Re-imagining freedom as elderly female porters: A study of buruh gendong at Beringharjo traditional market of Yogyakarta

This paper expects to reveal the struggle of elderly female porters or buruh gendong who mostly had a historical background of working in industrial production (factory) but ended up being self-employed at Beringharjo traditional market of Yogyakarta. They used to work as factory workers. However, most factories collapsed in the aftermath of the 1997 economic crisis, especially in Southeast Asia. These older people from peri-urban (and rural) areas with lower-class status ended up in urban areas to be self-employed and became precarious workers. Therefore, the research questions are how they cope with the income uncertainties only to meet their daily needs and still desire their children to have a better living condition. Observations and interviews were done with 25 elderly female traditional porters as the research methods from 2020. They are primarily in the age range of late 50-80 years old. The results show that income uncertainties and social insecurity bring about precariousness. Buruh gendong have to work every day only to make ends meet. However, these conditions could also open up alternative perspectives that they often found themselves liberated from the control of industrial production. They do not work for capital owners or bosses; they work for themselves (self-employed). They are free or more flexible on working hours, but, at the same time, they have to accept their insecure employment. Buruh gendong also have desires for their children to be able to achieve a higher education level. Eventually, the desires are mostly unfulfilled; their children get unfortunate work and still live barely.

From bombing to social media: The role of returning foreign fighters in nurturing terrorism in Asian countries

This article aims for revisiting the terrorism studies from different perspective. The terror attacks itself cannot be hundred percent zero but it just fluctuated trend. More specifically, terrorism always adaptive in following trends. While terror attacks still to target innocent civilians, the perpetrators could be closest relatives and neighbors. The way terror attack to reach out that group of people basically shows the silent role of returning foreign fighters (RFF)/returnees nurturing dan breeding terror ideologies. By using critical literature review especially historical narrative analysis, this study wants to examine the current terror trend that utilizes social media. It can spread terror narration and also affecting people to join. The way to analyze data is making clear connection from each literature. The findings of this study are: the RFF is adept at social media in nurturing terror ideologies and then making their home country and new terrorist cells to be breeding grounds.

The changing meaning of Taylagan Festival for contemporary Russia Buryat society: An adaptation of tradition

Festival is a product of a culture that develops according to the needs and times, including the Taylagan Festival. Taylagan Festival is one of the most important annual rituals for the Russian Buryat Shamans. In the contemporary era, this festival has also been performed for tourists. By using Roland Barthes’s semiotic theory, this research explores the impact of the changes of Taylagan Festival meanings for Russian Buryat contemporary society. At the same time, Eric Hobsbawm’s “The Invention of Tradition" (1992) is used to investigate the inventory of Taylagan Festival traditions, based on qualitative data collected through intensive interviews for selected informants. By using the descriptive analysis method, the research result shows that the change in the sacred values of the Russian Buryat Shamans in the Taylagan Festival has been started since the presence of Neo-shamans as a form of cultural adaptation during the Contemporary Era, which is known to be more modern and active in social and cultural activities.

Strengthening communities’ disaster resilience during COVID-19 time: A case of Muhammadiyah in Indonesia

Since the early of March 2020, COVID-19 pandemic which broke out in Indonesia, had a significant impact on various aspects of life. The pandemic not only has pushed the government to take a strategic decision but also has forced the communities to accommodate this condition immediately. Muhammadiyah is one of Indonesia’s largest religious organizations has played its role to overcome COVID-19 pandemic alongside with the government. This study aims to determine the contribution of Muhammadiyah to tackle the pandemic by strengthening the disaster resilience community. The study uses a qualitative approach and a descriptive method. The primary data were obtained by in-depth interviews with Muhammadiyah organization leaders and several working teams handling the pandemic. Literature study was conducted as the secondary data. To tackle the pandemic by strengthening communities’ disaster resilience, Muhammadiyah carried out several programs, including (1) strengthening da’wah networks massively to enhance the community awareness about COVID-19 pandemic, (2) establishing several working teams handling the pandemic to enhance disaster resilience communities, including Muhammadiyah COVID-19 Command Center (MCCC), Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Center (MDMC), and philanthropic body of Muhammadiyah (LazisMu), and (3) Muhammadiyah engagement with stakeholders and development agency, such as the collaboration with the Ministry of Health, BNPB, DFAT and USAID to COVID-19 preventive and curative action.

