Daniel Lev
Encyclopedia
Daniel Saul Lev was an American political scientist
and scholar on Indonesia
.
Lev was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio
. In his youth, he participated in the Golden Gloves
competitions for amateur boxing
. He graduated from Miami University
in 1955 and received his doctorate from Cornell University
, where he became a member of the Modern Indonesia Project. Lev first traveled to Indonesia in 1959 and stayed in the country for three years. Because of his experience in Indonesia, Lev became a proponent of law reform
after observing the "systematic dismantling" of its legal system under Presidents Sukarno
and Suharto.
After returning to the United States, he became a professor at the University of California, Berkeley
. Lev's opposition to the Vietnam War
was not well received by the university and likely prevented him from receiving tenure
. Soon after, he moved to Seattle to teach at the University of Washington
before finally retiring in 1999. As a scholar of Indonesian law, Lev helped the country's lawyers and activists continue their education in the United States. His dissertation titled The Transition to Guided Democracy: Indonesian Politics 1957–1959 analyzed Sukarno's Guided Democracy principles became a classic reading on the development of the country's political system. He was also a member of Human Rights Watch
and served on the advisory committee of its Asia division.
Lev was a heavy smoker and died from lung cancer
on July 29, 2006. He had been writing a biography on Chinese Indonesian
lawyer and human rights advocate Yap Thiam Hien
at the time of his death. Over 900 pages of the book had been written, and two chapters remained unwritten. Fellow scholar and friend Benedict Anderson
continued his work and published the book No Concessions: The Life of Yap Thiam Hien, Indonesian Human Rights Lawyer in 2011.
He was married to Arlene O. Lev and had two children, son Louis and daughter Claire.
The Transition to Guided Democracy: Indonesian Politics, 1957-1959 (2009)
Yap Thiam Hien and Aceh (2006)
Politik minoritas: minoritas dalam politik (2000)
Legal evolution and political authority in Indonesia: selected essays (2000)
Making Indonesia (1996)
Making Indonesia (disunting bersama Ruth McVey), (1996)
Pengantar dalam "Memoar Oei Tjoe Tat, pembantu presiden Soekarno" oleh Oei Tjoe Tat (1995)
Lawyers as outsiders: advocacy versus the state in Indonesia (1992)
Hukum dan Politik di Indonesia, Kesinambungan dan Perubahan (1990)
Legal Aid in Indonesia (1987)
Pengantar dalam "Bantuan hukum dan kemiskinan struktural" oleh T. Mulya Lubis (1986)
Bush lawyers in Indonesia: stratification, representation and brokerage (1973)
Islamic courts in Indonesia: a study in the political bases of legal institutions (1972)
American aid and political development (1967)
The transition to guided democracy: Indonesian politics, 1957-1959 (1966)
Republic of Indonesia cabinets, 1945-1965 (1965)
Some descriptive notes on foreign assistance in Indonesian technical education (1961)
A bibliography of Indonesian government documents and selected Indonesian writings on government in the Cornell University Library (1958)
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and scholar on Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
Lev was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
. In his youth, he participated in the Golden Gloves
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
competitions for amateur boxing
Amateur boxing
Amateur boxing is practised at the collegiate level, at the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games, and in many other venues sponsored by amateur boxing associations. Amateur boxing bouts are short in duration and fighters wear head protection, so this type of competition prizes point-scoring rather...
. He graduated from Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
in 1955 and received his doctorate from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, where he became a member of the Modern Indonesia Project. Lev first traveled to Indonesia in 1959 and stayed in the country for three years. Because of his experience in Indonesia, Lev became a proponent of law reform
Law reform
Law reform or Legal reform is the process of examining existing laws, and advocating and implementing changes in a legal system, usually with the aim of enhancing justice or efficiency....
after observing the "systematic dismantling" of its legal system under Presidents Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
and Suharto.
After returning to the United States, he became a professor at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. Lev's opposition to the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
was not well received by the university and likely prevented him from receiving tenure
Tenure
Tenure commonly refers to life tenure in a job and specifically to a senior academic's contractual right not to have his or her position terminated without just cause.-19th century:...
. Soon after, he moved to Seattle to teach at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
before finally retiring in 1999. As a scholar of Indonesian law, Lev helped the country's lawyers and activists continue their education in the United States. His dissertation titled The Transition to Guided Democracy: Indonesian Politics 1957–1959 analyzed Sukarno's Guided Democracy principles became a classic reading on the development of the country's political system. He was also a member of Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
and served on the advisory committee of its Asia division.
Lev was a heavy smoker and died from lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
on July 29, 2006. He had been writing a biography on Chinese Indonesian
Chinese Indonesian
Chinese Indonesians, also called the Indonesian Chinese, are an overseas Chinese group whose ancestors emigrated from China to Indonesia, formerly a colony of the Netherlands known as the Dutch East Indies...
lawyer and human rights advocate Yap Thiam Hien
Yap Thiam Hien
Yap Thiam Hien was an Indonesian human rights lawyer.His father was Yap Sin Eng and his mother was Hwan Tjing Nio. He was one of the most notable people from Chinese heritage in Indonesia...
at the time of his death. Over 900 pages of the book had been written, and two chapters remained unwritten. Fellow scholar and friend Benedict Anderson
Benedict Anderson
Benedict Richard O'Gorman Anderson is Aaron L. Binenkorb Professor Emeritus of International Studies, Government & Asian Studies at Cornell University, and is best known for his celebrated book Imagined Communities, first published in 1983...
continued his work and published the book No Concessions: The Life of Yap Thiam Hien, Indonesian Human Rights Lawyer in 2011.
He was married to Arlene O. Lev and had two children, son Louis and daughter Claire.
Selected Publications
No Concessions: The Life of Yap Thiam Hien, Indonesian Human Rights Lawyer (2011)The Transition to Guided Democracy: Indonesian Politics, 1957-1959 (2009)
Yap Thiam Hien and Aceh (2006)
Politik minoritas: minoritas dalam politik (2000)
Legal evolution and political authority in Indonesia: selected essays (2000)
Making Indonesia (1996)
Making Indonesia (disunting bersama Ruth McVey), (1996)
Pengantar dalam "Memoar Oei Tjoe Tat, pembantu presiden Soekarno" oleh Oei Tjoe Tat (1995)
Lawyers as outsiders: advocacy versus the state in Indonesia (1992)
Hukum dan Politik di Indonesia, Kesinambungan dan Perubahan (1990)
Legal Aid in Indonesia (1987)
Pengantar dalam "Bantuan hukum dan kemiskinan struktural" oleh T. Mulya Lubis (1986)
Bush lawyers in Indonesia: stratification, representation and brokerage (1973)
Islamic courts in Indonesia: a study in the political bases of legal institutions (1972)
American aid and political development (1967)
The transition to guided democracy: Indonesian politics, 1957-1959 (1966)
Republic of Indonesia cabinets, 1945-1965 (1965)
Some descriptive notes on foreign assistance in Indonesian technical education (1961)
A bibliography of Indonesian government documents and selected Indonesian writings on government in the Cornell University Library (1958)
External links
- Guiding Transitions: Daniel Lev's Influence on Southeast Asian Studies, a session of the 2000 Association for Asian StudiesAssociation for Asian StudiesThe Association for Asian Studies is a U.S. society focused on facilitating contact and information exchange among scholars of Asian fields. It is the self-proclaimed largest society of its kind. The Association consists of eminent Asianists, and is a non-profit organization...
Annual Meeting - Daniel S. Lev Law Library