Geopolitical Bodies: Media Discourse on the Indonesian National Identity

Muhammad Ridhlo al Qodri Sri Utomo

Abstract


The paper examines how Indonesian media contested for the Indonesian national identity, from the period of National Awakening (1908) to the period of Sukarno’s Guided Democracy (1957-1965), focusing on the issue of human body constructions. The paper is based on qualitative discourse analysis, applying Norman Fairclough’s discourse method, especially the analysis of discourse practices and social changes. The data were collected from several media, such as books, newspaper, and advertisements in the periods being studied. The study finds that the national identity contestations involved the struggle to construct and discipline human body, which were influenced by traditional Javanese culture, Dutch imperialism, Japanese occupation, and national independence spirits. In the Javanese culture, the body is perceived as a sacred site, while the Dutch colonialism has transformed this idea of sacred and collective bodies to the more secular and individualized bodies. The Japanese occupation has totally mobilized the human body into a collective single identity. After the independence, the human body discourse was closely related to the geopolitical tensions between nationalist (Javanese) and modernist (non-Javanese) discourses. The nationalist suggested that Indonesia needs to form a collective physical identity for nation-building, while the modernist suggested to accommodate cosmopolitanism and individualism to build national identity. The contestations for Indonesian national identity was not complete until 1965, which has also triggered the crisis of national unity in the middle of 1960s. The study also concludes that the discourse of human body was very important in the debate of Indonesian national identity.

 

Keywords: Human body, geopolitical body, discourse analysis, media contestation, Indonesian national identity.


Full Text:

PDF

References


Abdulgani, R. (1964). Pembinaan kesatuan bangsa. Jakarta: Departemen Penerangan RI.

Abdulgani, R. (1963). Pendjelasan Manipol dan Usdek. Jakarta: Pradnjaparamita.

Adams, C. (1966). Bung Karno: Penjambung lidah rakjat Indonesia. Jakarta: Gunung Agung.

Aidit, D. N. (2007). Which ideology is native? In H. Feith & L. Castels (Eds.), Indonesian political thinking 1945-1965 (pp. 310-313). Singapore: Equinox.

Akashi, Y. (1993). Japanese cultural policy in Malay and Singapore, 1942-1945. In G. K. Goodman (Ed.), Japanese Cultural Policies in Southeast Asia During World War 2 (pp. 117-172). UK: Palgrave.

Atkinson, M. (2000). Norbert Elias and the body. In B. Turner (Ed.), Routledge handbook of body studies (pp. 49-61). London: Routledge.

Bahagia. (1929, 1 May). Ramboet netjis (advertisement). Semarang: Author.

Baserah, S. (1929, 5 January). Perempoean dan bobbed hair. Pertja Timoer (Vol. 2, No. 13). Medan: Drukkerij Pertja Timoer.

Buhger, D. H. (1983). Perubahan-perubahan struktur dalam masyarakat Jawa. Jakarta: Bharata.

Dwidjo. (1952, 26 January). Mode dan kesusilaan. Nasional (No. 4, Th. III). Jakarta: Badan Penerbitan Nasional.

Dwidjo. (1952, 29 March). Wanita dan rambut. Nasional (No. 13, Th. III). Jakarta: Badan Penerbitan Nasional.

Dwidjo. (1952, 20 September). Kesusilaan. Nasional (No. 38. Th. III). Jakarta: Badan Penerbitan Nasional.

Departemen Penerangan RI. (1965). Perintjian amanat ‘tahun berdikari’ 17 Agustus 1965. Jakarta: Author.

Dewantara, K. H. (1962). Karja: Bagian 1, pendidikan. Yogyakarta: Taman Siswa.

Djatikoesoemo, S. (1944, 27 June). Arti peradaban dan keboedajaan di dalam pembentoekan masjarakat baroe di Asia Timoer Raja. Borneo: Borneo Simboen.

Fairclough, N. (1993). Discourse and Social Change. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Feith, H., & Castles, L. (Eds.) (2007). Indonesian political thinking 1945-1965. Jakarta: Equinox Publishing.

Feith, H. (2007). The decline of constitutional democracy. Singapore: Equinox.

Hatta, M. (1978). Pengertian pancasila. Jakarta: Idayu Press.

Hatta, M. (2007). Take the core of foreign culture and throw away the peel. In H. Feith & L. Castels (Eds.), Indonesian political thinking 1945-1965 (pp. 286-291). Singapore: Equinox.

Hauw, O. (1949, 6 February). Moderne vrouven. Star Weekly (No. 162). Jakarta: N.V.Hd.MIJ. & Drukkerij Keng Po.

Hotta, E. (2007). Pan-Asianism and Japan’s war, 1931-1945. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Istidjab. (1931, 18 April). Bagaimanakah keadaan zenuwen toean? Bintang Timoer. Batavia: Bintang Timoer.

