Indonesia was created out of anti-colonial nationalism. The fragile territorial boundaries and the artificial sense of belonging have led to the implementation of centralistic government policies for more than half a century. Jakarta has become the socio-economic and political power centre, marginalising various ethnicities and regions.
This course will critically examine the process of making of various socio-economic and political peripheries in Indonesia through various government policies and development projects. It will also analyse how marginalised regions and ethnicities have struggled to challenge the state authority and have affected Malay-speaking neighbouring countries.
Indonesian Major students will be required to read some Indonesian materials in this course.