Thinking about political elites in Indonesia and beyond: Some normative and methodological reflections

The study of political elites is a long-standing but contested field of the social sciences and humanities. For centuries, historians understood the course of history largely as a series of actions of 'big men', making biographies the key genre of the discipline. The 20th century, however, saw a turn to the study of social structures and institutions that limit and predetermine the agency of political actors. Where does this leave scholars of society today? This lecture will reflect on the importance and the limitations of researching political elites in modern social studies. Using mostly examples of Indonesia, but also from elsewhere, it will highlight the challenges of understanding political leaders and their actions, and placing them in a broader context. The discussion will also raise normative questions about the reasons why leaders require special attention in research, and ponders how scholars can navigate ethical cliffs related to their own positionality. About the speaker Professor Marcus Mietzner is Head of the Department of Political Social Change at the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs in the College of Asia and the Pacific. He has researched Indonesian political elites for almost thirty years. His latest book is an account of former President Jokowo Widodo's decade in power ('Ruling Indonesia: Jokowi's Presidency in an Age of Democratic Crisis and Great Power Competition', University of Michigan Press, 2026.). Image - Professor Marcus Mietzner with President Subianto in 2023 when he was Minister of Defence; photo provided by the speaker.