Constraining structures : why local international relations theory in Southeast Asia is having a hard time

Abstract

This chapter analyses the lack of local International Relations theory building in Southeast Asia despite an ongoing institutional upturn of the discipline in the region. Six structural gatekeeping mechanisms are evaluated in order to understand the poor state of local IRT in Southeast Asia. It shows that local IRT in Southeast Asia is trapped in a vicious circle, since adherence to Western standards is a criterion for academic success, but also a factor guaranteeing the exclusion of local theorizing.