In this thesis I will research how young Indonesians express their identities or how they create new identities in the period from the 1990s until today and I will examine this through forms of...Show moreIn this thesis I will research how young Indonesians express their identities or how they create new identities in the period from the 1990s until today and I will examine this through forms of Indonesian popular music. Popular music is an important site of cultural struggle and can reveal much about class, gender and other social divisions. That is why I want to zoom in on these social divisions by dividing them in class, religion and gender, to see how each of them relates to popular music and identity formation. I choose to focus on class, religion and gender because these have undergone drastic and interesting transformations during the period I want to examine, allowing people to reconsider their place or someone else’s in the social ladder, as a religious person or as a woman or man in society. Popular music and the way people consume it can reveal a lot about people’s thoughts and conceptions on class, religion and gender in contemporary Indonesia. The period from the 1990s until the present knew for example a remarkable growth of the Indonesian middle class who adopted a consumerist lifestyle and wanted to set themselves apart from the lower class, using popular music among other things. Concerning religion, I will focus on the developments of Islam in Indonesia, the religion of roughly 90% of the country's population. The fall of Suharto has been a significant turning-point for religious expression, because for much of the New Order, Islam was marginalized especially in the political sphere and Islamic organizations were restricted. After 1998, Indonesian Muslims could express themselves more freely, leading to an amplified process of Islamization which includes the creation of new Islamic political parties, the rise of radical Islam and the expression of religious identities in public that could not be expressed before, particularly extremist ones. Moreover, in the 21st century Muslim pop culture has flourished immensely and popular music has helped in the process of articulating religious identity. Finally, issues of gender, including for example femininity, masculinity and the role of women in the family have become a more prominent subject of discussions and debates in the past two decades. Women's rights groups and opinions about feminism have more political support than before, but so has (conservative) Islam. This leads to diverse opinions about popular female artists who are regarded as a role model to some and an actor of immorality to others. Popular music is a strong medium to spur debates about gender and to introduce new images of how young men and women can, or should, dress and behave. Consequently, this makes young Indonesians rethink and possibly reshape their gender identities.Show less
There is a significant number of young people residing with their parents as well as young couples choosing to continue the co-residence even after their marriage in Japan. The aim of this...Show moreThere is a significant number of young people residing with their parents as well as young couples choosing to continue the co-residence even after their marriage in Japan. The aim of this dissertation is to show that in many cohabitating households parents depend on their children rather than children on their parents. Since 1960 all industrialized countries have undergone various changes during the process of the so-called demographic transitions. These phenomena have been described by R. Lesthaeghe, who was the first one to argue that all industrialized countries have undergone two distinctive transitions (the First Demographic Transition and the Second Demographic Transition), which brought about contemporary social transformations. I discuss whether this contention is applicable to Asia and can explain current changes in living arrangements in Japan. Not long after researchers have become interested in explaining the new phenomenon a book by Masahiro Yamada entitled: “Parasaito shinguru no jidai” (“The age of the parasite single”), has been published. From this time young adults who continue living with their parents have become stigmatized and blamed for Japan’s problems. In order to point out the gap in the theoretical framework it is paramount to look at the problem from different point of views. Thus, I describe the parasite single theory as well as present the critique around the issue. The analysis of statistic data on living arrangements provided by European Commission (Eurostat) as well as Statistics Bureau of Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan provides an insight into the changes in living arrangements in Japan since 1980s, especially pointing at the prevalence of family and cohabitation. Furthermore, my own empirical research (interview results) are presented. The case studies supplement the statistical data and provide the scope of the reality in which people have to operate and make choices. What I want to achieve is draw attention to the fact that the phenomenon of intergenerational households exists and ought to be looked upon from different perspective than it has been thought up until now.Show less
