| Title | : | Marapu in Disasters: Meaning and Response of Wunga-East Sumba Community against Natural Disasters |
| Author | : | Jimmy Marcos Immanuel (CRCS, 2010) |
| Keywords | : | Marapu, ethnoecology, natural disaster, meaning, response, and ritual |
| Abstract | ||
| This thesis addresses the life of indigenous people in a village community on Sumba, an island of Eastern Indonesia that is particularly prone to natural disasters. Over the past two decades a village in Eastern Sumba, called Wunga, has experienced ecological phenomena such as locust pest/ Locusta Migratoria Manilensis (1998-2005), Tai Kabala grass/Chromolina odorata (2006), whirlwind (2007), earthquakes (2007 and 2009), famine (2007), barrenness or drought (every year), toad pest (2007), and fires (several times). Wunga village is deemed to be the place the Sumbanese ancestors arrived at when they first came to Sumba. It was affected by the ecological phenomena mentioned, which can be also seen as natural disasters, and was hit especially hard. By using an ethno-ecology approach, the present research found that Wunga people, of whom 85,4% follow Marapu (the local religion in Sumba), have created their own meanings (based on emic view) for natural disasters that differ from the views of scholars and from the Indonesian government’s policy as the global perspective. This difference stems from the creation by the Wunga people of their own taxonomies and perspectives on their ecology. This thesis aims to answer questions about how the Wunga people view their own vulnerable ecology, what meanings and behavioral responses the Wunga people ascribe to natural disasters, and the factors that contribute to the formation of these meanings and behaviors. We will see how local identity among Marapu followers gives rise to a discourse of natural disaster that is distinct from constructions of the globalization. The issues of politics of environment and market power will also be used as a framework of interpretation to see the problem of poverty in Wunga as a risk factor of disasters that could happen in the future. The dominant response of Wunga people to their ecological problems, which is hamayangu or ritual, will also be analyzed in order to understand the significance of the response to the society. Ritual will be seen as people’s resilience, coping mechanism, “common food” which symbolizes shared-identity, and the way people maintain masculinity in the society. |
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Arsip:
Thesis Review
| Title | : | Dui’ Ménré: Bõné Bugínese Marriage in South Sulawesi |
| Author | : | Juhansar Andi Latief (CRCS, 2009) |
| Keywords | : | dui’ ménré, marriage, Bugínese, Bõné, custom, and religion. |
| Abstract | : | |
| This study aims to discover the cultural axiology of dui’ ménré in Bõné Bugínese marriage, South Sulawesi, which still exist in modernization time, and to identify and describe the role of the little tradition in it. The description and the argument about these things done through analysis of the form, the basic considerations, the principles that apply, and social consequences in the community life and its solutions.The research is a type of qualitative research with a focus on cultural studies, dui’ ménré in Bõné Bugínese marriage in South Sulawesi. The data were collected by field observation on the form, procedures and applicable precession in that culture; in depth interviews with leaders of culture, religion, society, government, and the actors themselves; and documentation in the form of picture and recordings of these cultures. Data were collected and analyzed using socio-anthropological approach presented descriptively and qualitatively. This study shows that the culture of dui’ ménré in Bõné Bugínese marriage still exist although it has experienced various shifts including the widening of the value, meaning, and purpose of the previous one. Therefore, ‘denials’ and the polemic in custom itself and between custom and religion which coloring the culture were happened after dignity, and pride in maintaining their ‘culture of prestige’, and to gain public recognition, as well as the waning of the traditional political power that caused the bird of ‘the rape of the custom’ by a fulfillment of ‘needs’. In fulfillment of these, the tap of negotiation opened as a way to reap a new legitimacy. |
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| Title | : | Da’wah of Cultural Islamic: A study of Appreciation Kiai Ahmad Masrur Mz (Born 1963) for Jatilan in Wukirsari Cangkringan Sleman Yogyakarta |
| Author | : | Muh. Hanif (CRCS, 2005) |
| Keywords | : | Kiai – Cultural Islamic mission – Appreciation of Jatilan |
| Abstract | : | |
