Analysis of linkages provides a special type of historical approach focusing attention on the ref... more Analysis of linkages provides a special type of historical approach focusing attention on the reformulation of policies from one administrative level to another. Here, this perspective is used in three case studies of Dutch colonial politics in Indonesia in the 1800s, with respect to: (1) development of towns; (2) military expansion; & (3) railroad construction. Analysis shows that the theoretical levels do not correspond with groups of interest & that the term "linkage" has a variety of meanings; moreover, historical data are lacking. It is concluded that the linkage perspective offers few advantages over traditional network analysis, although it is helpful in avoiding level reductionism & level determinism. 14 References. Adapted from the source document.
One of the most visible and enduring vestiges of colonialism is its buildings. In this article I ... more One of the most visible and enduring vestiges of colonialism is its buildings. In this article I address the question of how current approving references to the colonial buildings in Indonesia should be explained, looking at one particular city, Surabaya. The cheerful, innovative adoption of colonial themes defies an analysis in terms of ‘imperial debris’. I propose to borrow the term ‘bricolage’ from Claude Lévi-Strauss to describe this process in which people make new associations between selected colonial buildings and their own present lives. Bricolage is the selective conceptual appropriation of the colonial buildings for whatever objective the user finds convenient: objects to boost city marketing, a company advertisement, stops on a heritage tour, amusing backdrops for pictures and selfies, a counterpoint to a consumerist lifestyle in shopping malls. For colonial building enthusiasts, the love of colonial design and old urban quarters is more than a matter of the aesthetics of urban spaces, but also, indirectly, a critique of the transformation of modern cities by short-sighted real-estate developers and city administrators, who demolish irreplaceable buildings in acts of ‘architectural suicide’.
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