The Newsletter 99 Autumn 2024

News from Southeast Asia

Norshahril Saat

The Regional Social and Cultural Studies program at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute (Singapore) adopts a sociological and anthropological approach to studying Southeast Asia, including on local communities and those at the fringes, beyond the macro perspectives. Analyses of Indonesian politics, state, and society overlook local dynamics and tend to be Jakarta-centred. 

The three contributors of this collection are scholars working on Islamic trends in Indonesia, but they are also observers of changes and issues surrounding them. The pieces demonstrate how a province such as Surabaya, which in Indonesia is probably the second largest metropolis after Jakarta, is at a crossroads in managing political contestations, highlights the tension between local and national identity, and foregrounds issues of environmental management and crime. The articles posit that Surabaya has come a long way in grappling with these issues. While some, such as managing diversity, have made inroads, others, such as managing climate change and crime, require more work. The articles go beyond describing the problems, and provide solutions to improve existing conditions.

Dr Norshahril Saat is Coordinator of the Regional Social and Cultural Studies Program at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. E-mail: norshahril_saat@iseas.edu.sg