| The objective of this research is to study the cultural Islamic mission (dakwah) undertaken by Kiai Masrur Ahmad MZ (born 1963) by utilizing the art of Jatilan dancing in Wukirsari village, Cangkringan, Sleman, Yogyakarta. The focuses of the research are: 1) Kiai Masrur’s form of appreciation of the art of Jatilan dancing. 2) The reason why Kiai Masrur conducts the Islamic cultural mission in the form of the art of Jatilan dancing appreciation of: his thoughts, motives, and objectives in the appreciation. 3) The response of community towards the Islamic mission in the form of Jatilan dancing art?This research uses qualitative methods. The subjects of research are Kiai Masrur, the organizing board and santris of Pesantren Al Qodir, the Jatilan performers and Jatilan community in Wukirsari, the pros and cons towards this cultural Islamic mission. The gathering of the data was undertaken in the form of in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and evaluation of objective data (documentation). The fieldwork was carried out from September 2004 until February 2005 in Wukirsari Cangkringan Sleman Yogyakarta. The analysis of the data uses a descriptive-qualitative approach with an interactive model. The results of the research are: First, there are two forms of appreciation of Jatilan by Kiai Masrur: (a) Jatilan is used as a medium to establish communication with the Jatilan community in the forms of annual Jatilan festivals and performances, giving financial support to the Jatilan groups, and involving the Jatilan society in various Islamic gatherings (pengajian) within as well as outside the pesantren. (b) Jatilan as the target of dakwah in the form of reforming Jatilan to make it more Islamic in its outer as well as inner aspects. In the inner concept the Hindu concept of Trihitakarana and the concept of Javanese spirituality are changed and made closer to Islamic mystical concepts. Concerning the outer aspects, via the regulations of the Jatilan festival, the Jatilan dancer are not allowed to transgresses the orthodox limits of Islam such as trance, giving sacrifice to spirits (sesaji) and the like. The criteria for winning in the Jatilan festival are the beauty of the music, dancing, and singing. Second, The thought, motives, and objectives of Kiai Masrur’s cultural Islamic mission, in the form of Jatilan appreciation. a) The thought that all humankind in the eyes of God is considered as God’s vicegerent on the earth. Therefore, all of human kind has the duty to spread and the right to receive the mission, without discrimination. Art, including Jatilan can be used for dzirkrullah (the remembrance of God). Priority is given to amr ma’ruf before nahi munkar, communicating dakwah in a polite manner, and giving good examples (utswatun hasanah), at Takhalli (emptying oneself from those bad aspects), at Tahalli (filling oneself with good qualities), at Tajalli (receiving insight to see the truth), accommodating innovations without leaving tradition behind, being moderate in manner (tawasut), just (tawazun), tolerant (tasamuh), giving priority to tasawuf rather than fiqh. The goals of the appreciation of jatilan are: to facilitate the Islamic mission, develop social integration, explaining al Qodir’s position in not forbidding jatilan, to revitalize Javanese identity, and to advocate grass-roots society. The motives and objectives behind the cultural Islamic mission are: a political motivation to get the support from the masses, and the motivation to defend the beauty of art. Third, In response to Kiai Masrur’s cultural Islamic mission, the community are divided into two groups: the supportive group consists of the Jatilan community, a large part of which are members of NU Wukirsari, some kiais from other pesantrens outside Wukirsari. Whereas the objecting group consists of a larger part of Muhammadiyah members and to a smaller part of NU members. The basic difference between these two groups is that the supportive group uses thoughts based on Javanese mystical tradition, Islamic mysticism (tasawuf) which stresses love and solidarity towards all of humankind, appreciation of the diversity of religious expression and consideration of religion as part of culture. The other group, however, bases its thoughts on the principles of Islamic shari’ah as explicated in the textual tradition of Islam (Qur’an and Hadith) and practicing them strictly. It views religion as distinct from and superior to culture. Moreover, the differences are manifestation of in-group and out-group feeling and the different political orientations. History has proven that the cultural Islamic mission undertaken by the Walisongo and other Islamic leaders (dai) has been successful in spreading Islam in Indonesia, especially among the Javanese ethnic group. This model of Islamic mission appreciates local culture, avoids violence and oppression. This model is still relevant for contemporary and future development of Islamic mission. |
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| Title | : | The Celebration of Maulid Hijau on the Slope of Lamongan Mountain: the Struggle of the Local Community in Responding to Disaster Vulnerability in Tegal Randu, Klakah, Lumajang, East Java |
| Author | : | Abd Malik (CRCS, 2009) |
| Keywords | : | Maulid Hijau, mitigation, local community, vulnerability |
| Abstract | : | |
| Many previous studies of disaster often only focus on post-disaster. Consequently, the studies forget the important aspects of pre-disaster namely vulnerability that is historically embedded in a certain society for a long time. Besides that, disaster mitigation projects are still dominated by technological approaches which are culturally not acceptable to local communities. This research completes (corrects) the weakness of several previous disaster studies by considering socio-cultural perspectives which focus on the study of vulnerability and its mitigation based on local community.This research concerns Tegalrandu village, one of the tourism regions in the sub-district of Klakah, Lumajang, East Java. The condition of the environment in this area has experienced terrible ecological crisis which threaten the occurrence of