Legitimacy in International Society : Japan’s Reaction to Global Wildlife Preservation

"Legitimacy in International Society" addresses collective legitimization of emergent norms at international meetings and its effect on state behaviour. Drawing mainly on constructivist approaches in international relations and social psychology, Isao Miyaoka discusses the international and domestic sources of legitimacy and the basic conditions under which collective legitimization matters for norm adoption. Three case studies examine Japan's responses to wildlife preservationist norms against high seas driftnet fishing, scientific whaling and international trade in African elephant ivory Legitimacy in International Society addresses collective legitimization of emergent norms at international meetings and its effect on state behaviour. Drawing mainly on constructivist approaches in International Relations and social psychology, Isao Miyaoka discusses the international and domestic sources of legitimacy and the basic conditions under which collective legitimization matters for norm adoption. He also outlines three causal mechanisms of social influence and the conditions under which each mechanism is likely to operate. Three case studies examine Japan's responses to wildlife preservation norms against high seas driftnet fishing, scientific whaling and international trade in African elephant ivory. Isao Miyaoka finds that the consent given to an emerging norm by more than one third of the states in international society is likely to have an impact on state behaviour, even without material coercion, self interest or moral obligation, due to social pressure or political obligation.

Although initially resistant, Japan adopted the international norms related to driftnet fishing and the ivory trade, while continuing to refuse international norms in relation to scientific whaling. Traditional explanations for why states adopt norms proffered by realists, neoliberals, liberals, and constructivists fail to explain Japan's behavior in these three cases, notes Miyaoka (international politics, Osaka U. of Foreign Studies, Japan). He offers an alternative explanation that rests upon the idea of collective legitimization, arguing that international society succeeded in legitimizing norms in the first two cases, but failed in the last. Annotation © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Front Matter....Pages i-ix Introduction....Pages 1-6 The Legitimacy of International Norms....Pages 7-26 Wildlife Protection and Japan....Pages 27-48 Case One: Driftnet Fishing....Pages 49-73 Case Two: Scientific Whaling....Pages 74-97 Case Three: Ivory Trade....Pages 98-121 Conclusion....Pages 122-136 Back Matter....Pages 137-214