Saturday, July 1, 2006

From Gender Consciousness to Gender Equality

Introduction
“There are activities in society such as cooking in the kitchen, going to the market and groceries to buy some food for daily basic needs of our family. Are those activities a part of gender or sex…?

This question was addressed to the group of ‘Gender analysis, Sensitivity and Public Policy Training’ in West Sumatra, Indonesia about three years ago. They were women in grass root communities. They had a chance to gain knowledge about gender through the training that was conducted by one of Non-Government Organizations (NGO) in West Sumatra. Two-thirds of the members chose sex as an answer and the others put this question in a gender category.

The reason why the majority of the group chose sex as an answer was not clear; they may have thought that this condition was natural. From their great-grandmothers, grandmothers to their generation, these activities have been always done by women, not by men. This condition implies that gender awareness is still limited in the communities. However, this is not their fault, because they had never received an education regarding gender awareness before. Of course, they did not understand what the gender concept is and how to make a distinction between an idea of sex and that of gender.

In the society where this condition is natural, it seems that people think women and men should play a different part of daily work. This idea has been taken for granted. In their society, ideally, men do some activities in the public space and women in the domestic space only. Men must be responsible for their family, meaning that they have to make living for their family. On the other hand, since women are stuck at home, their activities tend to inside of the house such as looking after their children and doing everything that relates to housing as a homemaker.

This stereotype still exists and has negative effects for women. For example, while they want to do activities in the public space as a professional in their career, they have to work twice as much as men do. Firstly, as a homemaker, they always take care of their children and work for their family. Secondly, as an employer at work in the public space, they have work just like male employers. Moreover, there are many obstacles in advancement of their career. Men are prior to women in advancement of their career, because many people still consider men as a head of family and women as a second breadwinner.
Gender and Sex

Actually, there are different concepts between gender and sex. According to Gailey (1987), gender differences are socially constructed. In addition, Heyzer (1995) said that gender refers to the differences of roles between women and men that were created socially. It has indicated that circumstances in one society determine what kind of role has to be played by men and by women. These roles change from time to time and are different from one place to another.

Women can play men’s role, as men can play women’s role. For example, on one hand men can do activities like women do such as cooking in the kitchen, taking care of their children as a homemaker, going to the market, buying vegetables and doing activities that women usually do. On the other hand, women can get a good job and a good position of a big company as men do, or women can serve as a leader of a political party.While gender is defined by social construction, sex involves biological perspectives. Gailey (1987) mentions that sex differences are physiological features related to procreation or biological reproduction. In addition, Fakih (1996) states that sex is omnipotence of the God for women and men as humans beings. Each sex has specific tools that cannot be interchangeable between men and women. For example, males produce sperm, whereas females produce eggs and bear children (Gailey; 33). Females also have their period every month and feed the baby.
Based on those explanations, a gender concept is determined through an agreement on roles of women and men. This is like a contract about roles that males and females play. Therefore, it is not wrong for men to do activities such as washing the dishes, taking care of their children and shopping, but in our society, women are reluctant to ask men or their husband to do those activities, especially when their mother-in-law or sisters-in-law stay at the same house with the family. Women who are homemakers are not brave enough to ask their husband to help them. Why do women behave that way? Because in our culture it is still hard for people to believe that men or husbands can do some work in the domestic space. It means that gender ideology has trapped in our society’s mindset. This is a kind of social obstacles for women who want to be equal to men.
Gender Ideology
Gender ideology is, as Prasetyo (1991) stated, a kind of human consideration in their society. They have clearly divided women’s parts and men’s parts in society. They created ‘two boxes’ based on their experiences and the process of socialization in their circumstances. One of the boxes is for men and the other box is for women. This separation has figured out that there are different parts and roles played by men and women in each box.This consideration has twisted people’s mindset, and it has left a strong impression deep in women and men in their society. The specific characteristics of males and females are set by the gender ideology. As a result, this condition has become a custom in that society and trapped their mindset about the roles of women and men in the society. In the end, this condition turned into a part of their culture.
This condition produced the gender bias and a kind of social obstacles, making it difficult for women to do activities in the public sphere as men do such as in political system. There are a little number of women in politics activities.ConclusionTo summarize, gender bias that concerns men only and ignores women’s roles has to be removed. It is important to foster gender awareness internally and externally. In order to reach this goal, internally, a family member has to teach and give lessons to the other members of the family about gender awareness. Parents should provide correct concepts about gender and sex as they bring up their children. As a result, their children have gender awareness from their early age. For example, parents should not disallow their daughter climbing trees for the reason that this action is done by boys, not girls.
It is not always necessarily for parents to give gifts for their children, such as dolls only for a girl and guns only for a boy. Externally, the government as a decision-maker has to establish public policies that address women’s problems. The decision-makers have to be sensitive about gender and give a chance for potential female representatives in Parliament. It is believed that women decision-makers, once they have reached positions with political power, can successfully create a positive change for women in the grass root level as well as for the current political system that contains many obstacles, including pressures to conform to the traditional political party doctrine and practice. It is hoped that internal and external change to spread gender awareness will produce gender equality in the society.
@selinaswati; 2002
References
Bayes, Jane H and Tohidi, Nayereh. Globalization, Gender and Religion. New York: Palgrave, 2001.
Dahlerup, Drude. Women in Parliament, using Quota to Increase Woman Representative in Parliament. Indonesia: Yayasan Jurnal Perempuan, 2002
Fakih, Mansour. Gender Analysis and Social Transformation. Indonesia: Pustaka Pelajar, 1996.
Gailey, Christine Ward. Analizing Gender; a Handbook of Social Science Research. Editors by Hess, Beth B. and Ferre, Myra Marx. California: Sage Publication Inc, 1987.
Norris, Pippa. Women, Media and Politics. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Prasetyo, Nunu A. Indonesian Women Movement. Indonesia: Tiara Wacana, 1991

