Department of Psychology, Sanata Dharma University

Title and Précis:

Catholic Students and Democratic Development in Indonesia: A Psychological Perspective

     This research project will describe how and to what extent students are developing habits of democracy amongst Indonesia’s Catholic youth. The project will seek to answer how Catholic youth activity contributes toward democratic socialization and how such activity contrasts to the prevalent youth violence in Indonesia. How such youth organizations are formed and what it is that makes such activity decline will also be analyzed. Also, the question will be asked as to what steps would be required to improve the acquisition of democratic values by the Catholic youth. This research will be conducted by phenomenological analysis of two Catholic student organizations: the Catholic Student Association of the Republic of Indonesia (PMKRI) and Catholic Youth. Catholics who are both participants and non-participants in these youth organizations will be interviewed.  Professionals, politicians, and scholars will also be interviewed concerning Catholic youth groups and democratic development in Indonesia.

Biography:

     Dr. Christina Siwi Handayani received Master's and Doctoral degrees in Social Psychology from the Faculty of Psychology, University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia.  In 2007-2008, she was granted a Japanese Foundation Fellowship to do post-doctoral research in social psychology in Japan. Since 1996, she has been a Lecturer and Researcher in the Faculty of Psychology, Sanata Dharma University.  She is also the research supervisor of Master's students in the Culture and Religion Program.