Converting identity into political capital in Indonesia’s decentralized democracy

Abstract

Identity politics has become an increasingly prominent feature of local electoral competition in post-Reformasi Indonesia. While previous studies have primarily examined religion, ethnicity, and regional identity as independent determinants of electoral behavior, limited attention has been given to how these identities are strategically converted into political resources. This study investigates the production, reproduction, and conversion of identity capital during the 2024 West Nusa Tenggara gubernatorial election using Pierre Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice. A qualitative case study approach was employed, drawing on in-depth interviews, field observations, and documentary analysis involving political actors, campaign teams, volunteers, religious and local elites, political observers, and voters. The findings indicate that identity politics operated through subtle rather than overt forms of mobilization. Religious, ethnic, and elite identities were strategically reproduced to construct political legitimacy and influence voter preferences. Electoral success depended not merely on the possession of identity but on candidates’ ability to convert identity capital into social, symbolic, and political capital within the electoral field. By conceptualizing identity as a convertible political resource, this study extends Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice and contributes to a more dynamic understanding of identity politics in decentralized democratic settings.