Tobacco is a very promising plantation commodity. In the form of cigarette excise, tobacco contributes more than 100 trillion rupiah in national income. However, the welfare of tobacco farmers as producers of cigarette raw materials is not proportional to their contribution. Despite this, farmers continue to farm tobacco despite the availability of other alternative agricultural commodities. In Temanggung Regency, which is nicknamed the Tobacco City, the situation is not much different. Local farmers have the opposite perception of tobacco. Among the local community, myths circulate that tobacco can bring high welfare to farmers, so it is called “green gold”, the plant of the “saints”, and various ritual practices such as ngalap berkah (seeking blessings) in the process of planting and processing tobacco.

Starting from this social phenomenon, the UGM Student Creativity Programme (PKM) team in the field of Social Humanities Research consisting of Abdila (History 2020), Wahyu Lestariningsih (Cultural Anthropology 2020), Devina Savana Putri (Economics 2021), and Ana Fitro Tunnisa (Social Development and Welfare (2022) accompanied by Dr Hempri Suyatna, S.Sos., M.Si conducted research with the title “Between Poverty and Ngalap Berkah Myth: Contradictions in Perceptions of Welfare of Temanggung Tobacco Farmers.” To obtain data, the team conducted in-depth observations and interviews in Tlogomulyo Sub-district, Temanggung Regency, Central Java in two months, July and September 2023. The team also conducted historical data research, and social welfare data research at BPS and the Temanggung District Social Service, and completed a secondary literature review.

By combining ethnographic and historical approaches, it was found that the middlemen’s entrapment and the involvement of the Chinese in the region are a vital part of the formation of tobacco myths, such as those about Ki Ageng Makukuhan and Saudagar Dampu Awang who are well well-known (and even sacred) among local farmers. The team also found that farmers form an inverse perception of the reality of the tobacco economy. There are several unfavourable conditions in the tobacco economy including the unpredictable selling price of tobacco, the strong dependence on extreme weather to produce good tobacco and avoid crop failure, the cessation of fertiliser subsidies due to tobacco policy, and unhealthy capital with middlemen at 50% interest rate known as nglimolasi system (borrow 10 pay 15). However, farmers continue to grow tobacco hoping for abundant sustenance at the beginning of each planting year, pinning their hopes for life and the future of their children and grandchildren on tobacco, and showing an emotional-spiritual connection to tobacco that tobacco is more than just a commodity.

As a plant of the saints, tobacco is also a blessing so farmers’ steadfastness in all economic conditions and continuing to cultivate tobacco and treat tobacco with its own speciality is part of the spiritual-emotional attachment in an effort to seek blessings. In this behaviour, the team found three dimensions of the subjective well-being of Temanggung tobacco farmers, including the harmony dimension, the social relationship dimension, and the environmental dimension. The harmony dimension is obtained when, for example, farmers work together in traditional ceremonies. The social relationship dimension is fulfilled by the feeling of happiness when they can help each other during picking season, as well as the attitude of solidarity among fellow farmers to fight for common welfare in the tobacco trade during harvest season.

The subjective welfare of the environmental dimension, for example, is the belief that welfare comes from the environment, namely in the form of fertile land, as well as the belief that natural elements are considered as living entities that are more than humans, thus forming the culture of selamatan ceremonies for the earth. Although material/economic welfare has various obstacles, Temanggung tobacco farmers have another source of welfare, namely subjective welfare that creates happiness for tobacco farmers and resistance to various challenges.

Writer: Abdila (History 2020) and Devina (Economics 2021)

The Faculty of Cultural Sciences received a visit from the French Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste, YM Fabien Penone, on Thursday, 5 October 2023. Also present were Jules Irrmann as Director of Institut Français Indonesia (COCAC) and François Dabin (Director of IFI-LIP Yogyakarta). The guests were welcomed by the Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs Dr Nur Saktiningrum and several lecturers of the French Language and Literature Study Programme; Dr Hayatul Cholsy, Dr Aprillia Firmonasari, Dr Arifah Arum Candra H., and Ari Bagus Panuntun, S.S., M.A..

In a groundbreaking collaborative effort, Yogyakarta’s Gadjah Mada University (UGM) has joined hands with 12 prominent Asian universities to spearhead the establishment of the Asian Journal Network (AJN). Vice-Rector for Education and Teaching, Prof. Dr. Wening Udasmoro, S.S., M.Hum, D.A., said that this is a precaution and safeguard for social humanities educators from the clutches of so-called ‘predatory’ journals.

The primary objective of forming the Asian Journal Network is to ensure that social humanities journals uphold the highest standards of quality, free from the undue influence of financial interests. As Prof. Wening aptly puts it, this initiative aims to liberate these academic platforms from the constraints of profit-driven operations. Speaking on the matter, Prof. Wening emphasized, 

“So that various social humanities journals rely on quality and are not trapped in the way journals work with a financial orientation,” Prof. Wening said during a statement made on Thursday, October 5.

