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Traditional Birth Attendants as Guardians of Tradition Amidst Modernization in Javanese Culture
Get PDFThis study examines the enduring presence of traditional birth attendants in Batang Regency, Indonesia, and involves various stakeholders, including users of traditional midwifery services, healthcare professionals, and the general public. The research utilizes participant observation and in-depth interviews to collect data. The participants involved in the study include one traditional birth attendant aged 70, three traditional birth attendants aged 30-40, one midwife, nine women who have utilized traditional midwifery services, and seven community members. The findings highlight three key aspects. Firstly, traditional childbirth, facilitated by traditional birth attendants, continues to exist even in the modern world. Secondly, various factors such as belief or faith, emotional bonds, economic considerations, ease of access, and non-procedural approaches contribute to the persistence of traditional midwifery alongside other evolving practices. Lastly, the resilience of traditional practices performed by traditional birth attendantsindicates their adaptability to health sciences and their positive impact on maternal and child health
Mapping Pockets of Survival: Café Society in Post-war Cable Street
Get PDFIn our Shadwell food history walk, part of a larger ‘Food Lives’ initiative, we employed counter-mapping techniques to shed light on overlooked post-war migrant cafés, revealing their essential role in facilitating food security and community. These spaces, often central in marginalised individuals’ navigation through urban life, epitomise racialised resistance and survival. Their significance, especially the almost invisible contributions of women and men of colour, stands in contrast to dominant historical narratives. The spatial food heritage of Cable Street emphasises the longstanding influence of racially marginalised migrant communities, countering racism and racial inequalities. Drawing parallels to present-day East End eateries, often criticised yet serving as cultural hubs, the project underscores the enduring ‘sticky emotions’ tied to food, racial dynamics, and colonial legacies
Le vieux jacaranda / The old jacaranda tree / Jacaranda, pohon tua! A poem series in three languages
Get PDFThe three language versions of Ian Campbell\u27s poem series about the old jacaranda tree in a university coutryard presented here comprise a poem series in which he first wrote a poem in French in 1989, then an Indonesian language version which was published in the literary pages of an Indonesian newspaper (in Bandung, West Java) in 2004, and finally in English. Campbell regards this whole process as emblematic of his explorations in trilingual poetics, namely what does a \u27concept\u27/poem idea look like if done in three of the languages with which he has some degree of written knowledge or fluency: English, French and Indonesian. This mirrors the three-pronged approach he took in an earlier edition of PORTAL - Vol. 14, No 1, April 2017, where the three language versions he wrote on a single theme were in English, Spanish, and Indonesian
Introduction to Sticky Memories: The Emotional Landscape of Food
Get PDFThis special issue, Sticky Memories: The Emotional Landscape of Food, explores the profound impact of culinary experiences on our emotional and cultural landscapes. It examines how food, beyond its material form, becomes a powerful symbol in our personal and communal narratives. The issue engages with the concept of \u27stickiness\u27 in food memories, where culinary experiences not only linger but also shape identity, resist replication, and reflect complex sociopolitical realities. The narratives demonstrate food\u27s role in memory-making, highlighting the intricate intersections of taste, emotion and cultural heritage
Making dysfunctional municipalities functional: towards a framework for improving municipal service delivery performance in South African municipalities
Get PDFLocal government is underpinned by the principle that finding sustainable ways to meet the needs of communities through service delivery matters. Post 1994, the South African government opted for a ‘developmental’ local government system as a way of addressing the socio-economic challenges of historically disadvantaged communities. However, the scholarly discourse on service delivery in South Africa repeatedly highlights disappointing municipal performance. This study examined the need for performance evaluation of municipal service delivery in South Africa. Using a mixed methods approach and purposive sampling to collect data from 36 municipal managers of dysfunctional municipalities, the findings revealed that municipal performance was not evaluated satisfactorily; service delivery backlogs persisted and the impacts of deficient services on communities were not evaluated by either municipalities or communities. These findings justify a need for an effective evaluation framework for measuring municipal performance to assist municipalities to identify service delivery challenges and promote necessary change and improvement
Constraints on property taxation in Malawi: insights from Zomba City Council
Get PDFLow property tax collection rates are common in developing countries such as Malawi compared with developed countries – where property taxes account for over double what is prevalent in low-income countries. This paper presents findings of a study on constraints to property taxation in Zomba City, Malawi. The study employed structured questionnaires to interview 146 taxpayers identified through the snowball sampling technique. Qualitative data was collected from purposively selected key informants in the city council and government departments. The study found that the main constraints to property taxation in Zomba City are irregular property valuations, poor record keeping, weak enforcement mechanisms, a high non-compliance rate and negative taxpayers’ perceptions of public services. It suggests that automating the property tax collection system and building taxpayer confidence by demonstrably investing revenues in public services would increase property tax revenue for Zomba City Council, and that these lessons may have wider relevance
Government Communication and Social Cohesion: A Contradiction of Words in Action?
