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

On Wednesday, 18 July 2024, english Department UGM received a  visit from Prof. Angus James Nicholls, Ph.D, professor of Comparative Literature and German Language of  Queen Mary University of London and Dr. Soe Tjen Marching, a lecturer in South East Asian studies in School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London. The purpose of Prof. Angus James Nicholls, Ph.D and Dr. Soe Tjen Marching’s visit was to discuss a possibility of partnership between the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, especially the English Literature Program and Department of Language and Literature, with Queen Mary University of London and SOAS University of London to fulfil IKU 6. The discussion was conducted at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, led by Dr. Nur Saktiningrum, M.Hum., Vice Dean of Academic and Student Affairs and a lecturer in the English Department UGM. 

The topic regarding the challenges of teaching literature in the era of technological development was discussed in the meeting. One of the challenges is how to anticipate the use of AI in literary studies. AI’s ability to automatically generate text can be an obstacle in the learning process if being abused by students. Another example of the challenges is how to teach literature to Gen Z, through digital media and social media. 

Apart from the discussion about challenges in teaching literature in the current era, there was also a discussion about the forms of collaboration that can be implemented between the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, especially the English Literature Program and Department of Language and Literature, with Queen Mary University of London and SOAS University of London. The potential collaborations can be done through some courses (such as World Literature and COmparative Literature) and a collaborative class in the form of team teaching. These collaborations have many possibilities to be developed in the future.

In order to celebrate the 57th anniversary, the Faculty of Philosophy, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) held a karawitan festival that lasted for two days, on July 20–21, 2024. The festival was attended by 47 musical groups, both internal and external, at Universitas Gadjah Mada. One of the groups that performed at the event was Gamelan Sastra Nusantara (Gamasutra).

Gamelan Sastra Nusantara (Gamasutra) is a unit consisting of students of the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM. The group focuses on studying, deepening, and presenting the musical arts. On Sunday, July 21, 2024, precisely at 13.00 WIB, Gamasutra took the stage for their performance. The performers, consisting of various generations, presented Gending Ladrang Bogasampir, Ketawang Kasatriyan, and Lancaran Sebet in slendro pathet sanga.

Reporting from gloriabarus on the philosophy.ugm.ac.id page (2024, July 20), Dr. Rr. Siti Murtiningsih, S.S., M.Hum., dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, explained in her speech that the existence of the karawitan festival is a place to enjoy, preserve, and absorb the philosophical values of this traditional Javanese musical art. In this case, Gamasutra, as an extension of the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program, participates in this collaboration with the aim of preserving and reviving this noble art. Through the karawitan festival, it is hoped that the karawitan art can continue to be appreciated and developed, not only remaining beautiful and sustainable, but also relevant, alive, and useful in the lives of Indonesian people.

Author: Haryo Untoro

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gloriabarus. (2024, July 20). Faculty of Philosophy Holds Two-Day Karawitan Festival, Featuring 47 Karawitan Groups Throughout Yogyakarta. Filsafat.ugm.ac.id. https://filsafat.ugm.ac.id/2024/07/20/fakultas-filsafat-gelar-festival-karawitan-selama-dua-hari-menampilkan-47-kelompok-karawitan-se-diy/

IMAGE SOURCE

Philosophy UGM (2024, July 21). Karawitan Festival 57th Anniversary of Faculty of Philosophy UGM Day 2 Session 2. Youtube. [Retrieved 32:36, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQYastAouYg

The public lecture entitled “Exploring The Narratives of Indonesian Ex-migrations to Taiwan” was successfully held on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at the Margono Building on the 2nd floor of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada from 10:00 to 12:00 WIB. The event, which was open to the public, was attended by lecturers and students of the faculty who have an interest in the topic of international migration. A question and answer session was held directly during the presentation of the material, providing an opportunity for participants to interact with the speaker. The speaker in this public lecture was an international student who is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Lithuania. This public lecture discussed several important aspects related to Indonesian migration to Taiwan. The topics explained in accordance with the title are Migration Background, Migration History, Migrant Experience, Identity and Community, Success Stories and Difficulties, Role of Media and Narratives, Policy and Support, Social and Economic Interaction, and Comparison with Migration to Other Countries.

