Indonesia: State and society in transition
Presenters: Dr Jemma Purdey, Dr Antje Missbach and Dr Dave McRae
Discussant: Dr Dina Afrianty
Despite its size and unique geography, Indonesia is rarely included in lists of emerging powers and economies, such as the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) grouping. Its absence contrasts with Indonesia’s global role at the peak of its international influence in the 1950s and 1960s, when Indonesia initiated the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and positioned itself at the helm of an anti-imperialist bloc of new emerging forces. What accounts for Indonesia’s current modest international profile? Is it simply an under-rated country, or has its influence genuinely waned as a result of various aspects of Indonesia’s domestic affairs? In Indonesia: State and Society in Transition (Lynne Rienner, 2020), Jemma Purdey, Antje Missbach and Dave McRae present a comprehensive survey of Indonesia’s contemporary politics, society and culture, to inform our answer to these questions.
In this MISS seminar, Jemma, Dave, Antje and Dina will offer their thoughts on Indonesia’s standing and how the country is perceived and studied from the outside.