If there is anything consistent about Southeast Asia it must certainly be its diversity. The varied levels of economic development, differing systems of governance and politics, and the myriad of demographic and cultural complexions ensure that any comparative analysis must be performed and presented in a modest and heavily nuanced manner. With approximately 620 million people covering 4.5 million square kilometres, not to mention the multitude of languages, and the layers of historical kingdoms, the scope for comparative analysis beyond national boundaries is wide indeed.

This is because much of Southeast Asia has been studied through the lens of area studies. Area studies is broadly premised on the understanding that: firstly, regions with common characteristics can be identified and examined collectively; and, secondly, that regions should be studied in situ on the basis of detailed local knowledge. In truth, the concepts of the nation, state boundaries, ethnic and religious communities are essentially problematic.

However, while diversity must always remain a defining feature, there are several ideological and political experiences shared by many states in the region. Colonialization, whether by the British, Dutch, French or Spanish, is a deeply ingrained experience across many Southeast Asian countries. The region has been argued to be a construction by the colonial British as a specific area of military operations against the Japanese, while others have demonstrated that historical events like the Japanese invasion and the later nationalist-separatist movements during the period of decolonialization were markers of national and intra-regional identification.

This section, divided into three parts, offers excerpts from leading experts to demonstrate the multi-dimensional nature of the region. Clearly the division is arbitrary not least because it is impossible to untangle societies from the economy and politics, and the dynamics of one must surely impact the others. However, for the sake of easy reference, comparative work on civil society, contestation of citizenship, national education, religion and the middle class come under the sub-section Southeast Asian Societies. Comparative work on urbanization, development and tourism come under The Southeast Asian Economy. Finally, the sub-section Southeast Asian Politics carries comparative work on democracy, ideology and accountability, and regional geopolitics.