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Volunteering Activities in the American Society

Reflexive Statement
This paper is based on my experiences in volunteering activities in two societies: Hawaii and my home country, Indonesia. I found that the biggest differences between two societies in terms of volunteer work relates to purpose and organization. In Indonesia, I think volunteering events are tied to the culture and nature surrounding us. A person in a community helps and lends a hand to the other people because there is a social pressure in their circumstances. Thus, a person immediately helps because many people do the same thing, just as expected help. It is more of a cultural tradition to help others. In contrast, I think volunteering activities in the US relate to professional development, for future career and more organized that using technology.
Since I have been here for 18 months, and I have been involved in volunteering activities events, I can find some differences in the style of volunteering activities. The differences add to my curiosity to observe and write in some field notes about volunteering activities in the American especially in the Hawaii community
.
@ seli naswati

Introduction
Volunteering was a new term for me. I heard the term ‘volunteer’ within two hours when I came to Hawaii in October 1, 2004. After we finished our immigration’s procedure at the Honolulu airport at 10:30 am, we, Sapril, Mefi and I, were three new comers who came together to Hawaii met two other Indonesian students. We did not know either of them, Sofie and Jailani before. “They are volunteering to pick you up at Honolulu airport,” said Kim Small, the Education Coordinator of the Office of East West Center (EWC), when he introduced us to one another.
Previously when we were still in Indonesia, we knew that Kim Small is the contact person will pick us up at the Honolulu Airport as soon as we came to Hawaii. However, we just realized that there were two students who were volunteering their time and their energy to pick us up too. “ Next, this afternoon, another Indonesian friend will escort you voluntarily to buy some groceries, phone card and anything that you need, you will be fine, because many students will help you,” Kim continued to explain while we were on the trip from Honolulu Airport to Hale Manoa Dormitory.
Then, I began to know about volunteering activities, which are amazing that can help many people who need assistance from others. As a new comer in Hawaii, I try to socialize and adjust with the custom in the new place for me and I learn something new about the ways in helping other people, organizations, and institutions.
Comparing to my experiences in Indonesia, we have the same thing like volunteering activities too. We help others with unpaid. We assisted and worked together that can give benefit for our community. The term that we use is “Gotong Royong” or working together. One of examples of ‘gotong royong’; everyone participate take turn to guard our community by working together (gorong royong) to protect our community from crime. It is similar to neighborhood watch team. Another example of gotong royong can be seen in a wedding ceremony, everybody is involved in helping the host family through their energy, ideas and sometimes money. If a member of a family passed away, the neighborhood will chip in money spontaneously and voluntarily to help them in burying the body. In the American society, I think it is slightly different. A special institution can manage the burial ceremony, and it is not part of volunteering work. The volunteering activities in the American society seem have different ways from Indonesia. In this paper, I will describe the volunteering activities that I engaged in so far. I also will illustrate the volunteering events, what does make it different, including organization and purpose.

