Focal Interest
Focal Interest
AI Summary of Peer-Reviewed Research

This page presents an AI-generated summary of a published research paper. The original authors did not write or review this article. [See full disclosure ↓]

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Negara kesatuan is framed as rooted in folk religious sensibility

A large group of people wearing traditional Indonesian batik clothing in vibrant patterns of pink, gold, brown, and black stand in a queue on the steps of a white colonial-style government building with columns and ornate architectural details.
Research area:Social SciencesSociology and Political ScienceCultural and Religious Practices in Indonesia

What the study found

The study argues that negara kesatuan, meaning "unitary state," is rooted in Indonesia’s folk religious sensibility, especially the idea of kawulo manunggaling gusti, described as a mystical oneness between God and humans.

Why the authors say this matters

The authors suggest this helps explain the significant symbolic and emotional resonance of negara kesatuan among many Indonesians. The study concludes that, because the concept is embedded in a primordial religious impulse, Indonesia is unlikely to abandon its attachment to negara kesatuan soon.

What the researchers tested

The article is a conceptual research article that examines the meaning of negara kesatuan. The author says there has been little scholarship clarifying or systematizing the concept and instead turns to Indonesia’s folk religious sensibility as the basis for theorizing it.

What worked and what didn't

The abstract says prevailing interpretations often dismiss negara kesatuan as a second-rate borrowing from German or Japanese theories of the fascist state. In the author’s account, the folk-religious explanation better accounts for its resonance, though no empirical test is described in the abstract.

What to keep in mind

The abstract does not describe empirical data, sample, or specific evidence beyond the conceptual argument. It also does not provide a detailed scholarly survey, so the limits of the claim are not described in the available summary.

Key points

  • Negara kesatuan is presented as a "unitary state" concept rooted in Indonesian folk religious sensibility.
  • The author uses kawulo manunggaling gusti, a mystical idea of oneness between God and humans, as the controlling idea.
  • The study suggests this helps explain the concept’s symbolic and emotional resonance among many Indonesians.
  • The abstract says earlier interpretations often dismissed the concept as borrowed from fascist-state theory.
  • No empirical data or test is described in the abstract.

Disclosure

Research title:
Negara kesatuan is framed as rooted in folk religious sensibility
Authors:
Pranoto Iskandar
Institutions:
Tarumanagara University, Universitas Pendidikan Putra Indonesia Cianjur, McGill University
Publication date:
2026-02-24
DOI:
10.1163/26669773-bja10083
OpenAlex record:
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AI provenance: This post was generated by OpenAI. The original authors did not write or review this post.

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