Navigating Transnational Challenges: The Influence of Social Media on Indonesian Student Migrants in Sweden During the COVID-19 Era

This study examines how social media has impacted the decision-making process of Indonesian students in Sweden who are considering migration during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the unique circumstances of the pandemic, health and safety have become critical factors in the decision-making processThe research was conducted using quantitative and qualitative methods, which were highly effective in gathering data. A survey was conducted with 33 participants, who were selected using accidental sampling. In addition, open interviews were conducted with 10 participants from different countries, which provided valuable insights into the subject matter. Data was collected through online questionnaires and interviews across multiple social media platforms. Although there were some potential limitations in data quality and participant engagement, the methods utilized in this study were highly effective and produced reliable results. The study found that social media was vital in helping Indonesian students make informed migration decisions and obtain information about the pandemic. In particular, social media facilitates knowledge sharing and communication with friends and colleagues. However, the pandemic created temporary obstacles for migrants considering returning to Indonesia due to safety and health concerns

Community of Urban Arisan Mothers: Promoting Joy and Mental Health in Urban Residents

This study focuses on looking at the cultural dimension, promoting and spreading joy, and creating mental health in urban communities. The specific aim is that if mental health problems and stress are not handled properly, it can have a bad impact, especially when seen in urban communities, which are very busy and have very complex problems, and one of the things that is done to strengthen this is by holding social gathering activities. In the cultural dimension, of course, this is very interesting, as seen from the activities in urban areas carried out by mothers who provide and promote mental health in urban communities. This research is qualitative, carried out through observations and interviews with 18 informants. The results of this research found that the practice of social gathering is one of the solutions and interventions for maternal mental health in urban areas, and urban mothers can improve their quality of life. The meetings held provided solutions for their lives and improved their quality of life. This research contributes to the development of knowledge in the realm of health anthropology regarding the strategies and solutions used by mothers in urban areas to achieve good mental health

Etiology of Disease and Traditional Medicine in the Minangkabau Ethnic Cosmology System

Traditional medicine still has an important role in overcoming health problems in some Indonesian people, especially in people who live far from the reach of modern medical health services, such as Nagari Maek, Regency 50 Kota of West Sumatra Province. The relationship between the etiology of disease and the use of traditional medicinal herbs and plants by battra (people who heal) in the Minangkabau tribe needs to be explained. This research examines the etiology of disease related to disease symptoms, causes, concepts of health and disease, as well as physical treatment of sick people. This research was conducted in the Nagari Maek community, Regency 50 Kota with 5 informants, 10 of whom were patients or had been patients. The research uses ethnographic type qualitative methods, namely observation, in-depth interviews and documentation. The results of the research show that the diseases that occur in the Nagari Maek community are caused by personalistic causes (diseases caused by the supernatural through shamans who aim to cause disease) and naturalistic causes (diseases caused by food, unclean environments, conditions in a person's body such as blood clogged, blood not flowing smoothly and so on). Diseases caused by personalism, in general, battra perform external treatment by soaking the concoction and sprinkling it on the patient's body, distributing the air concoction throughout the sick person's body and emitting smoke from the concoction into the patient's body. Meanwhile, diseases caused by naturalistic causes are treated by using concoctions that have been made to be drunk or eaten by the patient being treated

Beyond Juvenile Delinquency: Youth Involvement as Perpetrators of Criminality

Adolescents' involvement as perpetrators of criminality in Indonesia has gone beyond the patterns of deviant behavior and actions categorized as juvenile delinquency. Adolescents' involvement as perpetrators of criminality has not been given much scientific attention in previous studies. This study focuses on the question, "How is the involvement of adolescents as perpetrators of criminality that occurs in Indonesia?" This study uses a descriptive qualitative approach to exploring the forms, characteristics, and factors that influence a teenager to become a perpetrator of criminality disseminated through online media coverage. The collection and reading of online news focused on news titles containing criminality cases involving teenagers by using the search keyword "Involvement of teenagers as perpetrators of criminality in Indonesia" on the Google search engine. The findings in this study show that the involvement of teenagers as perpetrators of criminality has gone beyond the deviant behavior patterns of juvenile delinquency. The context can be reflected through the forms and characteristics of the acts committed by teenagers, ranging from maltreatment, drug abuse, to murder. This study also recommends the importance of looking at the welfare of adolescents as perpetrators of criminality and the law enforcement process to obtain a comprehensive and more empirical understanding

Cultural Identity in International Relations: Analysis of the Concept of Polewali Mandar International Folk and Art Festival (PIFAF) in West Sulawesi Through Three Principles of Cultural Diplomacy

This journal aims to analyze the role of national identities in international relations through research on the Polewali Mandar International Folk & Art Festival (PIFAF), which is held in Barat Island. The current study makes use of a qualitative methodology and focuses on three principles of diplomacy in the realm of business, namely, mutual understanding dialogue, culture of exchange, and cross-border collaboration. This study clarifies how PIFAF functions as a crucial platform for enhancing regional identity and tying it in with international connections. This festival creates a space for the discussion of religious ideas, helps to reduce negative bias, and promotes religious understanding among international participants by showcasing festival essentials such as local cuisine, music, dance, and traditional rituals to foreign visitors. Such a plan creates new opportunities for positive public diplomacy. The four-point collaboration principle is explained in the PIFAF context. Through collaboration, this festival gives local educators and senior citizens a chance to interact with international partners and foster knowledge and creativity that can increase worldwide awareness of global development issues. All of the analysis indicates that PIFAF plays a significant role in developing strong local identities and, occasionally, creating new standards for international joint work. The principles of diplomacy in religion that are presented at this festival provide a starting point for understanding religious texts that are more widely accepted among many religious groups, have the potential to strengthen international relations, and encourage more intense global cooperation.

