Koentjaraningrat
Encyclopedia
Kanjeng Pangeran Haryo Prof. Dr. Koentjaraningrat (kʊntʃaraˈniŋrat; 15 June 1923 – 23 March 1999) was an Indonesia
n anthropologist. He is sometimes referred to as "the father of Indonesian anthropology".
on 15 June 1923 to a Pakualaman
family. His mother wanted him to obtain a Dutch education, so he was educated at Europeesche Lagere School, followed by Middelbare Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs and Algemeen Middelbare School in Yogyakarta, later moving to Jakarta
to finish his schooling. He became fluent in Dutch
and English
.
During the Japanese occupation of Indonesia
, Koentjaraningrat was working at the National Library of Indonesia
. He was tasked with escorting books from Jakarta to Yogyakarta for safekeeping. He later enrolled at Gadjah Mada University
, majoring in Indonesian literature
, because the political situation did not allow him to return to Jakarta.
After the Japanese withdrawal from Indonesia, Koentjaraningrat joined the 29th Brigade of the Student Forces as an English and history teacher. He was stationed in Kediri
and later Mojoagung, East Java
.
Koentjaraningrat moved to Jakarta after graduating from Gadjah Mada and taught at Boedi Oetomo High School. He later enrolled at the University of Indonesia
to earn a doctorandus
degree in Indonesian language
and literature
. After graduating in 1952, he stayed on to work with Professor
G. J. Held, Professor of Anthropology at the time. Koentjaraningrat later commented, regarding his choice to enter anthropology, that it was his only chance to go to the United States
.
On 29 April 1954, Koentjaraningrat became engaged to Kustiani Sarwano, whom he met at the Faculty of Arts in Jakarta. That same year Koentjaraningrat received the Fullbright Scholarship studied at Yale University
in New Haven
, Connecticut
, United States
under George Murdock
. The following year, he and Kustiani were married. The ceremony took place in Jakarta, while Koentjaraningrat was in New Haven. He was represented by a kris
. Kustiani later joined him in New Haven.
At Yale, Koentjaraningrat worked to add information on Indonesia to the Human Relations Area Files. He graduated in 1956 and returned to Indonesia. His thesis, A Preliminary Description of the Javanese Kinship System, was published the following year as a Cultural Series Report by Yale's Southeast Asia Studies Program. In 1999, it was described as "still the best single account of the subject."
Upon returning to Indonesia, Koentjaraningrat introduced Clyde Kluckhohn
's scheme for variations in value orientation. He also enrolled at the University of Indonesia and started his doctoral studies under the supervision of Elizabeth Allard. In 1957, Koentjaraningrat established Indonesia's first anthropology department at the University of Indonesia. The following year, he graduated. His dissertation was titled Beberapa Metode Anthropologi dalam Penjelidikan2 Masjarakat dan Kebudajaan di Indonesia (EYD: Beberapa Metode Anthropologi dalam Penyelidikan-penyelidikan Masyarakat dan Kebudayaan di Indonesia, (Various Anthropological Methods in the Study of Indonesian Society and Culture).
In 1962, Koentjaraningrat was made professor of anthropology at the University of Indonesia. He sent his students to teach basic anthropology at various universities, including the University of North Sumatra
in Medan
, Padjadjaran in Bandung
, Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta, Udayana in Denpasar
, Hasanuddin in Ujung Pandang, Sam Ratulangi University
in Menado; and Cenderawasih University
in Jayapura
. These teachings formed the foundation for the anthropology departments at the respective universities.
In 1964, Koentjaraningrat founded the Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (Indonesian Centre for Knowledge). In 15 years, he wrote several major textbooks for anthropology and social science research for the use of his students.
Among his publications are Pengantar Antropologi (Introduction to Anthropology), published in 1959, Tokoh-Tokoh Antropologi (Prominent Figures in Anthropology), published in 1964, Beberapa Pokok Antropologi Sosial (Various Fundamentals of Social Anthropology), published in 1967, Atlas Etnografi Sedunia (A World Atlas of Ethnography), published in 1969, Metodologi Penelitian Masyarakat (Social Studies Methodology), published in 1973, Bunga Rampai Kebudayaan, Mentalitet dan Pembangunan (The Basics of Culture, Mentality, and Development), published in 1974, and Kebudayaan Jawa (Javanese Culture), which was published in both Indonesian and English in 1984.
Koentjaraningrat retired in 1988. After retirement, he enjoyed drawing
. His drawings have been displayed at Taman Ismail Marzuki
and in Paris
. In 1997, despite failing health and having suffered numerous stroke
s, he and his wife made the hajj
.
Koentjaraningrat died at age 76 on Tuesday, 23 March 1999 around 16:25 WIB
in Kramat 128 Hospital, Central Jakarta
as a result of a stroke and complications from diabetes. He was buried at Karet Bivak Public Cemetery.
in 1968. In 1990, Sri Paduka Paku Alam VIII conferred upon him the title of Kanjeng Pangeran Haryo in 1990. In 1995, he was awarded the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize. In 1997, he received the Penghargaan Ilmu-Ilmu Sosial (Social Studies Honour) from the Indonesian Association for the Development of the Social Sciences.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n anthropologist. He is sometimes referred to as "the father of Indonesian anthropology".
