The (im)mobility of merantau as a sociocultural practice in Indonesia

In this chapter, it becomes clear that the factors determining a 'culture of mobility' are highly complex and variable (cf. Salazar 2010b). It takes a number of forms, both over time and in different places, including internal, regional and transnational movements. It cuts across gender, class and skill boundaries, and exists in widely different demographic contexts. I argue that translocal movements among people with limited mobility resources are highly mediated, not only by regulations and brokers but also by 'modern' technologies. This assemblage of elements has changed the relation between people and places, nearby and further (and further) away, and the 'relative location' (Green 2013) of the 'homeland' and the envisioned return to it within the patterns of mobility in which people engage.