Trauma, Gender, and Traditional Performance In
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles The Art of Resistance: Trauma, Gender, and Traditional Performance in Acehnese Communities, 1976-2011 A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Women’s Studies by Kimberly Svea Clair 2012 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION The Art of Resistance: Trauma, Gender, and Traditional Performance in Acehnese Communities, 1976-2011 by Kimberly Svea Clair Doctor of Philosophy in Women’s Studies University of California, Los Angeles, 2012 Professor Susan McClary, Chair After nearly thirty years of separatist conflict, Aceh, Indonesia was hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, a disaster that killed 230,000 and left 500,000 people homeless. Though numerous analyses have focused upon the immediate economic and political impact of the conflict and the tsunami upon Acehnese society, few studies have investigated the continuation of traumatic experience into the “aftermath” of these events and the efforts that Acehnese communities have made towards trauma recovery. My dissertation examines the significance of Acehnese performance traditions—including dance, music, and theater practices—for Acehnese trauma survivors. Focusing on the conflict, the tsunami, political and religious oppression, discrimination, and hardships experienced within the diaspora, my dissertation explores the ii benefits and limitations of Acehnese performance as a tool for resisting both large-scale and less visible forms of trauma. Humanitarian workers and local artists who used Acehnese performance to facilitate trauma recovery following the conflict and the tsunami in Aceh found that the traditional arts offered individuals a safe space in which to openly discuss their grievances, to strengthen feelings of cultural belonging, and to build solidarity with community members.
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