Education is one of the most important determinants of an individual livelihood. Not only does education contribute to the development of a nation, but it also fosters democracy through the...Show moreEducation is one of the most important determinants of an individual livelihood. Not only does education contribute to the development of a nation, but it also fosters democracy through the teachings of democratic values in schools and exposure to the benefits of civic engagement. Furthermore, the education system of a country is reflective of its ideology and can serve as a tool for the government to shape the view of its citizens. Literature on the relationship between democracy on education is vast, but most are based on quantitative measures. Thus, this research conducts a qualitative study in analysing the effect of the level of democracy on the inclusion of democratic values in the fundamental education law of each country. Employing a diverse case selection, qualitative content analysis method, and a deductive coding frame, this thesis finds that the effect of democracy on democratic values in education law has varying effects. A clear division based on the level of democracy is visible for democratic goals in the education law, but is less visible regarding participation, freedom, and equality. The findings of this thesis contribute to narrowing the literature gap and allow further understanding of the impact of democracy on daily life and human development.Show less
This thesis looks at the impact that local traditions and beliefs can have in resolving conflicts amongst religious groups. The case study in Minahasa, Indonesia, where the local belief mapulus has...Show moreThis thesis looks at the impact that local traditions and beliefs can have in resolving conflicts amongst religious groups. The case study in Minahasa, Indonesia, where the local belief mapulus has been institutionalized into mapulus kamtibmas in order to maintain security and order, is studied in this thesis to help provide an answer. The purpose of mapulus kamtibmas is to provide a forum for communication amongst different social groups with the intention of resolving conflict via conversation. The findings demonstrate that because mapulus is only deeply embedded in the lives of Minahasan people, the mapulus kamtibmas model cannot be copied and pasted to resolve interreligious conflict outside of Minahasa. As a result, if it is founded on a shared interest that is deeply embedded in the lives of all parties involved in the conflict, a similar model can be developed in other settings. From an everyday peace perspective, this thesis emphasizes the necessity to investigate the lives of the locals in order to create religious co-existence.Show less
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
closed access
The gamelan is an ensemble, well-known as an Indonesian icon, and popular in today's media. However, how well do we really know about its background and roots? How ancient/recent is it, for...Show moreThe gamelan is an ensemble, well-known as an Indonesian icon, and popular in today's media. However, how well do we really know about its background and roots? How ancient/recent is it, for instance? The paper proposes various lines of investigation while highlighting issues of perception and definition hidden in the very core of the object of investigation. Current public perceptions of the gamelan may have to undergo challenges if we are to find an answer. In compensation for such challenges, we discover a fascinating Asia-wide cultural, social and historical perspective and a delightfully rich matrix in which the gamelan emerged.Show less
Two decades since the Bali bombings in 2002, terrorism still occurs nearly annually in Indonesia. This is despite a strong determination from the Indonesian government to eradicate the threat. This...Show moreTwo decades since the Bali bombings in 2002, terrorism still occurs nearly annually in Indonesia. This is despite a strong determination from the Indonesian government to eradicate the threat. This thesis will therefore attempt to provide an answer to the question: “Why has the Indonesian government, since the Bali bombings of 2002, so far failed to eradicate the terrorism threat, despite the police initially showing success in the aftermath of these bombings?”. In a literature review it will be noted that various authors answer this question by referring to the lack of military involvement in Indonesia’s counter-terrorism efforts. Though, in their arguments the long-term effects of such measures are often ill-considered. Therefore, this thesis will attempt to answer the research question by examining these long-term effects. The core of the argumentation will entail that the ‘hard’ approach that has been implemented by the government since the Bali bombings has created a backlash. Terrorists exploit human rights violations committed by the security forces and a significant amount of those who are incarcerated recidivate.Show less
The interwar period saw the rise of the European metropolis as 'hubs' of transnational anti-colonialism. This thesis focuses on the city of Amsterdam as one of these hubs and adds a spatial...Show moreThe interwar period saw the rise of the European metropolis as 'hubs' of transnational anti-colonialism. This thesis focuses on the city of Amsterdam as one of these hubs and adds a spatial approach to the historiography of the European anti-colonial 'hub'. Researching anti-colonial internationalism from a spatial perspective gives new insights into the interconnectedness of internationalism and specific sites. Transnational organizations and actors who formulated and propagated ideas on anti-colonialism were always grounded in spatial contexts. The approach to space and spatiality in this thesis is inspired by the research project ‘Conferencing the International: A Cultural and Historical Geography of the Origins of Internationalism, 1919-39’, which ran between 2015-2020 and was funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). This project approached internationalism from a geographical perspective, studying how divergent forms of internationalisms manifested themselves in international conferences in the interwar period. Informed by both the research project, the book Placing Internationalism, and the project’s virtual exhibition, this thesis examines the relationship between transnational anti-colonialism and the spaces of anti-colonial activity in Amsterdam.Show less