disaster. However, more important than such physical crisis is the nature of vulnerability in the community. To overcome both ecological crisis and social vulnerability, the local community holds a celebration which combines religious, local tradition, and reforestation activities called “Maulid Hijau”. Using social perspectives on disaster, this research conceptualizes vulnerability not as a characteristic of physical environment and not static. On contrary, vulnerability is a characteristic that is embedded dynamically in certain communities. In this sense, the occurrence of disaster in a community is combination between vulnerable people and natural hazard. While vulnerable community is people living in unsafe condition. Therefore, besides concerning with the physical aspects of disaster, the management and mitigation project might not deny the dynamics of vulnerability that takes place in certain communities.This research finds that vulnerability in Tegalrandu is a complex relation among social, political, economic and the ideological system since the colonial era until the reformation era. The consequences of those socio-cultural activities have caused Tegalrandu to live as a vulnerable community in unsafe conditions. Therefore, Maulid Hijau was initiated in order to reduce vulnerability and unsafe conditions in various aspects. The important aspect is to change and redefine a system of value concerning nature and the environment. That transformational view is expectedly followed by the change in people’s behavior and attitudes about social, economic and political activities in forming a sustainable community as opposed to a vulnerable community. | ||
| Title | : | Tolerant Community: the Culture of Democracy and Political Participation (A Case Study of Political Behaviour of Muslims in Jekulo, Kudus in the Post New Order Era) |
| Author | : | Achmad Ta’yudin (CRCS, 2005) |
| Keywords | : | religious community, the culture of democracy, political behavior and religious tolerance |
| Abstract | ||
| The purpose of the research is to explain the political behaviour of Islamic community (umat) in Jekulo Kudus the Central of Java in the 1999 and 2004 general election, which has shown a reality of the failure of Islamic parties in the religious communities. The raised question is “Why Islamic community in Jekulo who have a high level of virtuous were reluctant to choice the Islamic parties”. This interesting question becomes focus of this study.There are three main problems that would be analyzed in this study. First, to what extend does correlation between political aspiration, and voting behaviour of Islamic communities in Jekulo towards political parties in the 1999 and 2004 general election. Second, to what extend does correlation between level of understanding for religious teaching and voting behaviour of Islamic communities in Jekulo towards political parties in the 1999 and 2004 general election. Finally, are religious local elite (kiai) a determinant factor for voting behaviour of Islamic communities in Jekulo towards political parties in the 1999 and 2004 general election? The sampling method which was used in the research, besides the qualitative method (1) to make choice the religious people of Jekulo with using the probability of random distribution; (2) to choice domain sampling taken from religious people in the first point with using the non-probability of purposive distribution. The result of this research indicates that the failure of Islamic parties in Jekulo was determined by the increase of their tolerances to the diversity of faith, so that they do not want to dominate anymore other people based on their faith and political ideology. There are some factors of this social change. First, the dominant rules of New Order regime that marginalized the politic of Islamic syariat has changed the political orientation of Islamic communities based on religious liberalization. Second, the two biggest of Islamic Organization, NU and Muhammadiyah, have changed their social orientation based on politics of tolerant. Third, the level of education and the economic gaps among communities have weakened elite domination in Islamic communities. They cannot be influenced by political elite anymore. These all indicate that Islamic community with high level of virtuous become tolerance and democratic. They can separate whether it is a political or religious thing. Both political and religious things are sometimes difficult to be separated because of elite behaviours and their interests. |
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Title: Baha’i: A Narrative of Minority Religion in Indonesia (A Case Study in Banyuwangi, East Java)
Author: Amanah Nurish (CRCS, 2010)
Keywords: Religion, Baha’i, identity, and minority
Abstract:
This research is addressed on the Baha’i community in Banyuwangi East Java, Indonesia. Baha’i is a minority religion propagated by Bahaullah1 who was from Persia (now Iran). This research is based on the life history of the author while living among Baha’is and Muslims for several years. It discusses the Baha’i issue of the minority survival in the face of violence and pressure from majority groups in Indonesian society, particularly in the village of Canga’an, Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. The village population is approximately 7000, of which majority people are Muslims and another small group in the village is Baha’i adherent.
