POLITICS OF DIFFUSION IN SOUTH ASIA

Abstract

Diffusion is clearly one of the central themes of contemporary international relations debates, whether it is Huntington’s third wave of democracy, the theory of falling dominos or more recently the Arab Spring. Debates on diffusion have become critical to understanding politics, especially in the wake of a globalizing international economy. Agreeably, interdependence drives diffusion in the domain of international relations although its definition, mechanisms and consequences need to be further examined and researched.  This paper will look at the process of diffusion in the context of South Asia within the IR discipline. Inadequate empirical and theoretical research on diffusion of democracy, particularly in the South Asia region remains glaringly unnoticed.  This lacuna has to be addressed as the salience of South Asia is increasing in the emerging global order.  What explains the differential rate and patterns of diffusion for example, democracy in South Asia? If diffusion leads to temporal/spatial clustering why has democracy not diffused uniformly in the South Asian region as for example in Pakistan, Bangladesh or Maldives? What lessons can be drawn for international relations theory from this, particularly from the non-western perspectives?