The versatility of palm oil makes it a demanded global commodity. Almost every product that we use in daily life contains palm oil. However, as palm oil plantations are mostly located in Southeast...Show moreThe versatility of palm oil makes it a demanded global commodity. Almost every product that we use in daily life contains palm oil. However, as palm oil plantations are mostly located in Southeast Asia’s biodiversity-rich forests, their contribution to massive deforestation has resulted in protests from the international community. As the palm oil industry is also dominated by big corporations, the global demand for palm oil incentivizes the needs for plantation expansions. Despite its adverse environmental impact, the land for plantations incrementally expands every year. Although regulations and policies to control land use for plantations have been enforced, there has been little evidence showing the decrease of land use for palm oil plantations. The patronage democracy, as a key feature of Indonesian politics, enhances incentive favouring the economic interest of business actors. With Indonesia’s democratisation, a pervasive patron-client relationship bolsters the ties between district governors (politicians) and palm oil companies (business), especially since decentralisation in which local governments are responsible for a large part of their own budget. Subsequently, it poses the question: how does patronage democracy halt the effort to combat corruption of palm oil land deals in Kalimantan? From 2 corruption cases of district head’s corruption in Gunung Mas and Seruyan district in Central Kalimantan, this research examines the creation of a system deriving from patronage democracy that halts the effort to combat corruption of palm oil land deals.Show less
Indonesia has been regarded as a prospective candidate to great power status. However, because these propositions typically build on assessments from realist theory, they overemphasize a country’s...Show moreIndonesia has been regarded as a prospective candidate to great power status. However, because these propositions typically build on assessments from realist theory, they overemphasize a country’s material capabilities (e.g. territory, GDP, and size of population) while overlooking other relevant components of status formation. In analysing power status through the lens of identity and behavioural approaches, this thesis considers the role of a country’s international relations in status change, and assesses how Indonesia’s conduct in foreign affairs affects the country’s prospects of emergence. Considering that great powers are increasingly enacting geopolitical strategies it could be expected that, as a prospective ascendant, Indonesia would follow similar procedures. Yet, the country has not only refrained itself from adopting a realist stance, it has prioritised a hedging strategy based on multilateral cooperation with regional and major powers, one that uses ASEAN as the primary vehicle for maintaining Southeast Asian security and stability. As this thesis identifies, Indonesia’s behaviour in international relations therefore does not depict any of the major motives that are expected to drive great powers to adopt realist procedures, namely: seeking greater status acquisition, and conforming to the pressure of global trends. Nevertheless, this does not necessarily imply that Indonesia is disinterested in upgrading its international ranking, nor that the country is unlikely to emerge. Rather, it poses the possibility that Indonesia may rise in ways considered atypical to Western interpretations, and achieve a hybrid power status position that incorporates elements of middle and great power states.Show less
Current global movements have emphasized the institutionalized problem of colourism that structurally disadvantage people of colour. In Indonesia, the Melanesians, a marginalized group of dark...Show moreCurrent global movements have emphasized the institutionalized problem of colourism that structurally disadvantage people of colour. In Indonesia, the Melanesians, a marginalized group of dark-skinned people from East-Indonesia, find themselves in a Southeast Asian society that embraces a beauty standard of fair skin. This exposes the already marginalized group to a society that encourages colourism. This thesis attempts to research to what extent colourism within the beauty standards contributes to the marginalization of their position within Indonesian society over the last two decades. Furthermore, this thesis analyses the establishment of colourism within the Southeast Asian beauty standard, as well as why the Melanesians have been in a marginalized position since the Indonesian dependence.Show less
By examining how the works of Snouck Hurgronje and the historiography of the Indonesian independence war have amounted to a contemporary discourse in which Islamophobia arises, It can be concluded...Show moreBy examining how the works of Snouck Hurgronje and the historiography of the Indonesian independence war have amounted to a contemporary discourse in which Islamophobia arises, It can be concluded that both are stooled on false pre-conceptions and a non-existent dichotomy between ‘us’ and ‘them’. This makes the Dutch colonial history in Indonesia as an important factor shaping Islamophobia today.Show less
