Transnational Southeast Asia

Through its empirical and theoretical discussions, this open access edited book examines the transnational model of identity as it links up to cultures, societies and communities within nation-states that are undergoing the process of globalisation. The book is divided into three broad themes that encapsulate the issues that may be generated in applying the transnational paradigm to the Southeast Asian region, which includes the nations of Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. The first section on identities deals with the impactful consequences of globalisation in cultivating a sense of transnationalism among citizens within and across these countries. It works towards ideas of mobility, hybridity and fluidity, rather than treating divisive categories of identity such as race and religion as social demarcations constricted to ideologies of nation-states. The second section on cultures explores the way in which cultural traditions, products and movements heighten a blurring of national boundaries to elicit both a transnational imaginary and reality within Southeast Asia. This connectivity and connectedness are usefully conceived as transnational in nature to evoke productive conversations between nation-states through media, literature, popular culture and conservationism. The third section on challenges actively confronts contestations to the term of the transnational by exploring its limitations and geopolitical margins. Ultimately, this book breaks new ground by foregrounding multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary case studies on the interrelationships of nation-states across time and geographical spaces to examine Southeast Asia as a transnational home with intertwining identities and cultures. It provides a comprehensive review of the rapidly expanding field of transnational studies within Southeast Asia and is relevant to readers across disciplines in Asian cultural, political and social studies.