The invisible hand: modern studies of international relations in Japan, China, and Korea

Abstract

This study tests a long-held claim about the role of a country's international practice in the shaping of its International Relations (IR) studies, using the cases of Japan, China, and Korea. The study finds sufficient evidence for a close link, but also interesting variations across the countries, different historical periods as well as different types of IR research and publications. The practice–discipline link is crucial for a fuller understanding of the structure and evolution of the IR discipline and requires systematic empirical investigation, particularly with cases beyond the core national IR countries. Assessing the precise nature of the practice–discipline link, this study adds value to existing research on national IR studies that have so far focused primarily on the impact of the American IR theories and debates and, more recently, on the domestic cultural-institutional context.