New Project | Social Identities in Contemporary Indonesia

This project takes one of the most challenging tasks in contemporary scholarship on Asia, namely how to articulate and analyze the dynamics of rapidly transforming societies in the region in the twenty-first century. It explores the formation and contestation of social identities, new subjectivities and cultural imaginations, as well as to build new approaches to the study of Asia. Focussing on Indonesia, the project examines intersecting and competing identities along gender, ethnicity, class and national/regional/cosmopolitan lines.

Six doctoral candidates will be the linchpin of the entire project. All share a common interest in studying social identities in Indonesia. All value an approach that combines grounded empirical observation, and theoretical perspectives from anthropology, media and cultural studies. Commonly designated as "Early Career Researchers" (ECRs) in Australia, these doctoral candidates will work in three pairs. Two project leaders will serve as their supervisors.

The German Team consists of Paritosha Kobbe, Mirjam Lücking, and Evamaria Sandkühler, supervised by Professor Judith Schlehe

The Australian Team consists of Meghan Downes, Evi Eliyanah, and Maria Myutel, supervised by Professor Ariel Heryanto

The project is planning a workshop in late 2015, which remains to be confirmed by early 2015.

For more information, please visit the Project Website.