Nationalism and transnational citizenship at the Indonesia–Malaysia border: an ethnographic study of Dayak Bidayuh and Malay communities

This dissertation investigates the dynamics of national identity and citizenship among Dayak and Malay communities on the Indonesia–Malaysia border in West Kalimantan through a transnational ethnographic lens. Findings show that cross-border kinship, attachment to ancestral lands, and circular migration are key to shaping complex transnational identities. For the Dayak Bidayuh, strong bonds with tembawang (ancestral land) generate a spatially and culturally rooted nationalism, while Malay groups prioritize extensive kinship ties across the border. These patterns reveal that border nationalism is not fixed but emerges from the interplay of primordial identity, state politics, and transnational realities. A major contribution of this study is integrating citizenship anthropology with Civic Education perspectives, addressing dimensions often overlooked by political or policy analyses. Based on five years of multi-sited fieldwork, it maps how communities interpret national and transnational belonging and sustain cohesion amid the economic and cultural pull at state borders. The research advances the concept of Inclusive Transnational Citizenship, accommodating indigenous rights while reinforcing nationalism in a globalized era. Its findings offer recommendations for inclusive border governance, culturally responsive civic education, and strategies that strengthen social cohesion and development in borderlands.