Homeboys: uses of home by gay Australian men

In this article, I explore connections between space, the body and the nation by analyzing state-introduced leisure activities in a village in Indonesia. While leisure activities are voluntary and are more enjoyable than more formal nation-building activities, I investigate how they are politicized and intimately tied to the state's nation-building agenda. Focusing on national programs of volleyball, takro (an indigenous game played with a rattan ball), and Gerak Jalan (marching competitions), I examine how the state's national ideology has been translated into recreational programs that attempt to ‘improve’ the bodies of citizens and to inculcate national ideology in the citizenry. Through the creation of various recreational landscapes and programs, citizens are encouraged to spend their free time in particular pursuits that serve national goals. Finally, I discuss how the leisure activities introduced by the state are, despite hegemonic intentions, unevenly practiced and examine how citizens resist, ignore and renegotiate the intended meaning of the activities.