From Monday to Wednesday, July 15-17, 2024, the Department of Anthropology at FIB UGM, in collaboration with the University of Münster, Germany, held the Workshop ‘Existence is Care: Health, care, and support structures in postcolonial contexts of high cultural diversity.’ The selection of this workshop theme was based on the increasingly dynamic field of health studies, especially in the context of global caregiving. This workshop aimed to provide a forum to discuss its impact on everyday health services and broader health services in various forms and meanings. The global caregiving system, characterized by the standardization of therapy and taxonomy—which continues despite uneven resource distribution—raises the question: what are the implications of efforts to homogenize caregiving and kinship relationships in Indonesia?
The event was attended by academics and care practitioners from various fields of study such as Anthropology, Psychology, and Medicine. Over three days, participants attended public lectures by guest speakers from Germany and the United States and presented research designs related to caregiving issues from various regional contexts. Prof. Dr. Pujo Semedi Hargo Yuwono, M.A., opened the event and served as the keynote speaker on the first day, followed by commentary from Prof. Dr. Thomas Stodulka from the University of Münster. To conclude the first day’s discussion and provide deeper context on the issue, the film ‘The Sacrifice’ by Prof. Robert Lemelson was screened.
On the second day, Prof. Byron Good from Harvard University presented his research from the book ‘Haunted by Aceh: Toward an Anthropological Hauntology (Hantuologi)’ followed by presentations from several participants, including:
- “Caring through the unknown. The uncertainty of navigating complex cultural contexts of severe mental pain” by Florin Cristea
- “‘Ngemong’: Caring for Person with Schizophrenia in Java” by Yohanes K. Herdiyanto, Subandi, Wenty M. Minza
- “Pasung: The practice of caring? Family’s challenges of giving care to persons with serious and persistent mental illness” by Tri Hayuning Tyas
- “In the Name of Virtue: Religion in the Care Work of Community Health Worker” by Chusna Cahya Marhaeni
- “Sacred Service: Unveiling the Drive and Hurdles of Volunteer Nurses in Indonesia” by Irmayani Said
- “The Hypnotist’s Dilemma: Mystical Recuperation and Counterproductive Care in Postcolonial Indonesia” by Nick Long
- “Care (and) Work in the Female Sphere” by Mona Elisa Behnke
- “Making it Inclusive: Caring for Refugee Patients in Indonesian Puskesmas” by Elan Lazuardi & Realisa Masardi
- “Early Child Care in Indonesian Dual Breadwinner Family” by Nuzul Solekhah
- “Where Do We Go from the Doorstep? Demystifying Family and Imagining the Collective through Queer Care” by Pychita Julinanda
- “Collective care initiative as a means to share the potentiality for a space of hope” by Khairunnisa
On the final day, the event concluded with a discussion by Prof. Mary-Jo Delvecchio-Good from Harvard University, Retna Siwi Padmawati from Medicine, FKKMK UGM, and Lintang Sagoro from Harvard Medical School, discussing ‘Care at the End of Life in Indonesia’ and a Closing Discussion by Ciptaning Larastiti & Khairunnisa moderated by Dr. Elan Lazuardi on the topic ‘Imagine! Once we stopped caring? Care as Methodology.’ The entire workshop series then concluded with a dinner at Yabbiekayu Resto, Bantul.
Photo credit: Puspita Anindya/Novilatul/Daiva Keefe
Author: Asmi Ramiyanti
Editor: Okky Chandra Baskoro