Taking the discourse of fan cuồng K-pop (K-pop fanatical fans) as departure point, this thesis draws on narratives collected in the online research to provide insights to the particular experiences...Show moreTaking the discourse of fan cuồng K-pop (K-pop fanatical fans) as departure point, this thesis draws on narratives collected in the online research to provide insights to the particular experiences of Vietnamese K-pop fans constituted by their interpretative formations and culturally constructed subjectivities as a result of actively consuming, internalizing and negotiating the K-pop/idol culture that they inhabit.Show less
In the Western world a popular belief is that great nations should take responsibility and protect the populations of conflict-ridden countries. In many ways we could argue that China is on its way...Show moreIn the Western world a popular belief is that great nations should take responsibility and protect the populations of conflict-ridden countries. In many ways we could argue that China is on its way to becoming a great nation, thus expectations that the Chinese leadership steps up to this task are mounting. Traditional Chinese foreign policy is based on respect for the sovereignty of other nations, non-intervention and laissez-faire in general. Greater economic interests in areas abroad are in conflict with these traditional principles. In this thesis we have therefore researched whether China is putting economic and diplomatic pragmatism ahead of principle. While Beijing attempts to avoid involvement in matters that are not of national interest, we will see from two case studies - based on the Libyan civil war and the Syrian civil war - that this has become increasingly difficult. Moreover, when looking at UN peacekeeping operations we see that China is an actively contributing P5 member. It seems that 'wuwei' (or not-doing), is becoming an untenable stance in a globalizing world.Show less
Kimchi is a Korean fermented dish that has a important role in the Korean cuisine. The practice of making kimchi, called kimjang is a tradition that is practices for hundreds of years. This paper...Show moreKimchi is a Korean fermented dish that has a important role in the Korean cuisine. The practice of making kimchi, called kimjang is a tradition that is practices for hundreds of years. This paper focuses on the importance of kimchi and kimjang in Korean society and how this has changed with the modernization of the Korean society.With the inscription of kimjang as intangible cultural heritage on the representative list of UNESCO, the position of kimchi and kimjang changed significantly. This paper will also look at the intangible cultural heritage system of UNESCO, the inscription of food practices as intangible heritage, but also what such an inscription does with the value of the inscribed element. Lastly, the nomination of North Korea with the same element, under the name kimchi making will be analyzed to understand the position of kimjang in North Korea, but also the noticeable similarities and differences in both nominations by the two Koreas.Show less
Reality show Dad, Where Are We Going has been a tremendous success in China. Through the lens of the show and the entertaining experience starring celebrity fathers and children, a lot of heritage...Show moreReality show Dad, Where Are We Going has been a tremendous success in China. Through the lens of the show and the entertaining experience starring celebrity fathers and children, a lot of heritage sites and historical and cultural villages, as well as local tradition, culture, and life of the local community, have been exposed under the gaze of camera and the whole nation. Looking into the story of Xin-Ye, one listed national historical and cultural village that became the second filming location of Season 2, the show as a media power is taking the role of unearthing, displaying, labelling and defining the heritage and cultural uniqueness of a place. Overnight fame and a tourism boom are brought to the villagers and gentrification is triggered. Tourist development as a filming location of the show has, however, also shaded new meanings and values on Xin-Ye and the heritage of the locals. Xin-Ye becomes a destination of parent-child tours. Moreover, in the process of turning heritage into assets for local branding and cultural commodity, local villagers are increasingly losing their voice in the representation of Xin-Ye’s heritage as well as their rights of owning, managing, using their heritage and self-determination on how to benefit from their living environment.Show less
Today, art from China is very different from that of the 1980s and 1990s. Contemporary Chinese urban art is critical of the modernization China has been experiencing the past decades. It is mostly...Show moreToday, art from China is very different from that of the 1980s and 1990s. Contemporary Chinese urban art is critical of the modernization China has been experiencing the past decades. It is mostly done in the media of photography, sculpture and installation art. Most obviously this criticism can be seen in the cityscape. This cityscape is most times a pastiche of construction, combining into a vast city. Many installation artists construct such a city by using real cities as model, and they often use consumer items as material. But also many photographers create cityscape montages; they use digital software to combine photographs of the urban space into one big collage. There are five themes that prominently express the artists’ concerns over China’s urbanization: futurism, globalization, negativity, sinification, and disconnection. Artists apply (often several of) these themes onto the urban space they depict.Show less
