Yogyakarta, Thursday, November 28th, 2024. Faculty of Cultural Sciences Universitas Gadjah Mada through the Department of Archaeology UGM received a visit from Iwate University, Japan. The agenda of the visit is part of the exploration of cooperation plans between Iwate University and the UGM Department of Archaeology to discuss potential plans for educational visits next year at Gadjah Mada University, for Iwate University students. On this occasion, the Head of the UGM Department of Archaeology, Dr. Mahirta, MA, along with the Secretary of the Department, Drs. Musadad, M.Hum., and Archaeology UGM study programme lecturer, Dwi Pradnyawan, S.S., M.A., met with representatives from Iwate University, Anders Carlqvist, Associate Professor of Iwate University International Education Center and Hiroya Yaegashi from Chief Administrative Staff, Iwate University International Office, to discuss the possibility of giving lectures on archaeology to Iwate University students as part of the educational visit.

After the discussion session ended, the group of Iwate University and the UGM Department of Archaeology took a group photo. They were also invited to tour Mandala Majapahit, a small museum located inside the laboratory of Margono Building, to see a number of artifact replica collections available. From this exploration of cooperation, it is expected to improve the quality of education for the UGM Department of Archaeology and Iwate University, in supporting cooperation in the field of quality and sustainable education.

Tim dosen Antropologi Udayana Denpasar Bali  dibawah pimpinan Ibu Aliffiati,MSi. selaku Kepala Program Studi Antropologi Budaya, pada Senin 18 November 2024 melakukan benchmarking ke Departemen Antropologi, Fakultas Ilmu Budaya, Universitas Gadjah Mada. Kunjungan tersebut dimaksudkan untuk mengetahui implementasi SDGs dalam pelaksanaan riset  yang dilakukan dosen maupun mahasiswa. Tim Udayana juga berkunjung  ke Laboratorium untuk Riset dan Aksi (LAURA) Departemen Antropologi untuk belajar dan berdiskusi terkait dengan manajemen riset yang telah dilakukan. Dari Departemen Antropologi, FIB, UGM mereka disambut oleh Dr. Atik Triratnawati, M.A. dan Dr. Muhammad Zamzam Fauzanafi, M.A.

Kaprodi Antropologi Budaya, Dr. Atik Triratnawati, M.A., menjelaskan berbagai skema penelitian kolaborasi yang dilakukan dosen serta kewajiban mengaitkan riset mereka dengan tujuan SDGs. Sementara itu, Dr. Muh. Zamzam Faunafi, M.A. selaku ketua LAURA menjelaskan mengenai aplikasi Titen sebagai manajemen data dan analisa riset yang telah dipakai oleh dosen maupun mahasiswa Antropologi sejak tahun 2023. Lewat aplikasi Titen ini diharapkan semua mahasiswa Antropologi mampu mengaplikasikan ke dalam manajemen  risetnya. Selain itu, aplikasi Titen juga sudah dimanfaatkan oleh  mitra-mitra riset LAURA. Ke depan diharapkan aplikasi Titen bisa diadopsi seluruh mahasiswa UGM dan berlanjut ke mahasiswa luar negeri yang memiliki kerjasama dengan Departemen Antropologi UGM.

Master of Middle Eastern Cultural Studies UGM held a Scientific Writing Workshop for all students on Monday, November 18, 2024 in the Multimedia Room, Margono Building, Faculty of Arts UGM. This activity aims to help accelerate the process of students in writing a thesis. The event invited an expert lecturer in intercultural studies, Dr. Hindun, M.Hum. and was attended by the Head of the Department of Intercultural Studies, Prof. Dr. Sangidu, M.Hum., Secretary of the Department of Intercultural Studies Dr. Mahmudah M.Hum. as well as all students of the Middle East Cultural Studies Study Program from batch 2022 to 2024.

In opening the event, Prof. Sangidu as the Head of the Department of Interculture said that this activity needs to be utilized as well as possible to deepen the theory and methods of scientific research, especially in the scope of thesis research. The material presented was related to the big theme of the KBTT Study Program’s research, namely making works of literature and Arabic as a “window” in seeing phenomena in society. Dr. Hindun also said that students must be up-to-date in the use of theories, especially in the use of social theory and critical theory. Thus, KBTT students are expected to master intercultural theories and develop them in their final project research.