Get PDFThis article presents the findings of a 2022 doctoral study that examines the government\u27s communication for social cohesion in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipal Area, also known as the city of Durban, in South Africa. The findings and recommendations are applicable to social cohesion globally as evidenced by news reports of violence against women in New York, anti-LGBTQIA+ laws in Uganda, anti-Moslem and anti-Christian sentiments. The study employing a Likert-type questionnaire and focus group discussions revealed that government communication, measured against the Social Cohesion Index, surreptitiously changes mindsets but is undermined by its actions. Participants perceive slow service delivery, corruption, unfair implementation of affirmative action, racism, homo- and trans-phobia, marginalization of the disability sector, tribalism and dearth of leaders, as hindrances. The LGBTQIA+ and disability sectors are victimised limiting their inclusion in the economy and access to services. Recommendations include appointing credible leaders as social cohesion ambassadors, fair implementation of affirmative action policies and communication substantiated by tangible public services
Danish contractor’s application of the budget: Identifying purpose and comparing the budgets application level across job-position
Get PDFThe construction contractors compete in a low-profit industry, this makes cost-performance and the accuracy and the application of the budget critical. Despite the importance of a highly effective cost management, no studies have currently examined how construction contractors apply the budget. To determine how construction contractors apply budgets, a questionnaire study has been conducted, which included 128 construction professionals, from varying job-positions of whom 67 completed it, corresponding to 52.3%. The participants rated their budget application with regards to six categories. Afterwards a statistical analysis was applied to identify ranks, differences and correlations between categories and across job-positions. A Kendall’s Tau correlation test revealed a positive correlation between the categories and their application, and a Friedman’s Rank test identified the following rank between the categories: Management, Control, Planning, Motivation, Communication and Coordination. Finally, a multinomial regression analysis revealed that a higher hierarchical position entails a higher application of the budget for all categories but motivation. The new insights to budget application are highly relevant for construction professionals carrying out cost-management. The findings can be to make a better fit between application and the presentation of the budget, thereby strengthening the managerial capability of the budget
The Smile of Misery
Get PDFI looked at my favorite chocolate and offered it. Lifetime hardwork was swallowed by usurpers, seeds have volatile prices, meat is out of question. Lebanese are jobless, but Syrians are subsidised. Water is scarce,and some go to the spring to fill reservoirs if fule there is, and schools need fresh money. Yet, few worry about finding "foi gras", but others sleep early to avoid dinner. Winter freezes us. Torn clothes and worn shoes are burned for warmth. When hunger creeps, luxury becones meaningless. 
Sopa de Frijoles, Milpa, and Memory: A Memoir
Get PDFThis memoir reflects on the roles that milpa has played in my life as a child of the Salvadorian Diaspora and a solidarity activist with Central America. I use my lived experience as a site to explore how milpa, the tradition of maize, beans, and squashes and vegetables, are embedded with ‘sticky memories and emotions’, teaching lessons on family, love, difficulty, trauma, resistance, and resilience, across generations.  
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