Refugees, Women, and Weapons: International Norm Adoption and Compliance in Japan

In a world dominated by considerations of material and security threats, Japan provides a fascinating case for why, and under what conditions, a state would choose to adopt international norms and laws that are seemingly in direct conflict with its domestic norms. Approaching compliance from within a constructivist framework, author Petrice R. Flowers analyzes three treaties--addressing refugee policy, women's employment, and the use of land mines--that Japan has adopted. Refugees, Women, and Weapons probes how international relations and domestic politics both play a role in constructing state identity, and how state identity in turn influences compliance.

Flowers argues that, although state desire for legitimacy is a key factor in norm adoption, to achieve anything other than a low level of compliance requires strong domestic advocacy. She offers a comprehensive theoretical model that tests the explanatory power of two understudied factors: the strength of nonstate actors and the degree to which international and domestic norms conflict. Flowers evaluates how these factors, typically studied and analyzed individually, interact and affect one another.

Author: Petrice R. Flowers
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Published: 07/24/2009
Pages: 208
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780804759731

Review Citation(s):
Chronicle of Higher Education 09/11/2009 pg. 16
Reference and Research Bk News 02/01/2010 pg. 58

About the Author
Petrice R. Flowers is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, where she teaches courses in international relations and Japanese politics.