Practicing Sociology of Education - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Practicing Sociology of Education through Fieldwork: how did I approach Indonesian Domestic Workers in Hong Kong and what did Ilearn from them?

Prof.

Dr.

Makoto Ito

Tokyo

Metropolitan UniversitySlide2

Introduction-1Ladies and gentlemen, First of all, I express my great gratitude and honor to be invited here, the first International conference of Sociology of Education at Indonesia University of Education (UPI).On this occasion, I would like to consider the importance of fieldwork in sociology and anthropology for education, with using my data and field experience in Hong Kong. Slide3

Introduction-2: my first time field research To begin with, I would like introduce myself for a while. I’m teaching social anthropology at the faculty of humanities and the graduate school of human and social sciences at Tokyo Metropolitan University. My first long term fieldwork was done in South Sulawesi from 1983 to 1985. At that time, I , as a part time lecturer, taught Japanese at Hasanuddin University (UNHAS), with preparing a fieldwork. In next year. I moved to a rural village where I began to do a long-term fieldwork with so called “participant observation” method for one and a half year. This field experience was very valuable for me and almost determined my later study life.Slide4

1-1. Qualitative method in social anthropology and sociologyGenerally speaking, sociology gives importance on quantitative approach, while social anthropology on qualitative one. But, doing a fieldwork is indispensable to get real and confident data for both disciplines.

In qualitative

approach

in

sociology

or anthropology, good

data

can only

be got

through

good relationship between researchers and the people

concerned.

How people would give a honest answer if not based on good relationship with the researcher?

Through experiences

in

a fieldwork,

especially those of

anthropological one based on a long term observation

,

researchers come

to know

the ways

of thinking and

the ways

of life

among the people.

Such field experiences will

provide

not

only materials for

writing

ethnography or papers

but also

something like a tool for thinking, which may lead to comprehensive understanding of the people concerned. Slide5

1-2. Qualitative research in social anthropology

I was fortunate enough to carry out such long term fieldwork

before getting a post in an university. Indeed,

it was difficult for me to get enough time for conducting a long term fieldwork as before.

Now we will turn our eye onto a short term research.

Though I have been able to visit Indonesia after finishing the first fieldwork in1985, I didn’t have any occasion for a long term research since then. Instead, my short term research tends to be limited to a certain theme: transgender, migration, ageing, and etc. Below, I will tell you how I come to have an interest with Indonesian domestic workers (IDWs) who are working in Hong Kong.Slide6

2. Episode: How did I come to know an IDW in Rantepao, Tana Toraja

?

By chance: In 2009, there was the first International conference on

Toraja

people and culture. There I presented a paper t

itled “the birth of a new transgender in South Sulawesi.”

On my way back to Makassar, I dropped in a bookshop in

Rantepao

. There I met a young woman seemingly mid twenties behind the counter. She began to tell about her experience in Hong Kong.Slide7

2. Episode: How did I come to know an IDW in Rantepao, Tana Toraja.(Continued)She had once worked in Hong Kong as a domestic helper. In Hong Kong, minimum wage was assured, so not so bad her income at that time. According to her, she wanted to enter a

Sekolah

Tinggi

Teologi

to become a protestant pastor. Now, she has already finished her school and waiting a job call in some church.

Her story wa

s surprising and exciting for me because she became a domestic helper not for her poor family but for realizing her own dream. I thought her behavior is a kind of self investment, for she went overseas to open her own future, that is, for her own empowerment!

This was the beginning for me to pay attention on IDWs in Hong Kong. After a while, I decided to make a research proposal to conduct a research in Hong Kong. Fortunately, my research application was approved next year.Slide8

3. Some notes on Indonesian in Hong Kong

Indonesian

workers are now spreading over more than sixty eight

countries. Among those countries, Hong

Kong

is one of the

most favorite

destination.

Because Hong Kong has some advantageous points:

(1)permitted

to organize

labor unions

(2)

a day off

is officially given to foreign domestic

helpers (once a week).

(3)

a

public

space

is

open

to

them.

→

they can have the occasion to express

their feeling, performances, empowerment, collective activities.Slide9

4. Background (1) 1970s In 1970s, the Indonesian government is passive to send aboard women workers.

women’s role is not as a migrant labor but as a house wife (

housewifization

,

ibuism

) and the family welfare movements (

PKK

)

Transmigrant

policy

: a domestic migration policy (

transmigrasi

) targeted to send peasant families from Java or Bali to uncultivated areas like Sumatra, Kalimantan, or Papua.

Male dominant

international migration: Saudi Arabia, Malaysia (through unofficial channels)Slide10

4.Background (2):Migration IndustryRecruitment agencies,

PJTKI

are the main actor of the migration industry in Indonesia.