Biography
Koentjaraningrat was born in Yogyakarta, IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
on 15 June 1923 to a Pakualaman
Pakualaman
Pakualaman is a small hereditary principality within the Sultanate of Yogyakarta. It was created in 1812 when Natakusuma was rewarded for helping the British quell the conflict in Yogyakarta in June 1812...
family. His mother wanted him to obtain a Dutch education, so he was educated at Europeesche Lagere School, followed by Middelbare Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs and Algemeen Middelbare School in Yogyakarta, later moving to Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
to finish his schooling. He became fluent in Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
During the Japanese occupation of Indonesia
Japanese Occupation of Indonesia
The Japanese Empire occupied Indonesia, known then as the Dutch East Indies, during World War II from March 1942 until after the end of War in 1945...
, Koentjaraningrat was working at the National Library of Indonesia
National Library of Indonesia
The National Library of Indonesia is the legal deposit library of Indonesia. It serves primarily as a humanities library alongside several others holding national responsibilities for science and agriculture. The national library was established in 1980 through a decree of the Ministry of...
. He was tasked with escorting books from Jakarta to Yogyakarta for safekeeping. He later enrolled at Gadjah Mada University
Gadjah Mada University
The Gadjah Mada University is the largest and the oldest national university in Indonesia . founded on December 19, 1949; although the first lecture was given on 13 March 1946. The name was taken from the name of Majapahit's Prime Minister, Gajah Mada.UGM is located in Yogyakarta, Daerah Istimewa...
, majoring in Indonesian literature
Indonesian literature
Indonesian literature, is a term grouping various genres of South-East Asian literature.Indonesian Literature can refer to literature produced in the Indonesian archipelago. It is also used to refer more broadly to literature produced in areas with common language roots based on the Malay language...
, because the political situation did not allow him to return to Jakarta.
After the Japanese withdrawal from Indonesia, Koentjaraningrat joined the 29th Brigade of the Student Forces as an English and history teacher. He was stationed in Kediri
Kediri, East Java
Kediri is an Indonesian city, located near the Brantas River in the province of East Java on the island of Java.Archaeological artefacts discovered in 2007 appeared to indicate that the region around Kediri may have been the location of the Kediri kingdom, a Hindu kingdom in the 11th century.The...
and later Mojoagung, East Java
East Java
East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and islands to its east and to its north East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and...
.
Koentjaraningrat moved to Jakarta after graduating from Gadjah Mada and taught at Boedi Oetomo High School. He later enrolled at the University of Indonesia
University of Indonesia
The Universitas Indonesia, is a state, comprehensive world class university located in Depok, West Java and Salemba, Jakarta, Indonesia. Universitas Indonesia is the oldest tertiary-level educational institution in Indonesia...
to earn a doctorandus
Doctorandus
Doctorandus is a Dutch academic title according to the pre-bachelor-master system. The title is acquired by passing the doctoraalexamen, traditionally a matriculation exam for admission to study at doctoral level....
degree in Indonesian language
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
and literature
Indonesian literature
Indonesian literature, is a term grouping various genres of South-East Asian literature.Indonesian Literature can refer to literature produced in the Indonesian archipelago. It is also used to refer more broadly to literature produced in areas with common language roots based on the Malay language...
. After graduating in 1952, he stayed on to work with Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
G. J. Held, Professor of Anthropology at the time. Koentjaraningrat later commented, regarding his choice to enter anthropology, that it was his only chance to go to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
On 29 April 1954, Koentjaraningrat became engaged to Kustiani Sarwano, whom he met at the Faculty of Arts in Jakarta. That same year Koentjaraningrat received the Fullbright Scholarship studied at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
under George Murdock
George Murdock
George Peter Murdock was a notable American anthropologist. He is remembered for his empirical approach to ethnological studies and his landmark works on Old World populations.-Early life:...
. The following year, he and Kustiani were married. The ceremony took place in Jakarta, while Koentjaraningrat was in New Haven. He was represented by a kris
Kris
The kris or keris is an asymmetrical dagger or sword nowadays most strongly associated with the culture of Indonesia, but also indigenous to Malaysia, Southern Thailand and Brunei. It is known as kalis in the southern Philippines. The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade , but many have...
. Kustiani later joined him in New Haven.
At Yale, Koentjaraningrat worked to add information on Indonesia to the Human Relations Area Files. He graduated in 1956 and returned to Indonesia. His thesis, A Preliminary Description of the Javanese Kinship System, was published the following year as a Cultural Series Report by Yale's Southeast Asia Studies Program. In 1999, it was described as "still the best single account of the subject."
Upon returning to Indonesia, Koentjaraningrat introduced Clyde Kluckhohn
Clyde Kluckhohn
Clyde Kluckhohn , was an American anthropologist and social theorist, best known for his long-term ethnographic work among the Navajo and his contributions to the development of theory of culture within American anthropology.-Early life and education:...
