In an effort to contribute to the ‘third wave’ in the sociological study of war, as represented by Siniša Malešević and others, this article seeks to shed new light on the war–society nexus by proposing a synthetic theoretical framework and incorporating perspectives from East Asia. Drawing on the work of William Sewell Jr, it argues that war should be analysed as a historical event that transforms both material resources and cultural schemas. The article then introduces the concept of war frames as an analytical tool that synthesizes sociological frame analysis with Judith Butler’s work on war. This concept allows us to examine not only how war is conducted, but also how it is socially constructed, justified and contested across different historical, political, social and cultural contexts. The framework is subsequently elaborated into a full-fledged analytical model and illustrated through selected cases of war in East Asia. The conclusion argues that sociology should ‘bring war back in’ by, on the one hand, incorporating war more systematically into various subfields of the discipline and, on the other, engaging more fully with non-Western historical experiences.
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