Constructing gender and local morality: exchange practices in a Javanese village

Asmussen, Vibeke

doi:10.1080/13639810500031020

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Unlike in the contemporary western world, the idea of being unique and differentto be visibleas an expression of consumerist and identity narratives was not compatible with the social, cultural and religious values of pre-modern Indonesia. In this context, several reports (Asmussen 2004;Locher-Scholten 2003;Nilan, Donaldson, and Howson 2007;Prianti 2017) that cite Indonesia as their examples stress the importance for individuals to build harmonious relationships with society, regardless of their individual interests. This is reflected in various aspects of Indonesian social life.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is reflected in various aspects of Indonesian social life. First, the participation of individuals in communal ritual events is highly valued as a way to maintain social relations (Asmussen 2004). Secondly, unlike in the history of western feminismwhich viewed men as existing in binary opposition to the goal of achieving a feminist identitythe history of the women's movement in Indonesia highlighted the importance of maintaining familial harmony with men (Locher-Scholten 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Towards the westernized body: a popular narrative reinforced by men's lifestyle magazines in Indonesia

Prianti

2018

Inter-Asia Cultural Studies

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This paper will spotlight changing views with regard to Indonesian men's body aesthetics. It will explore how, in response to discourse contained in lifestyle magazines, the physical bodies of Indonesian men have become the primary mechanism through which to exercise agency. However, many local Indonesian customs consider men's agency to be dependent upon their ability to control bodily desire. The paper aims to give an overview of how modernization and westernization as contemporary conditions in postcolonial Indonesia serve as the background to the narratives provided by men's lifestyle magazines. In order to provide an insight into how modern white narratives are valued in Indonesia, I will begin by examining the history of Dutch colonialism as a basis for racial classification. Proceeding, I will discuss how that history relates to contemporary practices of social stratification: the belief that being married to a westerner will bring perfection to one's descendants' genes; the trend of consuming special vitamins and formulas that will change particular parts of the body; and the assumption that having western genes will bring both success and wealth. Moreover, I will also discuss the ways in which the magazines define the "ideal" body, and how that "ideal" body thus becomes the hegemonic bodyone that functions as the gateway for men to achieve a good life.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards the westernized body: a popular narrative reinforced by men's lifestyle magazines in Indonesia

Prianti

2018

Inter-Asia Cultural Studies

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“…Instead, agency lies in the individual's ability to facilitate others for the sake of building and maintaining social harmony. This is reflected in a variety of social practices, and influences the relationships and communication between individuals, and even institutionsa point illustrated in several other studies (Geertz 1960;Mulder 2000;Asmussen 2004;Hellman 2006Hellman , 2009Heider 2011;Wiryomartono 2014). Rather than understanding self-expression as facilitating individual needsa reference to the western notion of agencyself-control is considered part of individual expression.…”

Section: The Indonesian Notion Of Personhoodmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The importance of selfcontrol in order to build social harmony is reflected in different Indonesian cultural scripts and is embraced via various national narratives, including Pancasila. This principle that one must give attention to others as a form of spiritualityhas circulated amongst a number of different doctrines, taking the form of attitudes and behaviours expressed in various ways of living, as observed by a number of scholars (Geertz 1960;Mulder 2000;Asmussen 2004;Hellman 2006Hellman , 2009Heider 2011;Wiryomartono 2014). Collectivist principles are reflected in the ways in which Indonesians value the importance of the group and social harmony.…”

Section: The Indonesian Notion Of Personhoodmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Identity Politics of Masculinity as a Colonial Legacy

Prianti

2019

Journal of Intercultural Studies

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Prior to Dutch colonization, there was a clear distinction between men and women in Indonesia. However, the hierarchical structure between these gender categories is part and parcel of the colonial legacy. Masculinity was first introduced in Indonesia during the Dutch colonial period as a repudiation from femininity. This signaled a significant shift, as previously being modest and part of the community had been valued much more highly in Indonesian society than was individuality. By asking to what extent men's gender expectations are subject to the identity politics of masculinity, and to what extent this is reflected on Indonesian popular culture specifically men's lifestyle magazine, I intend to shed light on the incompatibility of the identity politics of masculinity with contemporary Indonesian men. Towards this goal, I analyse eight men's lifestyle magazines, for they play a key role in contemporary modern societies, exposing men to generalized notions of what it means to be a 'man'. Spanning the period from the earliest men's lifestyle magazines published in Indonesia in the mid-1970s until 2015, I map contemporary narratives of masculinity in Indonesian context as a reflection of the effects colonial ideologies continue to have on Indonesian society and the division of gender roles.

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“…Among Pakistanis it is a social domain perpetuated and reproduced through the extension of personal gift s and services, and through hosting and feasting on domestically important occasions. Within this domain the gift economy fl ourishes (for a similar domain of gift exchange in Java, see Asmussen ( 2004 )). Others too have noted the centrality of women in preparations for slametan s (see, e.g., Hefner 2008 : 147, citing Bianca Smith).…”

Section: Th E Intersection Of Gender and Classmentioning

confidence: 99%

Between khatm-e qur’an s and slametan s: Gender and class in South Asian and Indonesian interdomestic rituals

Werbner¹

2020

Food, Faith and Gender in South Asia

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Constructing gender and local morality: exchange practices in a Javanese village

Cited by 7 publications

References 6 publications

Towards the westernized body: a popular narrative reinforced by men's lifestyle magazines in Indonesia

Towards the westernized body: a popular narrative reinforced by men's lifestyle magazines in Indonesia

The Identity Politics of Masculinity as a Colonial Legacy

Between khatm-e qur’an s and slametan s: Gender and class in South Asian and Indonesian interdomestic rituals

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