Indonesia in the Malay World: Culture, Media and Everyday Life

In this course, students critically evaluate and analyse central issues in contemporary Indonesia and its role in the ‘Malay World’ - the Malay-speaking parts of Southeast Asia such as Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. The unifying focus of the course is on the 'everyday life' of people in the region, with specific references to culture, media, anthropology, and the environment. Students will further explore the dynamics of social relations in specific cultural and historical contexts of the Indonesian and Malay archipelago, and current issues in the light of recent technological and societal change. Topics covered include popular culture, gender and religious identity, urbanisation, digitalisation, migration, climate change, decentralisation, cosmopolitanism, historical memories and much more. Students learn not only about the facts and figures of nation-states in the region today, but also 'how' their modern identity is being debated and constructed, and how it has changed over time. Throughout the course, students will have opportunities to formulate their own views and arguments. In this way, they will expand their understanding of contemporary social and cultural life in Indonesia and the Malay world.