's scheme for variations in value orientation. He also enrolled at the University of Indonesia and started his doctoral studies under the supervision of Elizabeth Allard. In 1957, Koentjaraningrat established Indonesia's first anthropology department at the University of Indonesia. The following year, he graduated. His dissertation was titled Beberapa Metode Anthropologi dalam Penjelidikan2 Masjarakat dan Kebudajaan di Indonesia (EYD: Beberapa Metode Anthropologi dalam Penyelidikan-penyelidikan Masyarakat dan Kebudayaan di Indonesia, (Various Anthropological Methods in the Study of Indonesian Society and Culture).
In 1962, Koentjaraningrat was made professor of anthropology at the University of Indonesia. He sent his students to teach basic anthropology at various universities, including the University of North Sumatra
University of North Sumatra
The University of North Sumatra or is a public university located in the city of Medan in North Sumatra, Indonesia.It is situated in Padang Bulan, in the Medan Baru subdistrict of Medan, close to the City Centre, with a total area of 122 hectares...
in Medan
Medan
- Demography :The city is Indonesia's fourth most populous after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, and Indonesia's largest city outside of Java island. Much of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang....
, Padjadjaran in Bandung
Bandung
Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...
, Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta, Udayana in Denpasar
Denpasar
Denpasar is the capital city of the province of Bali, Indonesia. It has a rapidly expanding population of 788,445 in 2010, up from 533,252 in the previous decade. It is located at .-History:...
, Hasanuddin in Ujung Pandang, Sam Ratulangi University
Sam Ratulangi University
Sam Ratulangi University is a public university in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. It was established on September 14, 1965; and since then, Sam Ratulangi University has been considered as one of the most leading public Universities in Central and Eastern Regions of Indonesia. The University's...
in Menado; and Cenderawasih University
Cenderawasih University
Universitas Cenderawasih is a university in Jayapura, in the province Papua, Indonesia. The university is the leading educational institution in the province....
in Jayapura
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
. These teachings formed the foundation for the anthropology departments at the respective universities.
In 1964, Koentjaraningrat founded the Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (Indonesian Centre for Knowledge). In 15 years, he wrote several major textbooks for anthropology and social science research for the use of his students.
Among his publications are Pengantar Antropologi (Introduction to Anthropology), published in 1959, Tokoh-Tokoh Antropologi (Prominent Figures in Anthropology), published in 1964, Beberapa Pokok Antropologi Sosial (Various Fundamentals of Social Anthropology), published in 1967, Atlas Etnografi Sedunia (A World Atlas of Ethnography), published in 1969, Metodologi Penelitian Masyarakat (Social Studies Methodology), published in 1973, Bunga Rampai Kebudayaan, Mentalitet dan Pembangunan (The Basics of Culture, Mentality, and Development), published in 1974, and Kebudayaan Jawa (Javanese Culture), which was published in both Indonesian and English in 1984.
Koentjaraningrat retired in 1988. After retirement, he enjoyed drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
. His drawings have been displayed at Taman Ismail Marzuki
Taman Ismail Marzuki
Pusat Kesenian Jakarta Taman Ismail Marzuki or popularly known as Taman Ismail Marzuki is an art and cultural center located in jalan Cikini Raya 73, Central Jakarta, Indonesia. Also within this complex stood Jakarta Art Institute and Jakarta Planetarium...
and in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. In 1997, despite failing health and having suffered numerous stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
s, he and his wife made the hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
.
Koentjaraningrat died at age 76 on Tuesday, 23 March 1999 around 16:25 WIB
Time in Indonesia
The Indonesian archipelago geographically stretches across four time zones from UTC+7 in Banda Aceh to UTC+9 in Western Papua. However, The Indonesian government only recognizes three time zones in its territory: Western Indonesian Time—seven hours in advance of Greenwich Mean Time ,...
in Kramat 128 Hospital, Central Jakarta
Central Jakarta
Central Jakarta is one of the five cities which form Jakarta, Indonesia. It had 898,883 inhabitants at the 2010 Census.Central Jakarta is the smallest in area and population of the five cities of Jakarta. It is the administrative and political center of Jakarta and Indonesia...
as a result of a stroke and complications from diabetes. He was buried at Karet Bivak Public Cemetery.
Awards
During his career, Koentjaraningrat received many awards and honours. He received the Satyalencana Dwidja Sistha twice, in 1968 and 1982, the Bintang Jasa Utama in 1994, and the Bintang Mahaputra Utama posthumously in 1999 from the Indonesian government. In 1976 he received an honoris causa doctorate from the University of Utrecht. He was named 'Lecturer of the Year' by the Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher LearningAssociation of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning
The Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning is a non-governmental organization founded in 1956 to assist higher learning institutions in strengthening themselves through a mutual self help and to achieve international distinction in teaching, research and public service.The...
in 1968. In 1990, Sri Paduka Paku Alam VIII conferred upon him the title of Kanjeng Pangeran Haryo in 1990. In 1995, he was awarded the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize. In 1997, he received the Penghargaan Ilmu-Ilmu Sosial (Social Studies Honour) from the Indonesian Association for the Development of the Social Sciences.