Towards the Process of Civilisation in East Asia

Applying and Extending the Theory of Civilising Processes to China, Korea and Japan

Abstract

The question of how to examine civilising processes in East Asia has become an important yet challenging one in figurational sociology. While figurational sociologists have considered this question for decades, relatively few scholars have actively applied and tested the theory of civilising processes to examine the longue durée of historical and contemporary developments in China, Korea and Japan. Further research could provide an important means of refining and extending our understanding of how long-term processes have developed in these countries. In addition, it may broaden the theory's methodological, analytical and empirical scope beyond Europe. This article contributes to this ongoing endeavour by proposing broad approaches to examining civilising processes in East Asia. Specifically, it outlines possible approaches to investigating different patterns of psychogenetic and sociogenetic change in China, Korea and Japan. Since applying, testing and refining the theory is a vast and complex undertaking, the article also highlights key theoretical, methodological and analytical challenges and proposes both general and bespoke approaches to addressing them.