Reassessing the May 1998 Riots in Indonesia: Insights from Social Movement Theories

• In Event: 20861 - Section on Collective Behavior and Social Movements Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 12: Rethinking Social Movement Theories

Abstract

In May 1998, a series of riots that targeted Chinese Indonesians broke out in Indonesia. Many Chinese women were sexually assaulted and killed, and many Chinese Indonesians' properties were looted and destroyed by locals from several backgrounds. However, knowledge about the emergence and development of the riots is still limited. I decided to apply the four major social movement theories (collective behaviour, resource mobilization, political process or political opportunity, and collective identity) to the case, where the relationships between riots and social movements are blurred, in testing the applicability of the theories. Meanwhile, the major social movement theories are frameworks that offer directions for future research to understand the riots. My finding shows that political process theory provides the most comprehensive explanation of the riots’ emergence and development: it recognizes multiple social actors and movements compared to the other theories. Still, the theory can further incorporate irrational elements of collective behaviour and the significance of identity formation. Applying the theories also helps identify research gaps: the role of gangs and elite groups in shaping the collective identity of the rioters and their involvement in the riot dynamics.

Author

• Hongshu Wang, Western University