© 2013 Tutin Aryanti
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
© 2013 Tutin Aryanti BREAKING THE WALL, PRESERVING THE BARRIER: GENDER, SPACE, AND POWER IN CONTEMPORARY MOSQUE ARCHITECTURE IN YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA BY TUTIN ARYANTI DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture in the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2013 Urbana, Illinois Doctoral Committee: Professor D. Fairchild Ruggles, Chair Professor Valerie J. Hoffman Professor Kathryn H. Anthony Professor Mimi T. Nguyen ABSTRACT Sex segregation, particularly one that is reinforced in the name of religion, is often blamed for fortifying gender discrimination in society as a whole. This dissertation examines this assumption in Islamic society and investigates how such segregation may actually benefit Muslim women. This dissertation specifically asks how sex segregation has been defined among Muslims in Yogyakarta (Indonesia), who holds the authority to form the definition, and how gender separation is translated into mosque spaces and internalized through societal life. Guided by postcolonial feminist theory and poststructuralist visual theory, it further questions not only how gender conceptions permeate the architectural space of the mosque but also how architectural space helps to shape the larger landscape of gender relations. The mosques of Yogyakarta, comprising Masjid Gedhe Kauman, Musalla ‘Aisyiyah, Musalla Ar-Rosyad, Masjid Keputren, and Masjid Panepen, and the ‘Aisyiyah organization (founded in the early twentieth century) provide a case study for studying how sex segregation is imposed through social and spatial practices. Using data obtained through ethnographic research (participant observation and in-depth interviews) and archival records pertaining to the establishment of these mosques, which include mosques exclusively for women and prayer spaces set aside for them within the congregational mosque, the architectural layout of the mosques is revealed as a spatial translation of the control of the gaze upon women and their sexuality. The control is a disciplinary mechanism of spatial and visual segregation that privileges men and posits the mosque as a space for men. Yet despite this apparent discrimination, segregation can also facilitate women’s access to resources in public space such as the mosque. Because the Javanese mosque as an institution provides space for the express use of women, and thus opportunities for their ii leadership in that context, it serves as an important political space. By examining how gender difference is accommodated and controlled in these five mosques, this dissertation seeks to provide a model of analysis in architectural studies that may be broadly applicable to promote social justice in the religious sphere. iii Dedicated to my sisters in Islam and those who stand by them along the gender jihad iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I feel a profound sense of gratitude toward my mentors and teachers, without whom I never would have learned what it means to struggle for academic maturity and to fight against my own inadequacies of comprehension and scholarly competence. This project has its roots in my work during 1999-2000 when I joined the Masjid2000 team to document the mosque architecture on Java island. I then developed the issue of gender in mosque architecture in my master’s thesis, under the supervision of Dr. Yuswadi Saliya and Dr. Iwan Sudrajat, as well as Dr. Bagoes P. Wiryomartono, whom I would like to thank for sowing the seed of this intellectual journey. I would like to bestow my deepest gratitude to my academic and dissertation adviser, Dr. D. Fairchild Ruggles, who continually and convincingly conveyed confidence and a spirit of intellectual adventure in research and scholarship. I thank her for introducing me to advanced theories, which serve as the heart of this dissertation, through which architecture and space are seen more profoundly. I especially thank her for always being there for me. Being a prolific scholar and a caring mentor, she is an inspiration that I will always look up to. To Dr. Valerie J. Hoffman I am indebted for guiding me through a panoramic view of Islamic feminism, without which I would have been confined by my own subjectivity as an insider. I am indebted to Dr. Kathryn H. Anthony for inspiring me to see architecture from diverse perspectives and teaching what it means to design for diversity. I owe Dr. Mimi T. Nguyen for provoking me to think more critically about architecture, space, and gender issues. Her class has provided me with guidance to incorporate postcolonial feminist theory, poststructuralist theory, ethnography, and architectural studies. I have been so blessed to have such wonderful dissertation committee members. To them I would v like to express my sincere