Being A Social Researcher : Involve Your Passion or Quit!

Initially, I wasn�t really comfort being here but God always knows the best, right?

I am done compromising things. I found my dream job �I guess so-. I� ve been dreaming about working in an strategic government research institute, even I was dumped by Indonesian Science Institute (LIPI) at the final interview test, I am thankful because I am not joining to terrible problems in Jakarta; hot weather, crowded traffic, floods, bad transportation and environment.

Here I am, in Bandung, coolest city in.. West Java :p, Ancient Java Jogja and Solo both are still the best cities. I am working in an established government research institute in public policy now. Am I happy? Totaly! Its a long story about this dream job.

When I was studying in Sociology Department, Gadjah Mada University, even I had some interesting research experiences, I am still regretting for my less experience in social working. I was too busy of some freelance journalism jobs and hosting overseas students business. Then, when I did my bachelor's thesis, I was slapped by my bachelor�s thesis subject. They were a disabled people movement. They said that I am just exploiting their movements for my research. My bachelor thesis was about; how disabled people struggle for inclusive education? Is degree of discrimination decreased by inclusive school? How the curriculum modifficated?

�There are many of researchers, lectures came and go, asked, interviewed us. But no one come back to help us struggling and establishing access for disabled. They got award for research and movies but no one of them help us after that. I think you are same, miss. Then, just go and find another subject to exploit,� one of the activist of Dria Manunggal, initial disabled organization movement in Yogyakarta said. That was a humiliating moment for an academician like me. I thought academicians are intelligence, smart, they build concepts to solve problems. CRAP!! What i heard from the disabled activist just realized me that academician and researchers are just like... ivory tower, looks bright and awesome from above but they stay standing, couldn�t do things to help.

I met a inclusive school teacher, she was really nice. Her name is Bu Asih. She has been struggling education access for disabled students and taught students how to learn and respect diversities. She struggled to establish law No. 4/ 1997 about disabled rights protection and curriculum for inclusive education. She taught me about voluntarism. She started struggling disabled people with her husband and friends, one of them, Pak Setia Adi, he got an accident, and now he has problems with his eyes so that he can�t see things clearly. It was really unforgettable involving your self into their movements. They realized me about Antonio Gramsci�s theory about intellectual organic. There are three conditions for sucesfull social movements; concisousnes to empower their self from oppressing, communalism, and intellectual organic. Intellectual should come from the oppressed, not other outsider.

That experience taught me that a social research should have a strategic plan to change the problems. Its a kind of action research paradigm, but it needed. Action research is a reflective progressive in team or as a part of community practice to improve the way they address issues and problems. Because I believe when we include in a social movement and public participation research, at the same time we also involve in their movement spirit. Yeaah, I do agree with Foucault said; knowledge is power to change. Even I am not sure I can do that kind of research in my workplace or not because of the troubling administration research requirements, its my passion. Maybe at least I have to accommodate their voices to the authorities. How to make it work? Its a challenge. Being a social researcher is my passion, and how to commit your passion? Involve to it or quit.

... Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true... -Over the Rainbow Song, OST Alice in A Wonderland