The idea, mechanism, process and the outcome of petition in rural China is an interesting subject to research, which brings out some fascinating aspects of peasant’s grievances redressal in the...Show moreThe idea, mechanism, process and the outcome of petition in rural China is an interesting subject to research, which brings out some fascinating aspects of peasant’s grievances redressal in the contemporary state-society relationship in the Chinese countryside. This research, while interrogating various theoretical strands on peasants’ participation and protest, and undertaking fieldwork in the Shanxi province attempts to understand and explain why and how the peasants act in a particular way in the context of specific situations, and how does the state negotiate and respond to their grievances in an effective ways thereby preventing the emergence of discontent towards the system and reinforcing its own credibility and legitimacy.Show less
Japanese views on the shared history between Japan and Taiwan has moved from cultivated ignorance to a generally positive view largely due to the economic and political development of Taiwan; the...Show moreJapanese views on the shared history between Japan and Taiwan has moved from cultivated ignorance to a generally positive view largely due to the economic and political development of Taiwan; the existence of Taiwan as an island of friendship to Japan in a sea of enemies and the democratisation and localisation movements in Taiwan.Show less
The university initiation for freshmen students has been a highlight activity for a particular academic year in Thailand for many decades. This initiation ritual itself, normally taking place for...Show moreThe university initiation for freshmen students has been a highlight activity for a particular academic year in Thailand for many decades. This initiation ritual itself, normally taking place for the entire first month of the study, is based on the so-called SOTUS system—standing for Seniority, Order, Tradition, Unity, and Spirit—which is a kind of hazing based system to help new students adapting to the university’s environment socially and academically as well as binding newcomers together tightly as fast as possible. However, every year there are a number of negative reports from the initiation rituals shown in media coverage and social media—including physical violence, sexual harassment, mental abuse, suicide, fatality, and alcohol—resulting in the raise of concern among ordinary Thais and scholars towards this issue from time to time. Sadly, even until recently there is still a limited number of researches related to Thai university initiation ritual. This research tried to find out: how does the Rub Nong tradition affect freshmen students during and after the Rub Nong period? How is Thai university initiation rite different from or similar to another country in the Southeast Asian region (Indonesia) and some other Thai organizations? This study will employ both qualitative and quantitative methods. The quantitative methods includes: questionnaires for a group of Thai freshman students. The qualitative method includes an interview from a group of Thai freshman students, policeman, office workers, and Indonesian students.Show less
Food, as a basic element of people’s daily lives, is closely related to its society. In terms of Chinese food culture, many scholars have done plenty of research about various related topics. This...Show moreFood, as a basic element of people’s daily lives, is closely related to its society. In terms of Chinese food culture, many scholars have done plenty of research about various related topics. This thesis takes the example of Wei Jin Nan Bei Chao period (ca. 220 CE – 581 CE), when the Han Chinese and non-Han people cohabited in a large scale, led by continuous wars and massive migrations. With the method of literature analysis, this thesis focuses on hubing (胡饼), a kind of flatbread, yangpanchang (羊盘肠), a kind of blood sausage and the grape, as three examples non-Han-originated foods, to explore the influence of non-Han dietary practice on the Han cuisine. Further, by relating the food culture to other sociopolitical factors at the time, this thesis analyses how the development of food reflected its wider society, in terms of class and ethnicity. With such analyses and discussions, this study helps in filling the omission in studies of Chinese food history, as well as better understanding the people and society during that time.Show less