gratitude for their insightful comments and intellectual engagement throughout this project. My academic experience in the United States of America has been made possible by the invaluable intellectual and emotional supports from many colleagues and friends, whom I cannot name individually. Foremost among these are Ahmad Rida Soemardi, Dr. Sophie Dewayani, Yuni Sari Amalia, Aria Novianto family, Basir Achmad family, Andi Irawan family, Dr. Merlyna Lim, Dr. Abidin Kusno, Eko Purwono, Dr. Indra Djati Sidi, Dr. Elin Driana, Dr. Vina Adriany, and Dr. Bana Kartasasmita who have been my mentors and supporters even since before the journey began. I am also grateful that my colleagues at Indonesia University of Education always give me their supports. Being part of the academic community at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign is a memorable moment that I am always grateful for. I enjoyed conversing with Dr. Dianne Harris, Dr. Rebecca Ginsburg, Dr. Lynne Dearborn, Dr. Ken Cuno, Dr. Junaid Rana, Dr. Elizabeth Sweet, and Dr. Amita Sinha and deeply appreciate their enthusiasm and thoughtful insights into my project. I am also thankful for having talented and supportive classmates; among of them are Susan Johnson-Roehr, Sonal Mithal, Majd Musa, Rosemary Admiral, Fang Xu, Altaf Engineer, Douglas Williams, Zheng Li, and Chia-Hui Wang. I also thank Christopher Wilcock, Molly Helgesen, and Gary Ambler for being always ready for any administrative issues that I encountered at the school. I would like to thank the Indonesian and Malaysian community in Urbana, Champaign, and Savoy who have been very kind, warmheartedly embracing me and my family. Moreover, the Muslim community in the area has been a family to us and these all have made Urbana our second home. I have an innumerable debt to the men and women I worked with at the Kauman village and the Yogyakarta Sultanate palace. I cannot name them for the sake of vi confidentiality but without their patience and hospitality, it would not have been possible for me to write about many issues that I addressed in this dissertation. I particularly thank Pak Budi Setiawan of Masjid Gedhe Kauman who kindly accepted me and helped me find access to most important informants in my research. My pursuance of the doctoral program at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign has been made possible with the auspices of the Fulbright Scholarship, the PEO International Peace Scholarship, and the American Indonesian Cultural Educational Foundation Award. The fieldwork was conducted with the general supports from the Barbara A. Yates Award, Alan K. and Leonardo F. Laing Memorial Fellowship, and the University of Illinois Graduate College Dissertation Travel Grant. During the write-up stage of this dissertation, I was fortunate to be supported by the American Association of University Women International Fellowship and the Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities Graduate Student Fellowship. I also obtained fruitful experience and invaluable scholarly networks through conferences that I attended during my doctoral years. These were supported by the University of Illinois Graduate College, Women and Gender in Global Perspectives, and the South East Asia Award. I also would like to thank my family in Indonesia, especially my parents, Siti Alimah and Mustarsid, and my in-laws, Andi Kalaru and Andi Tahir Hamid, for their unconditional love, support, and prayers. I extend my heartfelt thanks to my cheerful children, Andi Muhammad Zulqarnain and Andi Kavi Satyagir, who have been my most enthusiastic fans, supporters, and entertainers. Finally, I owe my deepest gratitude to my beloved husband and partner, Andi Muhlis, my beacon of support, spirit, and understanding. Without his perpetual support, this invaluable journey would not have been possible. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ix List of Figures x Chapter 1 Introduction: Gender, Vision, and Power in Religious Space ...................... 1 Chapter 2 The Women’s Prayer Spaces as Described and Seen .................................. 42 Chapter 3 Methodology: Researching Gender, Space, and Power .............................. 108 Chapter 4 Making Women Invisible at the Sultanate Mosques ................................... 159 Chapter 5 The “Other” Space: The Women’s Mosques in Kauman ............................. 210 Chapter 6 Gendered Borders and Political Space ........................................................ 269 Chapter 7 Conclusion: Revisiting Islamic Gendered Space .......................................... 308 Bibliography ..................................................................................................................... 321 Appendix A Glossary .......................................................................................................