Friday, November 8, 2024 The Cultural Anthropology Student Family (KEMANT) UGM held a discussion session in Rembukant#4 entitled “Navigating the Journey: Building Self-Awareness of Positioning in Ethnographic Fieldwork”. The event was hosted by Keisia Haneswari, a Cultural Anthropology student class of 2022 with Dr. Elan Lazuardi S.Ant., M.A. as the guest speaker. Located in Room 523 Soegondo Building, Faculty of Arts UGM, this event was attended by cultural anthropology students from various generations.

Reflecting on the fieldwork experience of anthropologists, this discussion explored the journey of anthropological researchers which is not always smooth. Awkwardness, fear, rejection, loneliness, and even failure often haunt ethnographers’ fieldwork. Therefore, Rembukant#4 is here to provide a space for anthropology learners to reflect on issues that have not been widely discussed in the classroom.

The discussion opened with a question from the moderator related to questioning the position of researchers when doing fieldwork. The question was then thoroughly discussed by Dr. Elan Lazuardi related to the multiple identities that each researcher brings when in the field greatly affects the relationship between researchers and researchers which will then also affect the ethnographic knowledge produced. In the event, Dr. Elan also shared his fieldwork experience when researching the use of HIV health services, how his identity as a researcher determines his positionality towards his research. By realizing his positionality, the researcher can not only successfully complete his research but also build a reciprocal relationship with his researcher, as stated by Dr. Elan Lazuardi.

In the question and answer session, a number of participants asked questions and shared their experiences when facing confusing circumstances regarding their positionality in the field. After that, the discussion was closed with a group photo which also marked the end of the KEMANT Rembukant series this period.

[Public Relation FIB UGM, Author: Keisia Haneswari, Photo: Hawa Muzayyinah Niswah & Kinanti Rahmi Khoiri, Editor: Sandya]

Illustration: Daiva Keefe Kalimasadha and Novilatul Ananda Ramadhan

Journal of Anthropology Gazette Vol.3 No.1 is published again! It begins with a speech by the Editor in Chief of Anthropology Gazette, Prof. Dr. Pujo Semedi Hargo Yuwono, M.A, who elaborates five articles and one inspirational speech under one big umbrella theme, knowledge. In the context of knowledge, readers will be presented with the first article by Umami (2024), which examines the behavior patterns of farmers in Sindukarto Village, Wonogiri, in reducing the population of walang sangit as an agricultural pest into local food ingredients. Nabila and Wirawan (2024), through an ethnoscience approach, then conducted research on the accuracy of the pranata mangsa system – a system to predict traditional rice planting and harvesting schedules – with data on seasonal changes in 2023. Indraswari (2024) poses a research question on the efforts of waste workers to survive through their understanding of processing waste into economically valuable goods.

The last two articles will present how humans utilize technology as a medium of expression, both in the political realm and in the context of religious life (Priambada, 2024; Fakhrani, 2024). Priambada (2024) will look at the phenomenon of online Eucharist conducted by Catholic youth in Banyumanik since the Covid-19 pandemic took place. The use of technology in the form of mass media is also felt by students in understanding political actions at the 212 Action (Fakhrani, 2024).

Five Shopee drivers utilize franchise stores as a place to wait for orders (Juwita and Lazuardi, 2024).

In addition to the five main articles, this edition includes several complementary articles such as inspirational speeches, photo essays, and book reviews. Prof. Dr. Pujo Semedi Hargo Yuwono, M.A in his speech compares the history of agricultural transformation that occurred between the 1850s and 2010s for people in Java and South Germany. No less interesting, Juwita and Lazuardi (2024) in their essay present a portrait of the phenomenon of the dim communal space (basecamps) of online ojek drivers caused by several factors, one of which is due to the changing algorithms of the company. Finally, readers will be presented with a book review entitled Making Kin: Ecofeminist from Singapore written by Pratiwi (2024). This book contains a collection of essays written by women about their bodily experiences, self, gender, family, home, and community.

Through this collection of main and supplementary articles, we hope that readers can actively participate in developing knowledge and being critical of environmental, social and political phenomena in everyday life.

To read the full article content, visit our Anthropology Gazette OJS website: https://journal.ugm.ac.id/v3/LA/

[Public Relation FIB UGM, Writer: Irene Saphira P.Y, Editor: Sandya]