New Media and Social Engagement The Promotion of Civic Pluralism in Contemporary Indonesia

This thesis examines the promotion of civic pluralism through social engagement and new media through an Indonesian case. Civic pluralism in this study refers to religious tolerance and equal rights regardless of citizens’ religions. Since Indonesia’s turn to democracy in 1998, religious sectarianism and intolerance towards non-Muslims have been rising that coincided with the growing right-wing sentiment across the globe. While burgeoning studies have focused on Muslim intellectuals, this thesis presents a novel analysis on the role of the broader community in countering sectarianism. Furthermore, this thesis provides insight to the studies of Islam and civic pluralism beyond the analysis on Islamic interpretation or formal politics. The data in this thesis are mainly drawn from cases of online movements on social media, such as Instagram, and the largest crowdfunding platform in the country, Kitabisa. While crowdfunding generally tends to be associated with online fundraising for business capital, in the Indonesian case, crowdfunding is mostly used for social programs, such as health and education services, and for disaster relief. This study conducts participatory observation and interviews with actors involved in crowdfunding, including campaign initiators, participants and donors. It also employs digital anthropology to analyse online activities on social media. This thesis argues that new media have enabled broader participation of actors to connect and shape public discourses on civic pluralism amidst the declining influence of Muslim intellectuals. The influence of the former is bolstered by their ability to attract mass support through social engagement, which is explained by two key factors. First, the promotion of civic pluralism through social engagement is accepted by Indonesians, who view civic pluralism as the practices of gotong-royong (mutual aid) or rukun (harmonious co-existence). These practices have been rooted in Indonesian cultural norms and national ideology. Second, Indonesians have been ...