The moral panic in the West over migration reflects the psychological state of society in which certain phenomena are perceived as threats to social values and interests. In this context, the moral panic about migration in the West is mounting and increasing, seen in cases such as the US-Mexico border, migrant boats heading to Europe and Australia, and the “green border” from Belarus to EU countries. Migration is often seen as a threat to Western culture and values, particularly to the liberal democratic order. In addition, migration is also considered a tool or weapon used by authoritarian regimes. The difficulty in controlling migration and reaching a common agreement among EU countries adds to the complexity of the issue, making it a political topic that divides nationalists and multiculturalists. In contemporary Western discourse, migration is often perceived as something that happens outside of government control. The public feels that government control only comes after migration has occurred, especially in terms of how to organize and integrate migrants, with a general sensation that Europe is like a train that has gone off the track. In Southeast Asia, migration does not seem to generate the same moral panic. This may be because migration regimes are more well-structured to meet market and societal needs, and migration is perceived and communicated not as a problem, but as a solution to the country’s underlying problems.

Lithuania’s migration trends show complex and diverse dynamics. Initially, migration flows from Lithuania to countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Norway were dominated by economic migrants working in factories with challenging conditions or in domestic care. Children of this generation were often raised by their grandparents, while remittances from migrants were used to build houses. However, negative images of migrants developed, associating them with low-quality work, betrayal of the state, and bad stereotypes such as the image of a plane full of drunk migrants returning to Lithuania. On the other hand, positive images of migrants began to emerge, emphasizing the experience and better lifestyle they had gained. Efforts to change the image of migrants and counter stereotypes are made through various programs, such as the Lithuanian government’s “Global Lithuania” aimed at migrant reintegration and diaspora relations (2012-2021) and the “Strategic Guidelines for the Lithuanian Diaspora Policy for 2022-2030.” In addition, the television show “(Ne)migrantal” emphasizes the shift from mere survival to achieving quality of life and personal success. The program aims to challenge the negative image of Lithuanian migrants and show the difference between long-time migrants and those currently seeking entry into the EU. The trend of migrants returning to the homeland also emerges when the economy improves, despite its repeated and failed referendums on dual citizenship. It is hoped that these topics will provide a comprehensive picture of Indonesians’ migration experience to Taiwan and the impact it has on both sides.

Saturday, July 20th, 2022, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Gadjah Mada University, was invited to participate in the closing ceremony of the Summer Course program between UGM, Victoria University, and the Indonesian Institute of the Arts, Yogyakarta. The event was held in the Dean’s Building of the Faculty of Arts, Media, and Recording, ISI Yogyakarta, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM Western Indonesian Time. The closing ceremony began with an opening speech from Mr. Kiernan, a representative from Victoria University, followed by an opening speech from Dr. Edial Rusli, S.E., M.Sn, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Media, and Recording, ISI Yogyakarta. The event was enlivened by video presentations from each group. As we know, the output of this activity was a short video about their journey in Yogyakarta. Each group presented diverse videos, ranging from the process of making traditional apem cakes, visits to Malioboro and Beringharjo Market, and musical collaborations.

After the official closing, the event continued with a group photo session to capture the moments of togetherness among the participants, the committee, and the lecturers. This group photo was taken inside the Dean’s Building of the Faculty of Arts, Media, and Recording, ISI Yogyakarta, in a friendly atmosphere.

Next, all participants were invited to enjoy a dinner prepared by the committee. The dishes served included various Indonesian specialties such as pastel and solo sausage. This dinner together was not only a moment to enjoy local cuisine but also an opportunity to chat, share stories, and strengthen relationships among participants from various universities and cultural backgrounds.

The dinner was accompanied by traditional music, adding to the warm and friendly atmosphere. The entire series of closing events went smoothly and left a deep impression on all participants. They not only gained new knowledge and experiences but also beautiful memories that will always be remembered throughout their lives.