The Eastasouth Journal of Social Science and Humanities
Vol. 3 No. 01 (2025): The Eastasouth Journal of Social Science and Humanities (ESSSH)

Articulating Power: Strategic Narratives and Indonesia’s Imagined Role in a Multipolar World

Endiartia, Jacob Junian (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 Oct 2025

Abstract

This article investigates how strategic narratives articulated by domestic political elites shape national role conceptions in emerging powers. Focusing on the case of Indonesian political figure Anis Matta, the study employs an integrated framework combining Role Theory and Strategic Narrative Theory. Through textual analysis of Matta’s speeches and writings between 2014 and 2024, the article reveals a coherent narrative that reimagines Indonesia as a “peacemaker of civilisation” amid global disruption. It finds that narrative framing, moral positioning, and ideological continuity enable ideational elites to project new international roles prior to formal policy adoption. The study contributes to Foreign Policy Analysis by highlighting the discursive agency of non-executive actors in the pre-policy phase, offering insights into how emerging powers construct their foreign policy identities in an evolving multipolar order.

Copyrights © 2025






Journal Info

Abbrev

esssh

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Social Sciences

Description

ESSSH - The Eastasouth Journal of Social Science and Humanities is a peer-reviewed journal and open access three times a year (February, June, October) published by Eastasouth Institute. ESSSH aims to publish articles in the field of Sociology and Social Sciences, Anthropology, Psychology, Political ...