Fund Rising Events
I did not write field note for these just two big events; Tsunami Fund Relief, and Katrina Fund Raising conducted by EWC in the short time after the natural disasters happen. Nevertheless, I recall and write it again based on my experience as a participant in those events.
Volunteering activities in the Tsunami Fund Relief in January 2, 2005, was one of the biggest events that attracted Hawaiian society. It is because of the Tsunami, the big natural disaster hit many countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia on Monday, December 26, 2004. The epicenter of the Tsunami hit an area in Aceh, Indonesia, but the impacts also influenced North Sumatra area, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India. About 14 thousand people became victims in Aceh. Thus, the Indonesian students, as part of EWC community had obligations to b involved in the tsunami Fund relief event held on Sunday, January 9, 2005.
Not only Indonesian students but also others students from different countries were involved in this event. We worked voluntarily for the success of the Tsunami fund relief. About 250 students joined the East West Center Participant Association (EWCPA) and EWC staff hand in hand, shoulder-to-shoulder to create the event would became more memorable for Hawaii community. In that event, we worked together all day. From early morning to afternoon everybody busily prepared for fund rising. We set up the stage and chairs for the audience that would to see our performance, set up some booths for the countries that were afflicted by the Tsunami and also display some pictures before and after tsunami, and current situation in those areas with large impact of natural catastrophe.
The performers who will perform on that event were also busy couple of days before on that day. Previously, we, the Indonesian students did a rehearsal in between the end of Fall 04 semester. Even so we had many academic assignments at that time including final papers and presentations, we have to do the rehearsal and showed as good as performance in the Tsunami fund relief. We spent time and energy voluntarily to practice the ‘Saman Dance’, a dance from Aceh where Tsunami hit this area. Other performers played songs by EWC students from different countries such as India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. All of them in order to entertain the Hawaii community who were invited to attend the event and donate as they showed their compassion to the tsunami victims.
I remembered that Tsunami Relief Fund hold in front of the Imin Center, started from 2:pm to 6:pm and attended by people from many places in Hawaii. The Hawaii community was coming to see the performance and donate their money immediately. It is about $235,000[1] as of January 6, 2005, has been collected as donations from Hawaii community for tsunami victims. As mentioned by The EWC’s President, Charles E.Morrison in a new conference on Friday, January 7, 2005[2];
Approximately $235,000 will be distributed directly to relief organization on the grounds that are working directly with Tsunami victims in South and Southeast Asia. We are touched by the extraordinary generosity of the people of Hawaii in responding to this disaster. Never in our life times has a natural disaster had such widespread impact over and entire region and never has the world as a whole responded so generously to those in need.

The generosity of Hawaii community in the Tsunami incident shows that people in Hawaii are familiar with volunteer and donation event. To date, a total of US $506,978 has been contributed to the EWC Tsunami Relief Fund[3]. This contribution comes from many generous people in Hawaii, UH students and EWC staff.
Another event as a mirror of volunteering experience was fundraiser for Hurricane Katrina Victims on September 24, 2005. Even though the number of donation less than Tsunami relief fund, but our activities showed the volunteering activities immediately built within EWCPA community.

Regarding purpose of volunteering activities, to raise donation up in Indonesia through ‘Gotong Royong’ term, it is slightly different from Hawaii. In Indonesia, we have some entertainments event to raise fund for natural disaster or any kind of catastrophe such as fire and flood, but it is not common to practice. It takes long time to manage the entertainment event, we need more supplies and people voluntarily work for this event, and the most important is the person who manages and is responsible for this event. Some entertainers create a live show performance in order to raise donation in the long term after Tsunami. People tend to help directly; they go to the disaster area to help the victims immediately. Some communities distribute donation boxes on the public road and every person who passes the road is going to give some money directly. This event was not organized, thus we did not know exactly how much money has been collected.

Community Service in EWCPA
Volunteer event also happen within our EWCPA community itself. It is very helpful for students as part of EWCPA community to help one another. For example, volunteering event that known as “EWCPA Shopping Shuttle”. This event need driver who volunteer back and for four times to pick up students who buy groceries in.
Every Sunday, the East West Center Participant Association (EWCPA) facilitates students who live at the Hale Manoa and Hale Kuahine Dormitory to buy some groceries off campus. From 9:00 am to 1.30:pm, one of EWCPA’s members voluntarily drives a shuttle to Manoa Market Place, Safeway and Chinatown. These activities really help students who are living on campus and those who do not have car and ride, to go outside to buy groceries.
Following is a description and route of “EWC’s shopping shuttle” every weeks; at 9: am the shuttle will be run to Manoa Market Place and then 9:30 am shuttle and driver will be going to Chinatown. After that, the driver pick up student who go to Manoa Market, continue to second run to Chinatown at 10:30 am, and then pick up students in the first run, continue to second, and third run at the same route. All of this activities finish at 1: pm
I impressed with the volunteering activities that helpful for almost all students in EWCPA community. It is because students cannot access easily any places off campus on Saturday and Sunday as the shuttle bus only can assist student to access out of campus during weekdays. In general, volunteer activities through driving students benefits other students and EWCPA community. “The EWCPA shopping shuttle is very useful for us. Thanks to driver and the coordinator who manage this activies,” Nazghul, astudent from Kyrgistan said. (Field note, Sunday April 16, 2006).