PJTKI

is, to recruit prospective migrants, to teach (ex. Cantonese) and train them in compliance with the demands of foreign employers, to arrange legal documents and send them as “

commodities

” to destination countries.

Among 500 PJTKIs, 89% of which are concentrated in

Java

.

The Indonesian government is internationally criticized for protecting PJTKI, not for migrants.Slide11

Table I suggests development international migration by Official ChannelSlide12

5. Female domestic workers as an export commodity They are often called “pahlawan devisa” (heroes of foreign exchange). Their remittance amounted to

7.1

million US$, equivalent 10 % of national annual revenue in

2007.

Female workers as

victims

case

A

.

“A female migrant labor returned

Karawang

with heavily injured and handicapped from Saudi Arabia” (July 11, 2011,

MetroTVnews

)

Case B.

“the

President SBY protests

Ruyati

execution in letter to Saudi king” (June 29, 2011, The Jakarta Post)

Case C.

“President: Indonesia to ban labor export to Saudi by Aug. 1” (June 23, 2011, The Jakarta Post)Slide13

6. Indonesian Migrants in Hong KongAmong 145,000 Indonesian nationals, 131,000 are female domestic workers in 2010.In 1984-89: 40 migrants, mostly male workersIn 1994-1999: 34,553 migrants →864 times!3,143 in 1996, 5,282 in 1997, and in 1998, the year when attacked the

Asian money crisis

and stepped down the President Suharto, the figure jumped up to

19,531

. Slide14

7. How did I approach IDWs?Following year, I flied to Hong Kong. At first, I visited the Victoria park , for it is very famous place where many IDWs come together every Sunday. Indeed, too crowded with young women. Most of them are Indonesian, but how can I approach them ? As a male field worker, I hesitated. Slide15

7. How did I approach IDWs?(continued)I have taken a contact with a scholar in Hong Kong University. Though it was the first time we met, she welcomed me openly. She was a cultural anthropologist and had a keen concern with foreign domestic workers, Filipino or Indonesian. After discussing for a while we came to know that we shared several research topics in common: migration and transgender. It was a pleasant experience that researchers can get along very quickly through common interest in discipline. She introduced me to an Indonesian worker, Emi ,who is very active and influential among IDWs in Hong Kong. Afterwards, I smoothly became acquainted with many IDWs through Emi’s social connection . Slide16

8. “Minggu pagi di Victoria Park”“Minggu pagi di Victoria” is the title of a movie which is directed by Lola Amalia, who is also a heroin there. As described in the film, every sunday

the park is very crowded, mostly people coming there are IDWs.

They are coming to Victoria not for just meeting and chatting with friends or having lunch together. We can observe there almost every kind of activities: singing songs, dancing, modern or traditional dances, ritual practicing, discussing their matters, reading books, writing short essays (

cerpen

), consulting by trade unions , selling luncheons, lending books, etc. Slide17

Lola Amaria dllSlide18

The Victoria Park as a meeting place: mobile phone is necessitySlide19

The Victoria Park as a relaxing placeSlide20

BMIの勉強会（Victoria Park ）2011DecSlide21

公園には　いくつも輪ができているSlide22

ダンス・コンテスト（Victoria Park）Slide23

ダンス・コンテストSlide24

BMIを前にイスラームの教えを説くウスタスSlide25

レバンランの礼拝(男性が前列）Slide26

8. “Minggu pagi di Victoria Park”(continued)Every IDWs must live in an employer’s house (mostly apartment). They sre not free to go out from the house except for taking employer’s children to and from school or kinder garden, taking elderly to

daycare, or go shopping for housework weekly days. So, a weekly day off, if they are given regularly, is the only occasion where they can enjoy their own time. It is in this sense that Victoria Park has a special symbolic meaning for them.Slide27

8. “Minggu pagi di Victoria Park”(continued)In Hong Kong, or other countries, foreign domestic workers are usually enclosed to a work place, usually, an employer’s house (apartment). Because of poor living conditions, they generally are given a very limited place to sleep. Slide28

9. IDW I met at V.P. (1) from a narrative“I came from Blitar, East Java in 1997. I got married at the age of 19 years old. My husband was peasant but didn’t have land.We got 2 children, but often having no job.

At the age of 31, I decided to be a migrant labor.

I registered at PJTKI and waited for 4 months.

I learned Cantonese while waiting.

I chose Hong Kong because I had heard that foreign workers were well protected there. Slide29

9.(continued)When I came to Hong Kong in 1997, there were not so many Indonesians here around the Victoria Park. As I believe in Hindu I became a member of WHDI (Wanita Hindu Darma

Indonesia), which was established in Hong Kong in 1996. At that time the members were 58 persons.

