Tri Marhaeni Pudji Astuti, - (2005) REDEFINISI EKSISTENSI PEREMPUAN MIGRAN KASUS MIGRAN KEMBALI DI GODONG, GROBOGAN, JAWA TENGAH. Doctoral thesis, Universitas Negeri Semarang.

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Abstract

ABSTRACT Research on female migrant workers focusing on law, economy, and sexual harassment has been substantially conducted. Reports in the form of media reportage dealing with this issue have been widely exposed. Yet, research on what underlie their decision to be migrant workers, how they feel about it, and their shifting roles in their households and community has not been done so far. Their working overseas has created new experience for them, and it has changed them to be ‘somebody else’ totally unlike they used to be. Based on this pervading fact, this study was aimed at revealing, redefining the existence of female migrant workers in the form of constructing, deconstructing and reconstructing, which finally will result in reconceptualization, both at individual and societal levels enabling a clear, comprehensive understanding about female migrant workers, as well as inter- gender shifting relation in line with their changed status as bread-winners by using their experiences and points of view as the main sources. The study was conducted in Sub- District Godong of Grobogan Regency in Central Java as the focus, Malaysia and Singapore within an intermittently long period of time with the intention of gathering comprehensive data in relation to their homecoming. Data collection commenced in December 1999 and lasted in June 2003. The subjects of the study were femaleworking migrants or ex migrant workers, their family members (husbands, children and parents) and actors of migration networks. Gender Anthropology and Psychology Humanistic approach with qualitative method etnografi model, used to analysed data, until can be uncover migration- related meanings and symbols and socio-cultural changes in migrant women’s experience. The most salient finding of the study suggests that the income increase and the status as breadwinners did not correspond with their strengthened bargaining position within their household and society, due to the pseudo social reward they gain. The spouse adaptation pattern is that of a pseudo one as well. In addition, their working overseas has resulted in changes of inter-gender marital relation and relational evaluation between migrantparent, migrant- descendant, and migrant- spouse. The relational evaluation can be seen in some cases of permissiveness in the form of changed values, behaviours, and attitudes towards their left spouses, parents and children. Basic relational evaluation also takes place among migrant workers and their parents because as daughters they have proven themselves to be able to ‘control’ their parents’ life-cycles. Some redefinition of social concepts of males as breadwinners, the value of daughters, and marital life have evolded in line with the migration. The existing construction of values and concepts that always say ‘done and for man only’ have started to undergo deconstruction, allowing females to do what used to be done by their counterparts. The study found out that in Godong, almost all women (migrant mothers and xxv grandmothers), while taking care of their grandchildren, took part in gambling, an activity done only by men in the past. The weakening traditional bound and inter- generation missing - link are of interesting findings to note.The sent remittance not only was economically beneficial but also a very potential cause of migrant’s interfamily members conflicts. More interestingly to note here, almost all migrant workers proved to be unaware of their existence both as females and workers. They felt to be limen, and ‘out of nowhere’. This means that their identity representation is also limen, resulting in their ‘nervousness’ due to their inability to redefine their existence. The identity representation in the form of exhibiting foreign life-style and way of life, wearing imported articles back home serve as distinctive signs of their liminality and their socio-cultural changes in the life of migrant workers. Consequently, one of the solutions to do is by self- empowering female migrant workers, by means of making them aware of a lot of matters dealing with their gender roles and destiny. They should be made aware that gender and destiny are of two different things. This can be done not by means of complicated theoretical constructs in text-books, but in the form of interestingly packaged stories in inviting media like comics, carricaturs, or plays in which migrant workers may take part.

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