Islam, indigeneity, and religious difference in a secular context: Canadian case studies

This paper analyzes the hardening religious difference in contemporary Canadian society and explains why the presence of Muslims, including new converts, constantly incites in the public imagination the primordial threat of Islam to the secular accomplishments of Canadian society. Relying on the available data and previous research on the historical formation of the secular in Canada, the author attempts to detect a paradox within the state-lead politics of recognition that unintentionally creates the conditions for new communal conflicts” (warna kuning) diubah menjadi “Relying on the available data and previous research on the historical formation of the secular in Canada, the author attempts to detect a paradox within the statelead politics of recognition that unintentionally creates the conditions for new communal conflicts. By using an inductive generalization, the author argues that the perceived incompatibility between Islam and secular values is derived not so much from cultural and theological differences or actual political threats posed by Muslims or Indigenous converts. It instead emanates from the self-understanding of the majority of Canadians that defined the nation as essentially Christians and simultaneously secular.

Meme and cyber sexism: Habitus and symbolic violence of patriarchy on the Internet

This study examines the various sexist practices on the Internet called cyber sexism. The Internet seems to become a new world for patriarchal domination. The amount of content, comments, and memes circulating on the Internet and social media, such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp harassing women, is proof of the patriarchal power on the Internet. This study used a qualitative method with a feminist perspective, collecting memes through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp. The memes were then reviewed and interpreted to find their meaning. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s habitus theory and symbolic violence, memes were analyzed to find the factors that cause sexism against women and the logical link between sexist practices in the real world and cyber sexism on the Internet. Results indicate that people’s habitus about patriarchy has become a mental structure of society that influences stereotyped behavior and gender bias and plays an important role in sexism on the Internet. The Internet, as an arena, has become the initial capital for men to dominate. Naming and mentioning women in various memes are the forms of symbolic violence against them that form new sexist habitus on the Internet.

Defining gay-friendly city as a space of resistance for Indonesian gays in Paris and Jakarta

Migration is associated with the search for a more permissive environment. By linking Paris as a place of attachment, the author sees that Paris in this case can be indicated as the “home” for Indonesian gays. The feeling of “full gay” is a feeling that they never get when they stay in Indonesia. That is why many Indonesian gays decide to move out of Indonesia in any way regardless of the difficulties they face in the destination country. This paper answer two questions: what do we understand by “Gay-friendly city”? And if we talk about Jakarta, “can Jakarta be categorized as a gay-friendly city”? The author interviewed eight Indonesian gays directly in Paris with the naturalistic paradigm and analyzed with the qualitative research, and what will be found in this paper is the narrative of the eight informants. It can be said that the Indonesian gays who have migrated to Paris do not feel that their lives have been wasted. They do diaspora by going to gay bars and participating in gay pride parades. What they feel is a feeling of freedom to be able to channel their gender and sexual expression, and they found that Paris as a gay-friendly city is a kind of space of resistance.

The influence of cyberization on folk religion: A case study of Chinese online religious group

Religious cyberization is a new way of dissemination and development of traditional offline religions. In the process of cyberization, all aspects of religions are likely to be affected by the new Internet environment. Taking a Chinese online religious group as Internet field, this article analyzes the influence of cyberization on belief system, religious authority and religious experience of folk religion, and makes a preliminary exploration of its causes in combination with the characteristics of Internet and folk religion. This study mainly adopted the method of participant observation, and conducted online and offline interviews with participants when necessary. In addition, the researcher also analyzed documents, audio and other files uploaded in the online group. In the case discussed in this article, compared with officially recognized religions in China, folk religion seems to be more adapted to the opportunities and challenges brought by the new territory of the Internet due to its unique diffuseness and inclusiveness.

Becoming a gay caretaker of a religious image (Camarero): Catholic devotion in the Philippines as a gendered social practice

Pagsasanto or the beliefs and practices associated with the caretaking of religious images is a Catholic devotion brought by the Spanish colonization in the Philippines. The history of pagsasanto illuminates a religious tradition exclusively performed by old-rich women (camareras) and prominent political families. At present, the changing gender roles in pagsasanto through the growing participation of gay caretakers of religious images (camareros) has redefined the practice. This shift prompted the researchers to investigate how gender mediates a devotional practice and how gender is constructed, negotiated, and performed through pagsasanto. Using ethnography, the researchers did participant observation to examine the meanings and practices associated with pagsasanto activities such as decorating the image and its carriage as well as joining the procession. To facilitate further analysis, interviews and focus group discussions were undertaken among four gay informants, highlighting their life histories as image caretakers. Data were categorized through themes and analysed from a critical cultural perspective. The research found that gender mediates pagsasanto and vice versa. The becoming of a gay camarero is rooted in cultural practice and familial Catholic tradition. The changing meanings of pagsasanto arecontingent on gender performativity, market, social media and the growingcommunity networks.