The premise of Social Science and Power in Indonesia is that the role and development of social sciences in Indonesia over the past fifty years are inextricably related to the shifting requirements of power. What is researched and what is not, which frameworks achieve paradigmatic status while others are marginalized, and which kinds of social scientists become influential while others are ignored are all matters of power. These and other important themes and issues are critically explored by some of Indonesia's foremost social scientists in this seminal work.

Since its inception in 1945, the Republic of Indonesia has experienced a series
of profound social changes. The spread of schooling, the transformation of the
economy, and the consolidation of a unified state have transformed the lives of
Indonesian citizens. It is seldom recognized, however, that the most fundamental
changes have occurred in the family sphere. Marriages that used to be arranged by parents are now more likely to be determined by couples. Unions occur when the couples are much older. The adoption of birth control practices has reduced fertility from large families to a...