The interconnectedness of contemporary world politics and economics has led to an increased movement of labour, capital and ideas. Unfortunately, the movement of labour and capital has accumulated...Show moreThe interconnectedness of contemporary world politics and economics has led to an increased movement of labour, capital and ideas. Unfortunately, the movement of labour and capital has accumulated in, what the world-systems theory calls, ‘core countries’, while their waste has been shipped to the feet of the ‘periphery countries’. This is the result of a capitalist economic system that has caused ecological imbalance, uneven accumulation and unlimited extension. According to Max Weber’s hypotheses, the ‘core’ of this system is formed by historically Protestant countries whose values of individualism, hard work, revenue pursuit and frugality facilitated the success of the modern capitalist – spirit embedded in multinational corporations. Increasingly environmentally aware consumers are urging MNCs to take responsibility for the environmental harm that they have caused in countries where their outsourcing partners operate. Nevertheless, numerous MNCs have managed to avoid public scrutiny by implementing CSR strategies on the surface level. Therefore, outsourcing partners are still being affected by the negative externalities of the industry’s production processes. This thesis argues that the protestant ethic which allowed for the success of MNCs is also hindering the advance of corporate social responsibility amongst outsourcing partners in countries such as Indonesia. The protestant ethic characteristic of core capitalist countries perpetuates MNCs privileged position at the expense of the environmental degradation and consequent socio-economic well-being of inhabitants of periphery countries.Show less
This thesis investigates the gender ideologies present in the social marketing of contraception. The case of the family-planning focused NGO DKT International's program in Indonesia was used. It...Show moreThis thesis investigates the gender ideologies present in the social marketing of contraception. The case of the family-planning focused NGO DKT International's program in Indonesia was used. It was found that specific gender scripts, such as empowered women and sexually active men, were used in the advertising.Show less
Rising concerns of climate change and environmental degradation is an increasing issue globally. In order to counter global warming and climate change, renewable energy is regarded as the key...Show moreRising concerns of climate change and environmental degradation is an increasing issue globally. In order to counter global warming and climate change, renewable energy is regarded as the key driver. Despite an abundance of renewable energy resources in Indonesia, the country has only marginally seen growth in this sector. The purpose of this research is to examine why Indonesia has been reluctant to transition towards renewable energy by taking the nexus of economic growth and (renewable) energy into account, as well as the various stakeholders that are related to Indonesia’s renewable energy sector. Using qualitative research methods, this study analyses Indonesia as a case study in order to effectively comprehend this multidimensional issue. It closely aligns with the assemblage theory in order to create a better understanding of various interests, fractions, rivalries, synergies and contradictions between the stakeholders in Indonesia’s renewable energy sector. Powerful stakeholders that have demote renewables, political ‘short-termism’ and social factors (that have negative effects on inflows of FDI) were found to play the greatest obstacles in facilitating the transition towards renewable energy development. Furthermore, this study adds to the debate regarding renewable energy development and economic growth.Show less
The Malaysian government and Malaysian NGOs engage in a variety of institutional collaborations to protect their numerous endangered species from extinction. However, there is a general tendency...Show moreThe Malaysian government and Malaysian NGOs engage in a variety of institutional collaborations to protect their numerous endangered species from extinction. However, there is a general tendency among such institutional conservation collaborations to fail to achieve their goal(s), resulting in a delay of the aspired outcome of the collaboration or in the extinction of the endangered species. This thesis aims to understand why such collaborations fail to reach their goal(s) by examining the institutional collaboration on the conservation of the critically endangered Sumatran rhinoceros, involving the governments and NGOs of Malaysia and Indonesia as well as their international partners. The general findings indicate that possible inequalities in the position, interests and priorities of the actors involved, and a resulting lack of goal congruence, are vital concerns to take into account and to address, as they obstruct the conservation progress.Show less
This thesis takes an institutional approach to patronage networks in Indonesia and describes how institutional vulnerabilities facilitated the expansion of patronage networks in Indonesia after the...Show moreThis thesis takes an institutional approach to patronage networks in Indonesia and describes how institutional vulnerabilities facilitated the expansion of patronage networks in Indonesia after the adoption of the open list proportional representation (OLPR) system. It is demonstrated how institutional factors such as decentralization, a powerful bureaucracy, Suharto's legacy, weak and underfunded political parties, resourceful economic actors, and lacking enforcement of anti-corruption regulations have increased the opportunity and incentive for politicians, bureaucrats, economic actors and voters to establish patronage networks. This thesis concludes that careful deliberation of institutional factors is essential before adopting the OLPR system in order to prevent widespread clientelism.Show less
