Other Indonesians

Other Indonesians describes the unique language dynamic which has enabled the development of modern, democratic Indonesia. J. Joseph Errington locates Indonesian not only within the institutions which give the language distinctive value in the nation, but also in the biographies of its young, educated speakers. This linguistic framing of "macro" and "micro" dynamics of modernization makes Indonesia a source of insight into broader dynamics of postcolonial nationalism in a globalizing world. Beyond the specific case of Indonesian, Errington's analyses will have implications for anyone studying language variation and the relationship between language and nation.