Harmed but Armed: Trajectories of Agenda Setting in the Struggles for Local Disability Regulation in East Java, Indonesia

Abstract

ABSTRACT The empowerment dimension of global development has emerged as a catalyst in bridging the gap between disability issues and policy affairs. Within this context, agenda setting assumes a pivotal role as an essential practice in public policy, influencing the fabric of societal situations and shaping a wide array of public issues, agendas, and discourses. Drawing upon an instrumental case study approach, our research employs 23 semi-structured interviews to delve into the complexities of actors’ agenda setting processes. More specifically, we examine the challenges faced by individuals in leadership and managerial positions within the disability-affiliated realm, as they strive to advance their agendas for the formulation of local disability regulations in East Java, Indonesia. As our exploration unfolds, we uncover four stumbling trajectories of these actors during their agenda-setting process, where these challenges reflect the ‘human’ power to progress from struggles to success. These findings not only deepen our understanding of agenda setting in the Indonesian context but also provide valuable insights for the development of context-specific typologies and attributes related to agenda setting in this distinctive setting.