Migration has always been a significant issue in world politics, with the latest development in the so-called ‘Global Migration Crisis’ in 2015 increasing its salience. In 2016, the formulation of...Show moreMigration has always been a significant issue in world politics, with the latest development in the so-called ‘Global Migration Crisis’ in 2015 increasing its salience. In 2016, the formulation of Jordan Compact and the European Union (EU)-Turkey Deal made way for the emergence of a new category of diplomacy, the “Migration Diplomacy”. Even though the term is considered a recent one, international actors (especially states) have practised it from time to time in previous periods. For example, the establishment of Bracero Program that regulated Mexican migrant worker movement to the United States in 1942, or the enactment of “Operation Solomon” in which the Ethiopian Government gave permission to the Israeli Government to evacuate 14,000 Ethiopian Jews from Ethiopian territory, in exchange for arms and financial aid of $36 million from Israel. While there are already several studies done on Migration Diplomacy in America, Europe, and Africa, there are not yet extensive empirical studies regarding Migration Diplomacy in Asia, especially not in the Southeast Asia region. This thesis aims to provide an empirical example of Migration Diplomacy, through the perspective of recent developments in Indonesia since the 1970s. It looked into the change over time regarding the implementation of Migration Diplomacy and the factors that influenced it.Show less
Research master thesis | Asian Studies (research) (MA)
open access
On the 17th of April 2019, Indonesia held the general elections. The President Joko Widodo (“Jokowi”) won 55,5% of the vote, beating the former general Prabowo Subianto representing Gerindra Party...Show moreOn the 17th of April 2019, Indonesia held the general elections. The President Joko Widodo (“Jokowi”) won 55,5% of the vote, beating the former general Prabowo Subianto representing Gerindra Party for the second time, the first in 2014. Less than two weeks after the victory, the re-elected President announced its intention to relocate the nation's capital from Jakarta, located in Java island, to a greenfield site on the island of Kalimantan. In this thesis, I use Twitter communication emanating from the Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning and the office of the President to dissect the official rationale for this historic initiative and to investigate on the political and ideological discourse surrounding it. What is the Indonesian government trying to achieve through this project? What ideals and political priorities does it reflect? Is there consistency in the official discourse? My analysis is both quantitative and qualitative; it is quantitative because I used large numbers of tweets to measure the frequency which a variety of terms is used to describe both the desirable characteristics of the new capital, and the undesirable aspects of the old one. It is partly qualitative because I investigated and critically reflected on the results found on Twitter to understand better the motifs behind the decision of moving the capital, and be able to answer my research questions. The results show that Jakarta has been abandoned because it does not represent the Indonesian aspirations of modernity, reflected on the smart, sustainable and green imaginaries that the new capital will promote. Indeed, the tweet analysis revealed that these three elements are the most desirable features for the new capital of Indonesia and are the emblem of the type of modernity and progress that the Indonesian government is aspiring to. This is confirmed by the fact that the mentions to smart, green and sustainable are not clear nor justified. These terms appear to be used as buzzwords, almost as if it they were interchangeable. In conclusion, I argue that these features are all instrumental for expressing modernity and progress (Maju). This is the real objective of the government. “The city of dreams”, as I renamed it, imagines a flawless and perfect city, symbol of the progress of the whole country; the truth is that it is only a symbol, and the country will not progress in smartness, greenness, sustainability and equality if not through real policies and measures that tackle the local problems. Besides these attributes, the government claimed that the new capital would bring to more regional equality and economic growth. In this regard, the Indonesian government has also tweeted about Brasilia and its similarities with the new Indonesian capital, praising the design and the outcome of the project; like Brasilia, the new capital is seen as a means to cope with ongoing economic imbalance among the different regions of Indonesia. Although regional equality is, of course, an issue that the government needs to tackle, the increase of GDP outside Java will not benefit the whole population unless there is a real will to tackle inequality not only geographically but also across income groups. Besides, it is essential to remember that the gap between the rich and the poor in Jakarta is substantial and moving the capital will not represent a solution to this problem. Furthermore, the comparison with Brasilia was fundamental to notice a crucial vii paradox in the project of Ibu Kota Baru: by promoting a modern and futuristic capital, Ibu Kota Baru implicitly indicates a refusal of existing conditions of Indonesia, just as like Brasilia did. To conclude, it is important to mention that this thesis is about ideology. In essence, it does not seek to analyse the hidden personal interests and oligarchic business strategies on the project of the capital, although this has been briefly pointed out. The ultimate aim is to dissect the official rhetoric and rationale that surround this project to find the political ideals and desirable features that the project reflects, and inconsistencies in the discourse.Show less
