The Revival of Tradition in Indonesian Politics: The Deployment of Adat from Colonialism to Indigenism / Edition 1

by Jamie Davidson, David Henley

Overview

The Indonesian term adat means 'custom' or 'tradition', and carries connotations of sedate order and harmony. Yet in recent years it has suddenly become associated with activism, protest and violence. This book investigates the revival of adat in Indonesian politics, identifying its origins, the historical factors that have conditioned it and the reasons behind its recent blossoming.

It considers whether the adat revival is a constructive contribution to Indonesia's new political pluralism or a divisive, dangerous and reactionary force, and examines the implications for the development of democracy, human rights, civility and political stability.

The Revival of Tradition in Indonesian Politics provides detailed coverage of the growing significance of adat in Indonesian politics. It is an important resource for anyone seeking to understand the contemporary Indonesian political landscape.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415542081
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	04/16/2012
Series:	Routledge Contemporary Southeast Asia Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Jamie S. Davidson is Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore. He has written on ethnic violence and politics in Indonesia, and now works on the politics of legal reform in the same country.

David Henley is a researcher at the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV) in Leiden. He has written on diverse aspects of the history and historical geography of Indonesia, and now works on the comparative economic histories of Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Table of Contents

1. Radical Conservatism: The Protean Politics of Adat 2. Colonial Dilemma: Van Vollenhoven and the Struggle between Adat Law and Western Law in Indonesia 3. Custom, That is Before All Law 4. Custom and Koperasi: The Cooperative Ideal in Indonesia 5. The Romance of Adat in the Indonesia Political Imagination 6. Land, Custom and the State in Post-Suharto Indonesia 7. Return of the Sultans: Local Community and the Rejection of Modernity after Suharto 8. Adat in Balinese Discourse: Locating Citizenship and the Common Weal 9. The Many Roles of Adat in West Sumatra 10. Culture and Rights in Ethnic Violence 11. Adat Revivalism in Western Flores 12. From Bumi Putera to Masyarakat Adat: A Long and Confusing Journey 13. From Customary Law to Indigenous Sovereignty: Reconceptualising Adat in Contemporary Indonesia 14. The Masyarakat Adat Movement in Indonesia: A Critical Insider’s View 15. Adat in Central Sulawesi: Contemporary Deployments