Welcome to ‘Indonesia’! Feminist Readings of “teach yourself Indonesian” Self-Learning Language Course1

Abstract

Coinciding with the celebration of 80 years of Sumpah Pemuda 1928, this paper offers a feminist close reading of the “teach yourself Indonesian” self-learning language material. “Teach yourself Indonesian” offers for the English speaking world, ways to learn bahasa Indonesian, but it also offers ways to “discover” Indonesia and Indonesians. The close reading provided in this paper draws from the perspective that concepts, ideas and norms are constituted through reiteration in everyday social practices, such through repetition of the sixteen learning units of the “teach yourself Indonesian”. This paper aims to illustrate from the readings of the learning units, who are the “normalized” students of Indonesian language, and who, on the other hand, Indonesians and Indonesia with whom the students will interact, with a particular focus on constructs and boundaries of gender norms. Paper also briefly reflects the “forgotten” events of May 1998, that form an important part of the authors process of learning Indonesia(n).