International Journal of Cultural and Art Studies

Semiotic Analysis of Overthinking in Music Vidio Takut by Idgitaf

2023-03-24T15:09:44+07:00

Overthinking is one of the big problems for young people nowadays. The release of the music video of Takut by Idgitaf is very relatable to the overthinking phenomenon that occurs in young people. This research aims to analyze overthinking representations in the music video of Takut by Idgitaf. The method used in this analysis is qualitative and the theory of Roland Barthes to identify myth, denotation, and connotation meanings in the video. Semiotic signs are found in the music video Takut by Idgitaf, both visually through video and verbally through the lyrics. The research proves that the music video for this song of Takut by Idgitaf has been signed visually and verbally, describing a person's overthinking attitude towards everything, especially young people. This song explores the feelings of young people nowadays about the stress of thinking about the future, the fear of failure, and the anxiety about getting older also means increased responsibility. Besides, this song conveys how young people can deal with overthinking.

Exploring the Costume Styling and Material Composition of the Effutu Festival Costumes

2023-04-14T09:31:59+07:00

This study investigates the costume styling and material composition of Effutu festival costumes. It is delimited to Effutu festival performance costumes. The qualitative design was adopted. The ethnography approach was employed through narrative analysis and oral history. Unstructured interviews and on-site direct observations were the qualitative data collection instrument used for the data collection. The narrative analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that historically costumes are seen as relics that can tell the story about the exploits and traditional mythologies of the communities. Again, costumes that materialise culture and identities do not just mirror pre-existing sets of ideas or symbolic systems but facilitate values as ‘they form part of an ethnohistorical repository of knowledge. The findings further revealed that, costume styling could be categorised into Royal, Ritual, Asafo (war/battle), Generational, Women ensembles (Adzewa costumes) and Fanciful costumes. The basic material composition of costumes includes fabrics (both applied and structural designs), leather, horsetail, metal helmets, pillows, kaolin, beads (plastic and glass), mpoboa (shoes), symbolic colours and other material collaboration. It is recommended that costumes used for the Effutu festival be recorded and digitalised for future reference.

The Traditional Karonese Oil as Ancestral Heritage

2023-03-24T16:12:01+07:00

Every indigenous people are familiar with traditional medicine and medical techniques in order to maintain life in an atmosphere of support for community medicine and medical techniques. Traditional knowledge, especially traditional medicine, is Karonese Oil which has important benefit. This study examines the openness of the ancestral heritage of traditional knowledge of Karonese Oil. In this study, it is hoped that a renewal of regulations on traditional knowledge is closely related to regulations on the protection of traditional medicine because of medicine and techniques that have not received adequate legal protection. Data collection is carried out descriptive qualitative research, descriptive is a problem formulation that guides research to explore or portray the social situation to be studied thoroughly, broadly and in depth to craftsmen or traditional Karo oil activists. The data were analyzed qualitatively by using a legal theory approach as a rationale. Indigenous peoples rule on the protection of traditional knowledge of ancestral heritage of traditional Karo tribe oil. The Karonese tribe has various kinds of knowledge of medicine and traditional medicine techniques, especially Karonese oil. Updating on traditional knowledge that are closely related to regulations on the protection of traditional medicine due to inadequate medicines and techniques. This is in the form of regulations concerning the draft law on the protection and use of intellectual property, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, which until now have not been ratified by the Government.

Religious Identity Negotiation in Japanese-Indonesian Intermarriage

2023-04-01T16:09:25+07:00

This research is qualitative research using a life story approach. The informants of this study were seven Indonesian Muslim women and one Christian who married a Japanese man living in Japan. The study analyzes how religious identity is negotiated in the marriages of Japanese men and Indonesian women. The previous research informants were three Indonesian women who married Japanese people in Indonesia. The prior research indicates that all Japanese husbands follow the religion of their Indonesian wives. This study finds that all Japanese husbands, before marriage, follow the religion of their Indonesian wives. Still, after marriage, some continue to follow the informant's religion, while others return to their previous religion. Seven informants kept their religion, but one person converted to the religion of a Japanese husband. Two informants entered marriages with different religions. One informant who did not want to follow her husband's religion had a severe conflict because of the intervention of the informant's mother-in-law. Husbands generally do not question the religion of their wives, but disputes arise in cases where Japanese husbands adhere to a particular religion. The Indonesian wife's family and several Japanese husband's families also intervened in the religious negotiations. The religious change of Japanese men before marriage is initially more of a consideration for the smooth running of the marriage process. Research on intermarriages between Indonesians and Japanese is minimal. Research like this needs to be done because the number of intermarriages is increasing. This research brings valuable knowledge to prospective Indonesian and Japanese intermarriages.

Japanglish: The Benefits of English Proficiency for Japanese Language Students' Vocabulary Acquisition in North Sumatra

2023-04-28T09:56:17+07:00

Japanglish is a popular term for absorbing English words into the Japanese language. The phenomenon emerged due to the global usage of English as an international language, which has influenced other languages, including Japanese. As a result, many English loanwords have been absorbed into the Japanese language, particularly for modern terminology. These loanwords are known as gairaigo (外来語) or katakanago (カタカナ語). Although the incorporation process involves morphological and phonological changes, English loanwords are easily recognizable to those who understand English. This study aims to prove that English Proficiency among Japanese language learners can help improve their mastery of Japanese vocabulary and conversational ability. The study was conducted by providing special instructions on the formation and usage of Japanese loanwords in conversation. The study approach is qualitative with a descriptive method, employing behavioral theory and pre-test and post-test evaluation methods. Data were collected through observation of the teaching process and pre-test and post-test results from Japanese language students in Sumatra Utara. The findings indicate that English language proficiency among students offers advantages and influence in the mastery of Japanese vocabulary, especially in loanwords, and facilitates communication in conversation.

The Lioness of African Music: Cultural Interpretation of Wiyaala’s Stage Costume Art

2023-04-19T11:38:57+07:00

In stage performance, costume art is an essential visual signature device with the veracity to unveil the character and cultural identity of the performer. Stage costume art could also be deployed to respond to pertinent societal issues. In spite of its versatile essentiality in performing arts, there seems to be a dearth of scholarly interpretation of stage costume art of Ghanaian musicians, thereby creating a knowledge gap. This qualitative case study makes a hermeneutical interpretation of eight random-purposively sampled stage costumes of Wiyaala (a Ghanaian female musician) to establish their cultural symbolism. The study found Wiyaala not only an iconic Ghanaian artiste but an internationally recognised musician who toured many countries across Africa, Europe, the Americas, and other continents for musical stage performances. It emerged that Wiyaala’s stage costumes were locally self-constructed, and ably reflected the uniquely versatile indigenous African (Ghanaian) dress cultural identity in respect of African (Ghanaian): royal dress fashion, war costumes, initiation costumes, and others. Wiyaala could be said to have prioritised interest in using her locally sourced stage costume art to promote and preserve indigenous African (Ghanaian) dress cultural identity. Since Wiyaala is an iconic musician, she is encouraged to continue deploying locally sourced costume art for her stage performances to promote and preserve African (Ghanaian) dress cultural identity for posterity. This tends to decolonise the stage costume choice of many Ghanaian musicians with its cascading impact on the Ghanaian textile and fashion industry for economic and job gains.