The purpose of this research is to examine what distinguishes Japanese women who have attained managerial positions from those who haven't, with a specific focus on social capital. The main...Show moreThe purpose of this research is to examine what distinguishes Japanese women who have attained managerial positions from those who haven't, with a specific focus on social capital. The main question is “How did Japanese women in managerial positions negotiate their surroundings and utilized their social capital for their career advancement?”, which we have attempted to answer through the conduct of through life-history research. We found that all informants were supported by their parents in various life choices, such as education and job perspectives. This equipped them not only with the cultural capital needed to find employment, but we also suggest this has influenced their attitude towards work and may have provided them with certain non-cognitive skills that helped them in their career advancement. Moreover, the roles of social networks became particularly explicit in the context of negotiating childcare with the full-time job responsibilities. It was however not a matter of expanding the network, but strengthening the already existing ties that was essential for these women. Finally, we saw that the composition of the family also played a significant role in the women's career advancement: in particular the husband's occupation and help from the parents enabled working mothers to combine their careers with childrearing activities.Show less
Indonesia is named the third largest polluter, the second biggest contributor to waste in the oceans, the second highest emitter, and the second biggest deforester of the world. This is worrisome...Show moreIndonesia is named the third largest polluter, the second biggest contributor to waste in the oceans, the second highest emitter, and the second biggest deforester of the world. This is worrisome as Indonesia is home of one third of natural tropical forests, hence the nick-name ‘the lungs of the earth’, and has the second highest level of biodiversity. There has been a growing pressure on the environment caused by industrialization, urbanization and a growing population. Natural resources have been exploited for economic development, and policies and regulations have been neglected or did not exist. But the Indonesians are not blind for this, and it has been my personal observation that an environmental awareness is present in Indonesia. This thesis is a sociological study, analysing the social movement of environmentalism in Indonesia today, in the form of (inter)national organisations, communities and groups performing collective action – including political – in defence of the environment, and individual practices through sustainable lifestyles. The different forms are mainly identified by depending on case studies and (self-)conducted qualitative research. It takes into consideration the impact of environmentalism on Indonesia as a whole, on economics, society, politics, and the environment.Show less
China’s exceptional growth, since the early 1980s, has been accompanied by a startling rise in gender-wage inequality. Gendered occupational segregation is identified as a primary cause, and has...Show moreChina’s exceptional growth, since the early 1980s, has been accompanied by a startling rise in gender-wage inequality. Gendered occupational segregation is identified as a primary cause, and has been a prominent feature of China’s economic transition and integration into the global economy. The channeling of women into low-skill, low-wage occupations is an often neglected factor in the story of China’s export-led economic growth and the development of its growing service industries. The purpose of this thesis is to establish how the revival of traditional gender norms in China has contributed to high levels of occupational gender-segregation and rising wage inequality. In particular this thesis focuses on changing constructions of gender as advanced by the state, through social policy and labour regulations, and in state media.Show less
Textiles serve as a medium in the migration of cultural elements between civilizations since ancient times. This study seeks to investigate the migration of cultural aspects through textiles from...Show moreTextiles serve as a medium in the migration of cultural elements between civilizations since ancient times. This study seeks to investigate the migration of cultural aspects through textiles from India to Java between the first millennium and the eighteenth century, and from Java to Santiniketan, a town in Bengal, in the Indian subcontinent, in the early twentieth century. These regions shared an intriguing history of textile exchange during the periods mentioned. The case study will be a resist-dyed fabric called batik, which is popular in Bengal as well as Java, and the focus will lie on design elements such as motifs and patterns. Scholarly literature on the origin and evolution of batik in Java emphasize on the processes of ‘diffusion’, ‘adaptation’, and ‘acculturation’, while discussing foreign influences. These theories discuss the dissemination and the transformation of Indian foreign design elements in the recipient Javanese culture, but to a limited extent. In the case of Santiniketan batik, scholarly focus lies on describing batik as an indigenous tradition. Though Javanese inspiration is accepted, the transmission process from Java is not adequately dealt with. Interestingly, both in the case of Javanese batik and Santiniketan batik, foreign influences were transformed to an extent that they became ‘native’ in the local context. This thesis seeks to justify the significance of the process of ‘naturalization’, that is, the process of inclusion and transformation of foreign motifs and patterns in the context of the receiving culture to an extent that the original source of dissemination becomes of secondary importance.Show less
