In this lively book, Benedict R. O'G. Anderson explores the cultural and
political contradictions that have arisen from two critical facts in
Indonesian history: that while the Indonesian nation is young, the
Indonesian nation is ancient originating in the early
seventeenth-century Dutch conquests; and that contemporary politics are
conducted in a new language. Bahasa Indonesia, by peoples (especially
the Javanese) whose cultures are rooted in medieval times. Analyzing a
spectrum of examples from classical poetry to public monuments and
cartoons, Anderson deepens our understanding of the interaction between
modern and traditional notions of power, the mediation of power by
language, and the development of national consciousness. "Language and
Power" brings together eight of Anderson's most influential essays over
the past two decades and is essential reading for anyone studying the
Indonesian country, people or language.
Benedict Anderson is one of the world's leading authorities on
Southeast Asian nationalism and particularly on Indonesia. He is
Professor of International Studies and Director of the Modern Indonesia
Project at Cornell University, New York. His other works include
"Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of
Nationalism" and "The Spectre of Comparisons: Nationalism, Southeast
Asia, and the World."