Volunteering in Public Organization
After more than one year in Hawaii, becoming a volunteer in some events has been familiar for me. I was involved in volunteering activities as one of the degree fellows of EWC. However, for the first time I got involve in the volunteering event that I had to communicate directly to the other people who I did not know them before seems slightly difficult. I did the HPR volunteer to pick up the phone in the early morning from 6:30 am to 9 am on Thursday, April 6, 2006.
Becoming a volunteer in Hawaii Public Radio (HPR) to pick up the phone, and communicate with the audiences. I had to ask them some questions relating to the donation that they contribute to the HPR, and I need to be patient and listen carefully. [The job description of volunteering is filling out the donation forms; the audiences mention their pledge, the amount of donation and their complete address and identity. The audiences make a pledge become a member of HPR and give donation for one-year period. Volunteer will ask the identity including name, address, how much they will donate for HPR and some premium will be give for donating to HPR].
Realizing that my English is not good, and for the first time I feel worried about the volunteering job that I am going to do, I recall the instructions that Florence, the Public Information Specialist, Office of External Affairs EWC, gave to us as soon as we came to HPR office in the early morning. These instructions including pick the phone, say hello and greetings, ask them how much they will be donate and ask about their address and identity completely and politely.
However, after I picked the phone up for the first call, it was at 6:50 am, I feel oy and I would like to do it again. The first audience whom I talked with Sodengi Mills, she is from Maui, at the first, the sound is not clear but then I can handle it and fill the form successfully. I can do it, it is not as difficult as I imagined before. Then I am somewhat curious in waiting for the phone in front of me; pick it up when the bell rings. The second phone that I picked up at 7.35 was from Stephen Hernandez in Honolulu, he donates same as Mrs. Mills; $120 per year. The third person the third person that I picked up his call is William Kepler in Honolulu too. He donated for $120 per year. The a person from the Big island, Elizabeth Weatherford, is the fourth call that I picked up and donate for $240. The last, Chyntia Tagiwada, again from Honolulu, she donate $60 (field note, Thursday, April 6, 2006).
The volunteering event on Thursday morning raised donation up to $230,474. at large, during volunteering three hours I picked up phone calls up 5 times and donation that we collect approximately $1,600. In between on and off air, I have a chance asked Derick Malama, a host of morning edition in HPR, what for the donation is.
He explains that the HPR conduct a pledge campaign to raise money to help pay for programming their purchase from National Public Radio and other sources and to help pay for day-to-day program for the next six month. “Thus, this event every six months..? I ask him and he said yes (field note, Thursday, April 6, 2006).

Another public volunteering event that I followed in December 18, 2005 was Happy Holiday from Foster Family Program. I recalled my experience as a volunteer in this event as one of the person who served the member of foster family who bring the kids who life separate from their parents, because they parents get trouble. On that event, my job description was served the family and the kids with food that I bring from the backside and served them in the front side. It is about 300 volunteers served 1.500 people. “The reason foster family program held this volunteer event to share happiness during Christmas time to the family and the kids. “They have been separated from their biology parents because of their parents have problems, but the kid must be happy in this time so we make it for them once a year,” Suzan Harada, a volunteer that brought me to this event.
List of Volunteers in Foster Family Program in Blaisdell center, December 18, 2005

Volunteering activities in HPR and Family Foster Program for me tends to get some new experiences. In HPR, volunteering activities like pick up the phone is the new experiences. We know the broadcaster system and how public organization manages the volunteering activities twice a year to run their organization (HPR).

