Norms in Non-Western International Organizations: A Case Study of the Applicability of Western Normative Theory to the SCO and ASEAN

摘要

An examination of how certain theories regarding norms apply or do not apply to non-Western organizations. In my research, I have applied normative theories to the SCO and ASEAN with the intent of answering the following question: which normative theories best explain why specific norm sets have emerged and diffused in the non-Western settings of the SCO and ASEAN? The normative theories I analyze are Finnemore and Sikkink's concept of the life cycle, Anne E. Towns' concept of norms and social rank, and Amitav Acharya's theory of norm localization. What can be drawn from these cases is that the specific norms that have emerged and diffused in these organizations are influenced by many factors, and no single theory encompasses an explanation for their behavior. These organizations serve as a testing ground for comprehension of the mechanisms explaining why norm sets emerge and diffuse in non-Western settings.