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Paper short abstract:

This study aims to delve into how the entanglement of geopolitical tensions and postcolonial struggles during avian flu crisis in Indonesia reformulate the humans-chickens-medicinal plant relationships and how chickens become the subject of nationalists imagination.

Paper long abstract:

Jamu, traditional Javanese elixirs used in treating illnesses and enhancing beauty, has predominantly been a subject of cultural and scientific inquiry concerning its human applications. However, the burgeoning interest in utilizing jamu for poultry, particularly chickens, has gained momentum since 2007. This heightened curiosity regarding jamu's effects on chickens is not happenstance. The pivotal year of 2007 marked the onset of waves avian flu crisis in Indonesia, prompting governmental prioritization of on vaccines productions and even traditional medicine promotion. Moreover, a specific medicinal plant, hailed as the "Ginseng of Indonesia," garnered attention from scientists, entrepreneurs, and nationalists. This particular nationalized medical plant, integrated into jamu intended for chickens, underwent clinical trials, culminating in an award for innovation in 2015.

This study aims to delve into how the entanglement of geopolitical tensions and postcolonial struggles reformulate the humans-chickens-medicinal plant relationships and how chickens, or more specifically hens, become the subject of nationalists imagination. It also endeavors to confer agency to scientists, portraying them not merely as instruments of scientific nationalism but as proactive researchers. Their pursuits, aligning with escalating postcolonial tensions, co-produce scientific research and nationalist aspirations, which can only be substantiated and imagined through the suffering bodies of chickens.