Joesoef, M. (1917). Kitab pemeliharaan diri. Betawi: Balai Pustaka.

Keizer, W. (1916). Pangreksaning awak: Lajang bab kawarasan kanggo pamoelangan Djawa. Rijswijk: Blankwaardt & Schoonhoven.

Ken’ichi, G. (2007). Modern Japan and Indonesia: The dynamics and legacy of wartime rule. In P. Post & E. Touwen-Bouwsma (Eds.), Japan, Indonesia, and the war. Leiden: KITLV Press.

Koentjaraningrat. (1993). Masyarakat terasing di Indonesia. Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama.

Kumaratih. (1960). Pemeliharaan bagian-bagian tubuh jang kurang diperhatikan - Keluarga, No. 7. Jakarta: Jajasan Keluarga.

Kumaratih. (1962). Bagaimana merawat kulit kering - Keluarga, No. 8. Jakarta: Jajasan Keluarga.

Kumaratih. (1962). Home-wave: Untuk memiliki 3 model rambut - Keluarga, No. 2. Jakarta: Jajasan Keluarga.

Kumpulan Berita. (1965). BPS, aksi reaksi, Jakarta: P.T. Rakjat.

Kurasawa, A. (1989). Bangkitnya nasionalisme Indonesia: Budi Utomo, 1908-1918. Jakarta: Grafiti Press.

Kurasawa, A. (2015). Kuasa Jepang di Jawa: Perubahan sosial di pedesaan 1942-1945. Jakarta: Komunitas Bambu.

Lombard, D. (2008). Nusa Jawa: Silang budaya, Vol. 1: Batas-batas pembaratan. Jakarta: Gramedia.

Mangoensarkoro. (1943, 27 February). Zaman pendidikan sosial. Tjahaja.

McCormick, E. (1947, 5 January). Berbahajanya Koelit jang koerang terawat. Star Weekly (No. 53). Jakarta: N.V.Hd.MIJ. & Drukkerij Keng Po.

McIntyre, A. (2005). Indonesian presidency: The shift from personal toward constitutional rule. USA: Rowman & Littlefield.

Mrázek, R. (1997). Indonesian dandy: The politics of clothes in the late colonial period, 1893-1942. In H. S. Nordholt (Ed.), Outward appearances: Dressing state & society in Indonesia (pp. 117-150). Netherlands: KITLV Press.

Mrázek, R. (2002). Engineers of happy land: Technology and nationalism in a colony. New Jersey: Princeton University.

Oetomo D. S. (1963). Tata krama nasional Indonesia: Etiquette, bagian 1. Yogyakarta: Ganefo.

Ooms, D. G. (1927). Bab badane Manoengsa: Lan bab Pangreksane (translated from Dutch to Javanese by K. H. Soebrata). Betawi: Balai Pustaka.

Pemandangan. (1938, 12 February). Obat kramas tjap dewa (advertisement). Jakarta: Author.

Pramono. (1964, 12 July). Penjebat pelanggaran kesoesilaan. Minggu Pagi (Vol. XVII, No. 15). Yogyakarta: Kedaulatan Rakjat.

Raffles, T. S. (2008). The history of Java (trans. E. Prasetyaningrum, N. Agustin & I. Q. Mahbubah). Yogyakarta: Narasi.

Redaksi. (1926). Djalan boeat bersama-sama kerdja. Soeloeh Indonesia (No. 1, Vol. 10). Surabaya: Indonesische Studieclub.

Redaksi. (1947, 12 January). Roeangan wanita: Tentang dansa modern. Star Weekly (No. 54). Jakarta: N.V.Hd.MIJ. & Drukkerij Keng Po.

Redaksi. (1955, 5 January). Anti-gaun you can see. Harian Rakjat. Jakarta: Penerbit Rakjat.

Redaksi. (1960). Bagaimana pinggangku menjadi ramping. Api Kartini (No. 4, Th. II). Jakarta: Jajasan Melati.

Redaksi. (1961). Mendjaga potongan tubuh. Keluarga (No. 3, Th. IX). Jakarta: Jajasan Keluarga.

Redaksi. (1962). Mode untuk hari-hari istimewa. Keluarga (No. 11-12). Jakarta: Jajasan Keluarga.

Redaksi. (1964, 12 August). Jogjakarta dalam sepekan: GOWJ ngganjang rambut sasak/rok span. Pesat (No. 31, Th. 20). Yogyakarta: Jajasan Penerbit Pesat.

Redaksi. (1964, 23 December). Dengan semangat tavip terus mengganjang kontra-revolusi-subversi. Pesat (No, 50. Th. 20). Yogyakarta: Jajasan Penerbit Pesat.

