ASEAN and integration
ASEAN is an 11-member group of countries with a combined population greater than the EU. ASEAN and the EU share similar goals for their respective members, yet the EU has very little engagement with the region. The EU-funded SEATIDE (Integration in southeast Asia: Trajectories of inclusion, dynamics of exclusion) project studied ASEAN integration processes at national and regional levels. The team examined how such processes affected social, economic and political transformations. Studies were based on specific localities, and included analysis of broader geopolitical significance. Fifty researchers did fieldwork in eight countries. Researchers studied national, transnational and regional integration from points of view, including diversity, prosperity, knowledge and security. The research involved qualitative and quantitative approaches to social themes, including anthropology, economics, history, international relations, political studies and sociology. Additional themes involved political integration via grassroots initiatives. The main result was identification of exclusions that accompany processes of integration. The team analysed such exclusions in terms of numerous sites of interaction, including: city, small town, village and others. Research illustrated a region experiencing unprecedented change, with deep consequences for rural and urban populations. Specifically, post-Cold War border crossings have become a normal part of life for the region's people. Work yielded 12 online papers targeted at a general audience, and 7 policy briefs. The team also produced five documentary films and two thematic reports. The project's newly established research relationships with ASEAN institutions expanded the European Research Area (ERA). The work benefited the EU by producing insights about the workings of other regional associations of countries.
Keywords
ASEAN, integration processes, Asia, Cold War, SEATIDE, inclusion
