization directly. There are two approaches that can be associated with secondary research, both of which will be used in the research as follows:- Statistical format (public information collected by organisations and institutions). Descriptive documents (newspapers, journals and observations, etc.) Data Collection Strategies A research strategy is a general method used to ensure collection of adequate number of answers to the research questions. The common strategies for research are experiment, survey, case study, action research, ethnography and so on. To fulfil the present dissertation’s main aims and objectives, the case study and survey are considered as the most appropriate research methods for the chosen research topic along with published interviews. Research instruments Primary data is often conducted for the research study to answer a specific question. Ways of collecting this kind of information includes surveys, observation or controlled experiments. Surveys are one of the most common ways to collect data, where the subject can be contacted through mail, telephone or directly in personal interviews. It entails sending questionnaires to the target audience and important policy makers, analysts, researchers and social scientists that have a perception of the phenomenon of multiculturalism and regionalism in the ASEAN context. Questionnaires It would be difficult to administer questionnaires to key individuals in ASEAN due to problems of approaching them. Hence the medium of telephonic and e mail interviews will be used to obtain their views on various critical issues. The questionnaires will be sent both via fax and e mail and a time span of two weeks will be allowed for the response. Interview Interviews will form an interactive part of this study and they will be carried out after the secondary research is done. Published interviews by subjects duly authenticated will also be used for the purpose. The method in which conclusions will be derived The most important issue in drawing conclusions from data representation is that the process is not a sequential one. However no conclusion can be drawn until there is a clear data display. Consequently, after having implemented within-case analysis, the findings will be compared with a review of literature to determine the real causes and effects of multicultural aims and regionalism in the context of ASEAN. Limitations The study will attempt to examine how multi culturalism will impact regionalism in ASEAN. This will comprise of a review of primary and secondary sources. Primary sources will envisage the need for survey and interviews, which however will not be practicable in all cases due to limitations of time and economy. Conclusion Regionalism is a complex phenomenon which involves a number of political, social, economic and cultural issues. While the political and economic dimensions of regionalism have been explored, the impact of multiculturalism remains relatively uncharted. Culture can form an impediment as well as a catalyst for growth of regionalism. Multiculturalism is considered a powerful tool for growth of regionalism in the context of ASEAN and this dimension is proposed to be explored in the study. References and Bibliography 1. Camilleri, Joseph. 2003. Regionalism in the New Asia-Pacific Order  Edward Elgar Publishing. 2. Culture and information. http://www.aseansec.org/9347.htm. ( 10 Jun. 2006). 3. Fawcett, Hurrell Fawcett. Ed. 2003.  Regionalism in World Politics : Regional Organization and International Order 4. Graham, Duncan. Can Australians and Indonesian ever be mates? http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaileditorial.asp?fileid=20050531.E03&irec=2. ( 10 Jun. 2006). 5. Hefner, Robert W. The Politics of Multiculturalism: Pluralism and Citizenship in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. 2001. University of Hawaii Press.Hawaai 6. M. Harrison, cited in Sneja Gunew, "Denaturalizing cultural nationalisms: multicultural readings of Australia" in Bhaba, Homi K. (ed.) 1990, Nation and Narration, New York: Routledge, Chapman and Hall Inc. 7. Multiculturalism.. 2002. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. Answers.com. http://www.answers.com/topic/multiculturalism. ( 10 Jun. 2006). 8. Narine, Shaun, 2002. Explaining Asean: Regionalism in Southeast Asia. Lynne Rienner Publishers. Boulder. 9. Posadas, Linda Santiago. Development Cooperation. http://www.aseansec.org/14420.htm 10. Rajaratnam, S. 1992. ASEAN The Way Ahead. www.aseansec.org. ( 10 Jun. 2006). 11. Regionalism. 2004. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Answers.com. http://www.answers.com/topic/regionalism. ( 10 Jun. 2006). 12. Solidum, Estrella. 2004.The Politics of Asean: An Introduction to Southeast Asian Regionalism (Paperback). Eastern Univ Pr. 13. Trochim, W. 1999. The Research Methods Knowledge Base, 2nd Edition, Atomic Dog Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. 14. www.aseansec.org. ( 10 to 15 Jun. 2006). Read More