Department of Political and Social Change · ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
This course examines the politics and political economy of Indonesia, the world's third largest democracy and emerging Asian power. It introduces students to critical historical events and figures of the post-independence period (1945-), then moves on to examine specific topics in the development of contemporary Indonesia—including authoritarianism and democracy, the role of the military in politics, Islamic movements, the environment and natural resource politics, corruption and clientelism, and identity politics. Students will learn different scholarly interpretations and debates about these topics, and will develop the skills to critically analyse and explain contemporary political developments in this important Asian nation. In this ‘L’ version of ASIA2516, students will engage with readings and complete written assessment in Indonesian language. This course may be counted toward the Indonesian Language major. Enrolment is conditional on students' skills in the Indonesian language and the availability of a marker for Indonesian language assessment. Students are typically expected to have completed Level 6 courses in Indonesian or have equivalent language skills. Please contact the course convenor if you are interested in enrolling in this course.
Tutorial Participation
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
Short Essay (800 words)
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
Main Research Essay (2000 words)
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
Take-home Exam
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
The total workload is 130 hours for a 6-unit course, including time spent in scheduled classes and independent study.
Robert Cribb and Colin Brown. Modern Indonesia: A History since 1945. Longman, Harlow, 1996 Ken Setiawan and Dirk Tomas. Politics in Contemporary Indonesia: Institutional Change, Policy Challenges and Democratic Decline. Routledge, 2022.