After a swift and bloody regime change in 1998, Indonesia established democratic institutions. Democratization over the first two decades of the 21st century fundamentally transformed Indonesia as a nation-state; and with a population of approximately 270 million as of 2020, Indonesia is the third largest democracy in the world. This book presents twelve original chapters to discuss the achievements and challenges of Indonesia's transformation since the fall of Suharto's authoritarian regime in 1998. The fundamental transformation from an authoritarian to a democratic system is analyzed by researchers, experts, and NGO officials from various academic disciplines and from Asia at large (Japan, Korea, and Indonesia). Specific topics include: how Reformasi changed the structure of the Indonesian state and affected the daily lives of its citizens; the extent to which the Indonesian economy has developed beyond economic indicators; why and what problems continue to exist despite institutional changes and the relative freedom of Indonesians. Part I, "Governance and Social Dynamics," includes four chapters describing changes in institutions and social conditions since democratization in 1998. Part 2, "Paths to Equality," presents four chapters that examine the economic context of development policies to address poverty, inequality, and productivity, which are critical for Indonesia to escape the middle-income country trap. Part III, "Structural Challenges," consists of four chapters that discuss corruption, human rights practices, and security and military reform. Each paper acknowledges the institutional development achieved by the Indonesian government since 1998, then addresses challenges that may impede democracy taking root in Indonesian society. The Indonesian experience of democratization is especially noteworthy in a context in which Islamic societies historically have struggled with democracy and as many neighboring Southeast Asian countries are becoming less democratic.

By offering perspectives from Indonesian female workers, this book discusses the contemporary progress of working-class feminism from the Global South. It presents a critical reading of the socio-political conditions that allow female workers to narrate their lives and work as precariat labor toiling under the forces of globalization. Its analysis centers on their writings which appear in the form of legal documents, personal accounts, essays, and short stories. Thus, the book shows how these women change their situation by challenging the political order and demanding gender justice with their fearless speech.

This edited volume introduces dynamic approaches to the study of Southeast Asia's environmental diversity from different disciplinary perspectives at the interface between the natural and social sciences. It brings together research on the region's environmental resource use and shared ecological challenges in the context of present day globalization to offer insights for possible future directions. The book introduces unique approaches to the study of Southeast Asia's environmental changes and resource management under the influence of intensifying economic change in the region. It also examines the slow erosion of Southeast Asia's rich environment and addresses serious issues such as the decrease in biodiversity and tropical forests, and the degradation of peat lands. At the same time, it discusses the social issues that are tied to energy-dependent growth and have intensified over the last two decades. It also analyzes the new roadmaps being created to protect, conserve, and manage the environment. By investigating the many ecological issues surrounding us, the volume brings to light the constant struggles we face while trying to develop a more inclusive and equitable approach to natural resources governance. This volume is relevant for students, academics and researchers who have an interest in the Southeast Asian environment and the way in which we use and interact with it.

This edited volume introduces dynamic approaches to the study of Southeast Asia's environmental diversity from different disciplinary perspectives at the interface between the natural and social sciences. It brings together research on the region's environmental resource use and shared ecological challenges in the context of present day globalization to offer insights for possible future directions. The book introduces unique approaches to the study of Southeast Asia's environmental changes and resource management under the influence of intensifying economic change in the region. It also examines the slow erosion of Southeast Asia's rich environment and addresses serious issues such as the decrease in biodiversity and tropical forests, and the degradation of peat lands. At the same time, it discusses the social issues that are tied to energy-dependent growth and have intensified over the last two decades. It also analyzes the new roadmaps being created to protect, conserve, and manage the environment. By investigating the many ecological issues surrounding us, the volume brings to light the constant struggles we face while trying to develop a more inclusive and equitable approach to natural resources governance. This volume is relevant for students, academics and researchers who have an interest in the Southeast Asian environment and the way in which we use and interact with it.

