Constructing ASEAN Identity Through Shared Cultural Heritage and Socio-Cultural Solidarity: A Proposal

• Published in: SUVANNABHUMI Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 7 - 31
• Main Author: Gerard P. Concepcion
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 부산외국어대학교 아세안연구원 31.01.2025
• Subjects: ASEAN identity; ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community; shared cultural heritage; socio-cultural solidarity; ASEAN identity; shared cultural heritage; ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community; socio-cultural solidarity
• ISSN: 2092-738X; 2799-7839

This paper explores how ASEAN Identity among Southeast Asia countries can be realized by applying the concepts of “shared cultural heritage” and “socio-cultural solidarity.” Guided by the official documents―the ASEAN Identity Narrative and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025, this paper analyzes how regional cohesiveness can develop through common emphasis on historical, social, and cultural bonds among the ASEAN member states manifested through religiosity, nationalism, humanitarianism, cultural expressions, regionalism, and futurism. Moreover, initiatives and cultural policies that promote mutual understanding, respect for cultural diversity, and the building of collective projects that reinforce the notion of an ASEAN identity are considered within the analysis. By providing illustration as to how the concepts of “shared cultural heritage” and “socio-cultural solidarity” serve the foundation toward the construction of a conscious ethos geared toward establishing a common future based on diversity in the Southeast Asian region, this paper argues that the ASEAN identity is constructed via strong national selfhood and regional cultural ties. The implication drawn from this this paper’s proposal is that having a common or shared identity, or a cultural consistency of the regional actors will most likely reduce conflicts or misunderstanding in the region, thus allowing them to achieve common goals.