NTT Ikat Woven Cloths: Weaving Tradition, Motifs and their Symbolic Meanings

For most of the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) people, waving traditions and ikat woven products are not just common local product or cultural manifestations. Each motif in ikat woven product has its own symbolic representation. This is a qualitative descriptive study carried out using an ethnographic research model. The data was collected by observing a number of ikat artisans and their cloth products, providing deep interview to related parties in the manufacturing process including meanings behind the decorative motifs in the ikat woven clothes. This study relies on of data notes linked to the research object as well as images of woven ikat cloth products in NTT.  The result showed that the woven cloth products locally manufactured in NTT, with varied ornamentation and motifs are subject to local knowledge values and symbolic meanings that have a spiritual and mystical aspects. Many motifs on the cloth developed identify each regional area in NTT. Ikat cloth motifs are symbols of communication tools; i.e., Ende-Lio motifs associated with traditional rituals are represented by cloth motifs are the symbols for regulations that must be implemented by the people. For people of North Mollo, NTT, ikat woven product with identical motifs have widely been used for blankets and sarongs named as Pauf designed exclusively for males to wear. In Pauf, there are two interpretations of the rhombus-shaped symbols on Lulat Pohok and Lulat Kollo, which symbolically are the expression or reflection for social interaction between society and the ruler or king

Social Representation of Acupuncture: a Qualitative Study Among Young-Adult Cancer Survivors

Cancer prevalence in Indonesia presents a substantial challenge to healthcare, particularly affecting the young-adult demographic. As survival rates improve due to advancements in treatment, the long-term quality of life (QOL) for survivors becomes increasingly paramount. This qualitative study explores the social representation of acupuncture among young-adult cancer survivors in Jakarta, analyzing its role in managing persistent side effects post-treatment. In-depth interviews with five survivors reveal acupuncture as a multifaceted intervention perceived as less invasive and more aligned with natural bodily processes compared to conventional therapies. Findings indicate that acupuncture is not only employed to alleviate physical symptoms such as pain and fatigue but also to address psychological and cognitive repercussions, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Furthermore, acupuncture is appreciated for its cultural resonance within the Indonesian context, offering a sense of balance and well-being. Despite its less prominent role as an alternative therapy, acupuncture provides a sense of empowerment and control, enhancing adherence to treatment protocols and potentially improving survival outcomes. The study concludes that acupuncture represents a critical element of post-cancer care, advocating for an integrated, patient-centered approach that incorporates complementary and alternative medicines to support the comprehensive needs of cancer survivors. However, the study's scope is limited to a small sample size and a single urban setting, which may affect the generalizability of the findings. Further research is needed to validate these results in broader populations and diverse contexts

Navigating Cancel Culture in Indonesia: Understanding Cyberbullying and Social Control in Viral Cases (September-November 2023)

Cancel culture is a phenomenon that creates space for individuals to voice opinions and evaluate behavior that is considered to violate values and norms. Cancel culture can move in two directions, Cyberbullying and Social control. To study cancel culture in Indonesia, there are 5 viral cases (September-November 2023), namely: (1) The case of Pandawara's feud with the Loji Sukabumi Beach government, (2) The ice-cream case by Oklin Fia, (3) The case of abuse committed by members' children. DPR RI, (4) Case of bullying of Cilacap Middle School students, (5) Case of Palestine and Israel. This research explores the direction of cancel culture in Indonesian society, the role of social media and its impact. Using netnography, ten informants were interviewed, and sentiment analysis on Instagram and Analysis using the Naive Bayes model shows that of the 10 social media platforms, 8 of them are cyberbullying and the other 3 are social control. Social media acts as a catalyst for cancel culture in the rapid dissemination of information and the formation of public opinion. The consequences of cancel culture include boycotts, decreased product sales, and prolonged online debates. Frequent misinformation and the instantaneous nature of social media trigger cancel culture, especially cyberbullying, which results in material and mental health losses

Exploring the Social and Environmental Significance of the "Kang Pisman" Waste Management Movement in Bandung, Indonesia

"Kang PisMan" is a waste management movement in Bandung City focused on reducing, segregating, and exploiting refuse. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the meaning of the movement in waste management and the broader impact of similar initiatives across the city of Bandung. Adopting Herbert Blumer's Symbolic Interactionism theory, the study analyzed the society's interpretation of the "Kang PisMan" movement, through the exploration of diverse experiences and perceptions of the community, the underlying actions and subsequent responses originating from this definition were further investigated. The results showed that the community participation in the "Kang PisMan" movement was influenced by the meaning as an initiative addressing waste management, providing benefits, and emphasizing collective responsibility. The implications of this meaning on waste management movements lay in fostering community contribution based on awareness, thereby enabling the initiative to implement sustainability

Strategy for Elderly Women as Street Vendor in Kisaran Timur District

This research reveals the strategies of elderly female street vendors in Kisaran Timur District. The aim of this research is to determine the background, strategies and perceptions of society towards elderly women. The method used in this research is a descriptive qualitative approach. The informants in this study were six female street vendors who were determined using purposive sampling. Data collection techniques were carried out through observation, interviews, literature study and documentation. The data analysis technique goes through the stages of data reduction, data presentation, and then drawing conclusions. The results obtained from this research indicate that the background of an elderly female street vendor who works to fulfill the daily economy. The strategy used is to build relationships with consumers. The relationship contained in the strategy of elderly women with family elements who become regular customers, builds communication with consumers with the aim of building brotherhood. Public perception of elderly female street vendors, the emergence of feelings of sympathy, as well as positive perceptions of elderly women who work as street vendors. The conclusion from these findings is that elderly women work to survive, a form of struggle for the family, a habit of working hard