Warganegara, A. and Waley, P. (2024) Do Ethnic Politics Matter? Re-assessing the Role of Ethnicity in Local Elections in Indonesia. South East Asia Research, 32 (3). pp. 245-262. ISSN 0967-828X
Abstract
While recent scholarship has investigated the role of money politics in Indonesia, much less has been said about the part played by sentiments of identity. We argue here that ethnicity and religion remain crucial to an understanding of the processes of local politics and electioneering. We have coined the term ethnicity and religion based organization (ERBO) and used it as a basis for an examination of ethnicity and religion based identity politics in Lampung, the southernmost province of Sumatra. Ethnic identity dovetails largely with religious identity and is a dominant force in the local politics of Lampung, a province that, while multi-ethnic, has a population consisting overwhelmingly of migrants who relocated from the island of Java primarily as a result of the transmigration programme. ERBOs are the vehicle used by local leaders to channel ethnic sentiment and translate it into votes; they are often instrumental in selecting and campaigning for candidates, ensuring voter turnout and arranging rewards. Reflecting ethnic sensitivities, however, some ERBOs refrain from entering the political domain and direct their energies to social and cultural spheres. In presenting this evidence, we seek to qualify recent claims that ethnicity no longer plays an important part in Indonesian politics.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 SOAS University of London.This is an author produced version of an article published in South East Asia Research. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Ethnicity; local politics; elections; transmigration; Indonesia |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Geography (Leeds) > SOG: Cities & Social Justice (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 02 Oct 2024 10:08 |
Last Modified: | 06 Mar 2025 14:19 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Taylor and Francis |
Identification Number: | 10.1080/0967828X.2024.2406791 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:217825 |
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Filename: Do ethnic politics matter.pdf