Redaksi. (1965). Paduan djas jang serasi. Keluarga (No. 3, Th. XIII). Jakarta: Jajasan Keluarga.

Redaksi (1965, 25 July). Sket masjarakat: Tata karma. Minggu Pagi (No. 7, Th. XVIII). Yogyakarta: Kedaulatan Rakjat.

Redaksi (1965, 26 September). Penderita tjatjat. Minggu Pagi (Vol. 13, No. 26). Yogyakarta: Kedaulatan Rakjat.

Ricklefs, M. C. A. (2001). History of modern Indonesia since c. 1200 (3rd Edition). Hampshire: Palgrave.

Satoshi, S. (2007). Synchronizing body states: training the body at school and performing the body in the city. In W. W. Kelly & S. Atsuo (Eds.), This sporting life: Sport and body culture in modern Japan (pp. 55-66). Yale University Press.

Schurft. (1919). Penjakit koedis (in two Dutch and Malay languages). Batavia: Weltervreden.

Shilling, C. (2003). The body and social theory. London: Sage Publications.

Slamet, M. (2007). Let us not crawl back into our shells. In H. Feith & L. Castels (Eds.), Indonesian political thinking 1945-1965 (pp. 300-306). Singapore: Equinox.

Soegiarti. (1936, 1 May). Mendidik ada mengandoeng matjam2 hal: Pidato dalam perajaan R. A. Kartini di Gedoeng Pergoeroean Ra’jat Kramat. Pemandangan. Jakarta: Pemandangan.

Soekarno. (1958). Pantja-sila sebagai dasar negara, III-IV: Kursus Presiden Soekarno tentang pantja-sila di Istana Negara, tanggal 5 Djuni 1958. Jakarta: Kementerian Penerangan RI.

Soekarno. (1959). Penemuan kembali revolusi kita: Pidato Presiden Republik Indonesia pada tanggal 17 Agustus 1959. Jakarta: Kementerian Penerangan RI.

Soekarno. (1961). Persatuan total dengan Poros Nasakom. Jakarta: Departemen Penerangan RI.

Soekarno. (1962). Tahun kemenangan. Jakarta: Kementerian Penerangan RI.

Soekarno. (1963). Genta suara revolusi. Jakarta: Departemen Penerangan RI.

Soekarno. (1963). Kembalilah mendjadi bangsa Samudera! Jakarta: Kementerian Penerangan RI.

Soekarno. (1964). Bertjita-tjitalah setinggi bintang dilangit: Amanat Presiden Soekarno pada peringatan Hari Pendidikan Nasional di Istana Olahraga Gelora Bung Karno, Senajan, Djakarta pada tanggal 2 Mei 1964. Jakarta: Departemen Penerangan RI.

Soekarno. (1968). Lahirnja pantjasila. Surabaya: PT. Grip.

Soekarno. (1986). Tahun tantangan. Amanat proklamasi, Vol. III: 1956-1960. Jakarta: Idayu Press.

Soekarno. (1986). Satu tahun ketentuan: Amanat Presiden Republik Indonesia pada ulang tahun proklamasi kemerdekaan Indonesia 17 Agustus 1957 di Jakarta. Amanat Proklamasi: Vol. III 1956-1960. Jakarta: Idayu Press.

Suryadarma, U. (2007). Fight cultural imperialism. In H. Feith & L. Castels (Eds.), Indonesian political thinking 1945-1965 (pp. 306-310). Singapore: Equinox.

Taylor, J. G. (1997). Costume and gender in colonial Java, 1800-1940. In H. S. Nordholt (Ed.), Outward appearances: Dressing state & society in Indonesia (pp. 85-116). Netherlands: KITLV Press.

Taylor, J. G. (2011). Bathing and hygiene: Histories from the KITLV images archive. In K. van Dijk (Ed.), Cleanliness and culture: Indonesian histories (pp. 41-42). Leiden: KITLV Press.

Tim Penyusun. (1951, 15 February). Madjalah rakjat (Th. 2, No. 2). Jakarta: Djawatan Pendidikan Masjarakat.

Tim Penyusun. (1964). Pembinaan mental dan kesatuan bangsa. Jakarta: Lembaga Pembinaan Kesatuan Bangsa.

Turner, B. (2007). The body and society (3rd ed.). London: Sage Publications.

Wiedija H. S. (1955, 5 February) Menjongsong diskusi besar masalah demoralisasi di kalangan peladjar. Harian Rakjat. Jakarta: Penerbit Rakjat.

Zinoman, P. (2014). Colonizing minds and bodies: Schooling in colonial Southeast Asia. Routledge handbook of Southeast Asia history (pp. 46-54). New York: Routledge.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


e-ISSN: 2289-1528