Furthermore, the creation of the Asian Journal Network serves a broader purpose of revitalizing the fundamental role of academic journals as fertile grounds for rigorous scholarly discourse and knowledge production. Prof. Wening noted that the Faculty of Cultural Sciences recently played host to this significant development, emphasizing the network’s commitment to nurturing academic exchange.

Among the distinguished nations participating in this monumental endeavour are the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, and Japan. UGM’s initiative extends its collaborative efforts to include established journals of international repute, such as Kritika Kultura, Concentric, Kritike, Forum for World Literature, Winchen Review, Foreign Literature Studies, Wacana, and CSEAS (Kyoto).

Prof. Wening underscores that the establishment of AJN aligns with a broader vision of enhancing the quality of education—a goal in harmony with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By elevating the standard of education, this initiative aspires to bolster Indonesia’s human development index, ultimately enhancing the nation’s competitiveness in supporting the 2030 SDGs agenda. AJN represents a pivotal step toward realizing these vital educational and developmental objectives

Monday (2/10/2023) The Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada recently hosted a discussion on Critical Island Studies with 12 universities from across Asia such as Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, China and Japan. Scholars, researchers, and experts in the field of cultural studies gathered to discuss the cultural, social, economic, and environmental challenges that island communities face. They explored interdisciplinary research and collaboration as a means to address these challenges. The participants discussed several topics: sustainable development, cultural preservation, climate change, and social justice. 

UGM Vice-Rector for Education and Teaching, Wening Udasmoro, said the event aimed to strengthen perspectives on equality and natural issues. “It is in line with SDGs goals 5 (gender equality), 10 (sustainable cities and settlements), 13 (climate change management), 14 (marine ecosystems), and 15 (terrestrial ecosystems),” said Wening in her statement on Wednesday (4/10/2023).

Wening also mentioned that Critical Island Studies is a relatively new field in Indonesia, and the participants’ spirit and engagement were quite remarkable. The event provided an excellent opportunity for participants to learn and exchange ideas on how to address some of the most pressing issues facing our planet. The discussions centred around critical island studies, a field that examines the relationship between islands and the environment, including the challenges and opportunities that come with it

“More than 100 presenters sent their abstracts with studies from various perspectives. More than half of the CIS presenters came from abroad, namely from the Philippines, Japan, Australia, South Korea, China, the Netherlands, and Taiwan,” she said.

Keynote speakers of the conference are an archaeologist from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM Daud Aris Tanudirdjo, and a professor from Ateneo de Manila University Oscar Campomanes. The two-day event at UGM and Sanata Dharma also included the signing of a cooperation agreement to strengthen the Critical Island Studies consortium and the Asian Journal Network meeting.

Throughout history, the Arab world has been a subject of fascination due to its unique blend of contrasting elements. The Arab identity has always been marked by a struggle between unity and fragmentation, tradition and modernity, and religious and secular values. The Arabs are often seen as the East that is trying to catch up with the West, which is considered the epitome of progress and prosperity, especially in the fields of culture and literature.

Recently, Professor Dr. Fadlil Munawwar Manshur was inaugurated as Professor of Arabic Culture at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada. In his inaugural speech, he discussed the Arab nation and its cultural and literary heritage, which has gone through many transformations over time. He talked about the connection between Arabic and Western cultures from the perspective of symbolic interactionism.

During his speech, he presented five conclusions regarding the contiguity of Arab culture with Western culture. First, the Arab intellectuals reached their peak of glory due to the brain drain movement, which saw many Arab scientists and writers studying and perfecting Western scientific theories. Secondly, the symbol of bees and honey represents the power of cultural and scientific energy in the revival of Arab culture.

Thirdly, Christian scholars played a vital role in preserving the ancient Greek heritage, which included extensive transmission from Greek to Syriac literature and transmission from Syriac to Arabic literature. In social intercourse between Arab-Islam and Christianity, there was a great harmony and warmth. Fourth, the symbols of the sword and pen represent Arab heroism and intellectualism, where the sword symbolizes strength and power, and the pen symbolizes kindness, peace, and love of knowledge.

Finally, Fadlil discussed how modern Arab society is depicted in four novels that symbolize the power of ideology, immigration, superiorism, and agilism in Arab culture. He explained that cultural contiguity with other cultures needs to be strengthened by the concepts of structure, function, communication, and relations. In terms of praxis, he emphasized that cultural contiguity theory should provide a blueprint for concrete, applicable, and specific methods to integrate human work into its socio-cultural context.

In conclusion, Fadlil’s speech highlighted the need to strengthen the relationship between Arab and Western cultures, which can help us better understand the complex and diverse Arab world.