Collective Identity and Protest Tactics in Yogyakarta Under The Post-Suharto Regime

Abstract

In response to an uncertain political situation, since 1998, Yoyakartans have engaged in resistance through groups called indigenous organizations. Such groups reproduce existing cultural resources as part of a broader movement to oppose democratization reforms that have been raised by the central government. Based on interviews, fieldwork and newspaper reports, this study finds that: (1) collective identity can be understood in different ways from political and cultural perspectives, and indigenous groups are part of the “deep cultural resources” that establish collective identity; (2) such organizations use cultural resources in ways that conform to social movement theory; and (3) the existence of indigenous groups contributes to shaping and reshaping the activities of the movements in which they participate.