Every 2 years we must renew a labor contract. If my employer doesn’t want to extend the contract, I must look for a new employer

within 2 weeks

. If I can’t find a new one, I must go back to Indonesia.

This rule is very troubling.Slide30

9.(continued)As my husband was dead four year after I came to Hong Kong. Since then, my children were living with my grandmother. They have already grown up and breed fowl as a business. I will go back to my country next year. I get a salary HK$ 3,580 and send HK$ 1,000 to my children with keeping HK$ 2,000 for my saving.

I want to open a café at Blitar.Slide31

9. Narative (2): How they become members of Organizations in Hong Kong? When I was in Java, I didn’t know anything on political matters. Rather I felt fear to know it.when I came to Hong Kong, I was totally indifferent to migrant organizations which were active in political affair. But when I was suddenly terminated(fired), I didn’t know what to do, finally I went to a shelter where I met members of

IMWU

who helped me. Since then I became more conscious about the conditions we are facing.

　Slide32

IMWU gathering for demonstration to the Consulate of IndonesiaSlide33

An Activist of an Indonesian trade unionSlide34

10. writing activitiesThough most of them of a medium academic background, they have really active in writing. Their writings are appeared in some ethnic media: Suara, Apa kabar

,

Berita

Indonesia

,

Holiday

,… or in books.

Among IDWs in Hong Kong there are several writing groups. The largest one

is FLP (

Forum

Lingkar

Pena

)

, other group is like

Teater

Angin

. According to the chairperson of FLP, about

50 pieces of books

have published since 2002.Slide35

Books written by IDWsSlide36

10. writing activities: Banyu Insani Bayu Insani was born in Central Java. At the age of 18 years old, she was married with her neighbor though her husband didn’t have a job. Soon, the new family got trials of life. They had to borrow much money for the hospital expenses from their relatives. After having two children she decided to go abroad for work. After working in Malaysia for two years, then she came to Hong Kong in

2005

.

Bayu

is an active member of FLP.Slide37

10. writing activities : Banyu InsaniShe describes reciprocal flow of feeling between her and mama who is the mother of her first employer. There are also many suggestions how the Hong Kong people do and think from her own observation. objectification“There no discrimination on the quantity and contents of dishes between elder and younger brothers. All are get an equal portion from dishes.” from “

TKW

Menulis

”, Slide38

10. writing activities: Mega VristianBorn in West Java. Living in Hong Kong for 15 years. She wrote many pieces of poems and short stories and her works were appeared in Kompas, the most well known newspaper in Indonesia.

She is among the best known for her writing .

formed a group “

Teater

Angin

”

in 2009

and published a book “Y

am Cha

”, a collection of poems and short pieces by eight members. I will below introduce a short piece titled “

Boneka

dan

Gia

”, meaning “A doll and

Gia

” written by Mega

Vristin

.Slide39

We have published this book！Slide40

In this short piece, Mega Vristian depicts

lesbianism

among the Indonesian migrant workers. In Hong Kong, their contacts are almost limited to the women’s world. There are some

tomboys

who wear a manly dress with a short cut hair. There are others who would promise their love as a couple and hold a wedding ceremony with spending much money. But, they usually turn into normal if they return home. Referring there phenomena Mega describes an ephemeral nature of their life. Slide41

「女たちの世界」： BMIの間ではtom boyがもてるSlide42

12. IDWs in Hong Kong(1) It is generally considered that Indonesian Female Domestic Workers are vulnerable: trained and sending as an export commodity marginalized in a foreign country as lower workers, foreigners, and minority dominated under the unilateral contract by agency and employer. In short they are depicted as “victims” of globalization. But this is too one sided a view.

(2) They

are agency as

subject: as

a subject of political resistance

by organizations making solidarity, political appeal and

objection.

Though they are

objectified

in the context of “migration industry”, they can objectify through writing living conditions. They

can talk freely what they feel, see, observe, and think in

writing activities.

Slide43

BMIも学ぶセント・マリー大学Slide44

13. Cocluding wordsOnce my colleague of sociology asked me: “Why are you so often going to do a fieldwork?” To his question, I answered “It’s like a never ending story. If we do a field research, we can expect to find something new which are supposed to be connected with some more drastic change in the world. ”

In Hong Kong we could find a lot of women who want to explore their life by protesting, writing, expressing their own feeling directly. I believe this is a new phenomenon among Indonesian women: they never want to be passive being, they want to empower themselves by their own ways.

These findings are brought by a field research. If one of the objectives of sociology

of education

is to

make the best use of sociological knowledge

on

our contemporary society for the

sake of education, we have to be engaged to

update

our sociological knowledge

by a fieldwork.

Let’s doing a field work continuously. Slide45

Thank you !