INS3410

Gender and its representation in Indonesian societies

Proposed to be offered next in 1999

Barbara Hatley

8 points
* 2 hours per week
* First semester
* Clayton

Objectives Students successfully completing this subject should have gained an understanding of dominant and alternate gender ideologies and practices in Indonesian societies, and of the modes in which these are represented in cultural forms. Comparisons with Western feminist theories should have helped illuminate the particular nature of Indonesian gender experience and its representation.

Synopsis This subject looks representations of women and gender in Indonesian cultural forms - literature, performing arts and film - in the light of studies of gender relations in Indonesian societies, as well as feminist theories of representation. It seeks to establish links between the gender practices and ideologies of particular periods and social groups and the representation of gender in corresponding cultural forms. Acknowledging but seeking to avoid the danger of distorting Indonesian voices by imposing Western models, the course seeks to make use of the findings of Western feminist criticism to explore the particular nature of Indonesian gender experience and its representation.

Assessment Essay (3500 words): 50%
* Seminar presentation and written paper (2000 words): 40%
* Seminar participation: 10%

Prescribed texts

Sears L Fantasizing the feminine in Indonesia Duke U P

Recommended texts

Atkinson J and Errington S (eds) Power and difference: Gender in island Southeast Asia Stanford U P, 1991
Jayawardena K Feminism and nationalism in the third world Zed Books
Kerstan B (ed.) Forging new paths: Feminist social methodology and rural women in Java Zed Books
Gilbert S and Gubar S The madwoman in the attic Yale U P
Moi T Sexual/textual politics Methuen, 1985
Pramudya Ananta Tur This earth of mankind Penguin
Radway J Reading the romance: Women, patriarchy and popular literature U North Carolina
Showalter E The new feminist criticism Virago
Umar Kayam Sri Sumarah dan Bawuk (Sri Sumarah and other Stories) tr. H Aveling, Heinemann