With contributions from leading scholars in their field, this collection of fourteen essays offers wide-ranging but incisive perspectives on East and Southeast Asian Studies. Apart from informing and enlightening the reader, the essays offer a tribute to Professor Takashi Shiraishi, the renowned Japanese scholar, for his many contributions across continents and disciplines as well as his personal qualities as a long-time colleague, teacher and friend. Now Professor Emeritus of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo, Shiraishi-sensei has had an outstanding career as a teacher, scholar, administrator and policy advisor, his many roles including Deputy Director of the Southeast Asia Program at Cornell University and president both of GRIPS and the Institute of Developing Economies, Japan. Often with Japan at their nexus, the essays speak to three enduring themes in the research interests that spanned Shiraishi's half-century career, namely, political movements in Southeast Asia; national and regional politics in China and Japan; and the links between ideology, networks and policies at critical junctures of state formation. An introduction by the editors reviews Shiraishi's contributions to many areas of scholarship (these are documented in the back matter, in a bibliography of his publications and writings in English and Japanese). Among authors of the fourteen essays that follow are Patricio Abinales, Chris Baker, Caroline Hau, Peter Katzenstein, Pasuk Phongpaichit and Thongchai Winichakul. In a concluding lengthy interview Shiraishi speaks for the first time, in a frank if light-hearted tone, of his diverse experiences in academia, as student, faculty and administrator, his thoughts on area studies and their connections with official policy-making, and his initiatives for building regional networks of research and intellectual exchange. A festschrift in English being a rarity for a Japanese scholar, this collection offers valuable if indirect insights into the links and influences that have animated a burgeoning community of international academic exchange and expert cooperation. This has been facilitated by Shiraishi's position, time and again (even if an accidental one, as he likes to say), as a transnational intersection point for colleagues, students and friends in their many various research pursuits. A rich and rewarding collection.

Life abroad for Indonesian women hired as domestic workers is more than the job. In their spare time, some will plan a better life back home when their work contract ends. Others will venture out to experience the cities (like Singapore, Hong Kong and Taipei) where they now work, even posing as locals and living life to the fullest. And some of these women can write. Recently, a new genre of Indonesian women's literature has developed, one in which - often in short stories - authors reimagine their experiences as domestic workers in foreign lands. Now, for the first time, a selection of these stories has been collected and translated into English. Collectively, these stories provide an honest description of the complex and multifaceted reasons for working abroad, the maids' living and working conditions, and their hopes and dreams for a better life. The stories are also a delightful read.

With contributions from leading scholars in their field, this collection of fourteen essays offers wide-ranging but incisive perspectives on East and Southeast Asian Studies. Apart from informing and enlightening the reader, the essays offer a tribute to Professor Takashi Shiraishi, the renowned Japanese scholar, for his many contributions across continents and disciplines as well as his personal qualities as a long-time colleague, teacher and friend. Now Professor Emeritus of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo, Shiraishi-sensei has had an outstanding career as a teacher, scholar, administrator and policy advisor, his many roles including Deputy Director of the Southeast Asia Program at Cornell University and president both of GRIPS and the Institute of Developing Economies, Japan. Often with Japan at their nexus, the essays speak to three enduring themes in the research interests that spanned Shiraishi's half-century career, namely, political movements in Southeast Asia; national and regional politics in China and Japan; and the links between ideology, networks and policies at critical junctures of state formation. An introduction by the editors reviews Shiraishi's contributions to many areas of scholarship (these are documented in the back matter, in a bibliography of his publications and writings in English and Japanese). Among authors of the fourteen essays that follow are Patricio Abinales, Chris Baker, Caroline Hau, Peter Katzenstein, Pasuk Phongpaichit and Thongchai Winichakul. In a concluding lengthy interview Shiraishi speaks for the first time, in a frank if light-hearted tone, of his diverse experiences in academia, as student, faculty and administrator, his thoughts on area studies and their connections with official policy-making, and his initiatives for building regional networks of research and intellectual exchange. A festschrift in English being a rarity for a Japanese scholar, this collection offers valuable if indirect insights into the links and influences that have animated a burgeoning community of international academic exchange and expert cooperation. This has been facilitated by Shiraishi's position, time and again (even if an accidental one, as he likes to say), as a transnational intersection point for colleagues, students and friends in their many various research pursuits. A rich and rewarding collection.

Life abroad for Indonesian women hired as domestic workers is more than the job. In their spare time, some will plan a better life back home when their work contract ends. Others will venture out to experience the cities (like Singapore, Hong Kong and Taipei) where they now work, even posing as locals and living life to the fullest. And some of these women can write. Recently, a new genre of Indonesian women's literature has developed, one in which - often in short stories - authors reimagine their experiences as domestic workers in foreign lands. Now, for the first time, a selection of these stories has been collected and translated into English. Collectively, these stories provide an honest description of the complex and multifaceted reasons for working abroad, the maids' living and working conditions, and their hopes and dreams for a better life. The stories are also a delightful read.