An Ontological Rethinking of Identity in International Studies

“In this captivating book Yong-Soo Eun makes the case for rethinking fixed and fluid identities in terms of “both-and” rather than “either-or.” They are emergent processes grounded in an ontology of immanence. Thought-provoking theoretical discussions and rich empirical illustrations are brought together in an illuminating essay that is germane for all students of IR theory.” —Peter J. Katzenstein, Walter S. Carpenter Jr. Professor of International Studies, Cornell University, USA “Eun Yong-Soo’s ontological rethinking of identity in International Studies provides a fresh perspective on conventional and critical constructivist approaches to the subject. Moving beyond the either/or to the both/and, he re-grounds identity in a Deleuzian ontology of immanence. The book provides not only a beautifully written and concise typology of existing constructivisms, but also through an unpacking of components of European, Chineseand South Korean identities, a model for investigating identity construction in practice, which he further situates in a field that has tended to reify distinctions between West and non-West. The book is must reading for all who seek a way out of the current impasse and a richer understanding of what it might mean for IR to ‘become rhizomatic.’” —K.M. Fierke, Professor of International Relations, School of International Relations, St. Andrews, UK “Engaging Western constructivist theories, continental philosophy and East Asian sources, Yong-Soo Eun offers a new typology for understanding the role of identity in International Relations research. The ensuing insights advance important scholarly debates that have both conceptual and practical implications.” —Roland Bleiker, Professor of International Relations, University of Queensland, Australia This book shows that identity studies in IR generally cohere around two discrete understandings of being, substantialism and correlationism, and that their analytical, theoretical, and epistemological orientations are split along those lines. The author argues that the best way to step outside that binary is to re-ground identity in ontology of immanence. Yong-Soo Eun is Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea.