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

Vienna, Austria—On June 29, 2024, the University of Vienna, Universitas Gadjah Mada, and the Austria-Indonesia Fellowship Association held an international workshop titled “Insular Southeast Asia,” initiated by Dr. Gabriele Weichart with the support of ASEA UNINET. The workshop aimed to bring together scholars and students in the social sciences and related fields, focusing on the islands of Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei, and Timor-Leste). Participants were invited to share their latest research, research experiences, and explore new areas and opportunities for future projects in research, teaching, and other collaborative models.

Three lecturers from the Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, contributed to the workshop. Prof. Dr. Bambang Hudayana, M.A., and Gabriele Weichart (University of Vienna) presented a project titled “From cash crop to lifestyle: the long history of coffee in Indonesia,” Dr. Sita Hidayah, S.Ant., M.A. presented a brief project titled “Participatory Digital Ethnography Learning Center: teaching e-fieldwork, digital ethnography and collaborative research at UGM,” and Wahyu Kuncoro, S.Ant., M.A. presented a brief project titled “Nurturing the future: pesantren, piety, and ‘good citizen’.” In this workshop, Dr. Sita Hidayah, S.Ant., M.A. served as an organizer from Universitas Gadjah Mada along with Gabriele Weichart, Sanderien Verstappen, and Daniela Paredes Grijalva from the University of Vienna.

Author: Daiva Keefe Kalimasadha

On Saturday, June 8, 2024, from 9:10 AM to 1:00 PM, undergraduate anthropology students from various cohorts and students from other study programs who took cross-departmental courses in anthropology participated in a rendang cooking event at the Selasar Soegondo Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). This event was part of the Sumatra Ethnography course, which discusses Minangkabau culture, and aimed to instill respect and appreciation for cultural differences and ancestral heritage. The event was directly guided by the course supervisor, Agus Indiyanto, S.Sos., M.Si., who has ethnographic research experience in Minangkabau.

Rendang is a traditional Indonesian dish originating from Minangkabau, West Sumatra, known for its long cooking process to achieve rich flavors and tender meat texture. In this event, the rendang cooking process was done using a quicker method with two stoves: one for cooking the meat and the other for cooking the coconut milk, which would later be combined. The basic spices for cooking rendang were provided by the committee, but the students had to bring their own cooking utensils and were divided into seven groups, each consisting of 10-11 people.

The cooking activity began with a briefing from Agus Indiyanto about the ingredients and the method of cooking rendang. After the briefing, the students took the necessary ingredients and started the cooking process in their respective groups. Each group was free to innovate by adding their own additional spices, resulting in different rendang variations from each group. During the cooking process, the lecturer moved around to monitor and provide guidance to each group. Once finished, the rendang was presented to the lecturer for evaluation based on appearance and taste.

This quicker cooking process demanded a highly systematic method. Many groups failed because they did not stir the rendang continuously, even though one of the secrets to delicious rendang is the proper cutting technique and long cooking time. According to Agus Indiyanto, through this event, students became more understanding and appreciative of traditional food. Despite the significant effort required, this activity aimed to teach appreciation for cultural differences by experiencing firsthand how challenging it is to make traditional dishes.

Author: Afif Naufal Widiadi

SDGs 4: Quality Education | SDGs 5: Gender Equality

Yogyakarta, May 8, 2024 – The Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, in collaboration with the Department of Behavioral Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Michigan-Flint, USA, held a public lecture titled “Gender and Society in Indonesia.” The event took place on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Soegondo Building 709, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, and was attended by students from various study programs.

The public lecture featured three main speakers who are experts in gender issues. They were Sri Wiyanti Eddyono, S.H., LL.M., Ph.D. from the Faculty of Law UGM, Dr. Novi Kurnia, M.Si., M.A. from the Department of Communication UGM, and Dr. Suzie Handajani, M.A. from the Department of Anthropology UGM. These three speakers presented material that enriched the understanding of gender from various perspectives: legal, social, political, and cultural.

Sri Wiyanti Eddyono reviewed significant changes in laws and policies in Indonesia related to reproductive health and sexual rights over the past five years, including child marriage, sexual violence (including cyber sexual violence), abortion, sexual violence in higher education, and sexual violence in the workplace. She emphasized the need for evaluation at three levels: substantive law, legal structure, and legal culture. Dr. Novi Kurnia discussed gender politics in Indonesia, which creates ‘restricted spaces’ for women and queer individuals in public spaces, including in film, and underscored the importance of shared responsibility among educators, the government, the film community, audiences, and society to discuss these sensitive issues. Without the courage to challenge patriarchal-homophobic culture, inclusive diversity in Indonesia will only remain a dream. Meanwhile, Dr. Suzie Handajani provided an anthropological perspective on the dynamics of gender and sexuality in Indonesia, focusing on the concepts of motherhood and the hijab during the New Order era, explaining how history and culture influence views and practices related to gender in Indonesia.

Gender issues are highly relevant and important in Indonesia, especially in the context of current social and political developments. By presenting a multidisciplinary perspective, this public lecture aimed to provide comprehensive insights to students on the complexities of gender issues in Indonesia. Additionally, this event also aimed to encourage critical and constructive discussion, as well as increase awareness of the importance of gender justice in various aspects of life.

The public lecture “Gender and Society in Indonesia” not only enriched the knowledge of students but also formed part of UGM’s efforts to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly points 5 and 4. Point 5, which emphasizes gender equality and women’s empowerment, was reflected through discussions about policies and practices affecting the rights of women and gender minorities. Point 4, which guarantees inclusive and quality education, was realized through the provision of an educational platform involving academic and international perspectives. Through this activity, UGM is committed to shaping a generation sensitive to gender justice and actively contributing to creating a more equal world.

Author: Afif Naufal Widiadi