In this ISG, Colm Fox will present a novel approach to studying the campaign appeals made by thousands of electoral candidates.
Event details
Time: 8:30-10:00am WIB // 12:30-2:00pm AEDT
Join in-person: McDonald Room, Menzies Library, ANU
Join online: bit.ly/ISG_indonesiaproject
Abstract
Societal divisions and even violence can occur when electoral candidates appeal to race, religion, or tribe — dynamics long visible in Indonesia's elections. Why do candidates make these ethnic appeals? More specifically, why do some candidates appeal to their own ethnic group while others reach out to other ethnic groups or abandon ethnic appeals altogether? Drawing on his new book, Bonding, Bridging, and Bypassing: Understanding Ethnic Politics in Diverse Societies (Oxford University Press, 2024), Colm Fox will present a novel approach to studying the campaign appeals made by thousands of candidates. During intensive fieldwork he collected and systematically analyzed photographs of over 25,000 election posters from election campaigns across Indonesia, along with newspaper reports and interview data. Using content analysis, each poster was coded for the presence of religious and indigenous symbols, imagery, dress, and language, allowing candidates' campaigns to be classified as "bonding" (appealing to their own ethnic or religious group), "bridging" (reaching out across groups), or "bypassing" (avoiding ethnic appeals altogether). Statistical analysis of this coded data, alongside the newspaper and interview material, reveals how electoral rules, political party ideology, ethnic demographics, and social norms shape these strategies. Its findings yield not only insights as to which ethnic identities are likely to become politicized, but also prescriptions on how to curb divisive ethnic politics.
Closed captioning will be available for all online Zoom presentations. If you are attending in person and require accessibility accommodations or a visitor Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP), please contact the ANU Indonesia Project at Indonesia.Project@anu.edu.au
Event Speakers
Colm Fox
Colm Fox is an Associate Professor of Political Science in the School of Social Science at Singapore Management University. He studies elections, ethnic politics, media, social movements and protest in Southeast Asia. His work has been published in multiple international peer-reviewed journals.