The Discrepancy Between the Public and the Private Selves of Indonesian Women: A Comparison of Published and Unpublished Autobiographies and Diaries

Currently an independent scholar and journalist, Marching has published on gender issues and taught at several universities in Australia and the UK. In this text, she investigates how Indonesian women express their identity in public and private spheres, in relation to Indonesian history, politics, and the dominant ideology. The study includes analyses of eight published autobiographies and nine unpublished diaries, all from Indonesia's New Order period (1967-1998)--a time particularly oppressive not only for women but also for individuals in general. Marching finds that the subjects of the autobiographies are able to insert criticisms of the dominant ideology despite the public nature of their writings, while the authors writing in the privacy of diaries reflect the patriarchal values of those in power. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)