Literature Review
Volunteering activities is a part of social life for people in Hawaii community. They are familiar with volunteer event and think that the volunteer activity is a part of social realities then continue become a pattern in the society. In a more detail, the social construction theory can be used to analyze the volunteering phenomena. Social construction theorists consider that what individuals and society recognize and understand as reality is itself a creation of the social interaction of individual and group[4]. Volunteering can be seen as social reality because individuals involved in the volunteering activities. An individual makes interaction with other individuals within this group that identify them is doing interaction as part of the group.
Volunteering event become part of Hawaii community culture, in contrast, it is something new term in Indonesia. In Indonesia, we have term for help one another, working together to help people and community with unpaid work known as “Gotong Royong’. In ‘Gotong Royong’ or working together events, we never think about reward and it is shame if people are not involve in working together as all people in the community working together at the same time. It seem there is social sanction for the people who do not involve in ‘Gotong Royong’. They get penalty as unsocialzed person and it is difficult for them to do next other activities in their community. Contradictory, there is no obligation for people who are not to do the volunteer job or not in Hawaii community and the individual choice; whether want to donate or not is respected. This different culture can be understood that different culture is different ways in social life. re
Furthermore, volunteering activities can be seen through Robert K Merton theory about Manifest and Latent Function[5]. People mean to do volunteering activities in order to help other people and due to their other intentions. Helping people immediately, without do not want to get reward including money. Nevertheless, people do the volunteering job for their satisfied themselves and make them happy themselves.

Method
Regarding the rule methods in this paper, I gathered primary data from interviews, and field notes that are based on what I as the writer saw and heard[6]. In some part, for secondary data, I recalled my experience as a person who involve in the volunteering event such as Tsunami Relief Fund, Katrina Fundraiser, and my experience in my country couple years ago. However, in general the reality in the field is also based on observation. I used participant observer methods in gathering data. As Emerson states, “Participant-observation fieldwork begins with the process of getting into place that is getting close to those studied and put the fieldworker in the presence of the on going social life to be observed and recorded”.[7] In my case, I as a writer involves in the field, not only as an observer but also become a volunteer and as an individual who helped by volunteer.

Conclusion
Volunteering events in Hawaii community seems more common than Indonesia. People choose volunteer job because they have a goal to help many people who need help. It also have another purpose to develop professional career.
They do the job unpaid and no obligation also. However, volunteering job is still having reward to the person who does it. The reward is not in money cash shape, but what the volunteers doing is make them happy.
Different culture is also make different ways in term of help another people. For instance, in Indonesia we know ‘Gotong Royong’ as a way to help other people with there is obligation to do it. If not, it seems social sanction will be follow people who do not join in ‘Gotong Royong’. In Hawaii community, volunteer is a individual job without obligation from the social community to do it.



Bibliography
Emerson, Robert M, “Contemporary Field Research; Perspective and Formulation” second edition, Long Grave, Illinois, Waveland Press Inc. p.113

Giddens, Anthony, Duneier, Mitchell, Appelbaum, Richard, Introduction to Sociology (5th edition), New York, W.W Norton & Company Inc. 2005, p.124
Merton, Robert K, Social Theory and Social Structure, Enlarged Edition, 1968 [1949],: New York, the Free Press, p.
Weinstein, Michael Lecture in Soc 609 class, Friday, February 10, 2006


--------“Quarter Million Dollars Raised For East west Center Tsunami Relief Fund”, News released East West Center Bulletin, retrieved April 18, 2006 from http://www.eastwestcenter.org/events-pr-detail.asp?press_ID=346


---------East West Center Tsunami Relief Fund Up date”, News Released, December 23, 2005. Retrieved April 18, 2006 from http://ewcupdates.eastwestcenter.org/tsunamirelief/1223-relief_fund.pdf


[1] ----------, “Quarter Million Dollars Raised For East west Center Tsunami Relief Fund”, News release East West Center Bulletin, retrieved April 18, 2006 from http://www.eastwestcenter.org/events-pr-detail.asp?press_ID=346

[2] Op cit p.1
[3] -----------, “East West Center Tsunami Relief Fund Up date”, News Released, December 23, 2005. Retrieved April 18, 2006 from http://ewcupdates.eastwestcenter.org/tsunamirelief/1223-relief_fund.pdf

[4] Giddens, Anthony, Duneier, Mitchell, Appelbaum, Richard, Introduction to Sociology (5th edition), New York, W.W Norton & Company Inc. 2005, p.124
[5] Merton, Robert K, Social Theory and Social Structure, Enlarged Edition, 1968 [1949],: New York, the Free Press, p.
[6]Weinstein, Michael Lecture in Soc 609 class, Friday, February 10, 2006
[7] Emerson, Robert M, “Contemporary Field Research; Perspective and Formulation” second edition, Long Grave, Illinois, Waveland Press Inc. p.113