DEPOK,
The Department of Communication Studies, Graduate Program of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), University of Indonesia, will hold a hybrid doctoral defense in Communication Studies on Monday, June 22, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.00 WIB at the Juwono Sudarsono Auditorium (AJS), Building F, 2nd Floor, FISIP UI Campus, Depok. This doctoral defense was presided over by Prof. Dr. Drs. Dody Prayogo, MPST, as Chair of the Defense Committee. The dissertation was supervised by Prof. Dr. Billy K. Sarwono and Dr. Camelia Catharina as the supervisor and co-supervisor, respectively. The examination committee consisted of Dr. Fitria Angeliqa, Dr. Nina Mutmainnah, Diana Teresa Pakasi, Ph.D., Endah Triastuti, Ph.D., and Dr. Ummi Salamah.
During the defense, Nicky Stephani defended her dissertation titled “Dialectical Entrapment and Performative Balance Among Mother-Doctoral Students: The Tension Between Academic Work and Family Life within a Neoliberal-Patriarchal Structure.” This dissertation examines the experiences of mothers pursuing doctoral degrees as they navigate the demands of academic work and family life within a social structure that demands relentless academic productivity alongside total childcare.
This study stems from a critique of the assumption that the challenges faced by mothers who are doctoral students are merely issues of time management, self-management, or individual failure to achieve balance. Grounded in the epistemology of matricentric feminism, this study positions mothers’ experiences as a legitimate and important source of knowledge for understanding the workings of academic institutions, families, and gender norms.
In her academic speech, Nicky emphasized that the experiences of mothers pursuing doctoral studies should be viewed as a structural issue, not merely a personal one. ““This research frames the experiences of mothers pursuing doctoral degrees not as personal issues to be resolved through better self-management, but rather as a reflection of the structural contradictions produced by the neoliberal patriarchal system within academia—and as a space where agency, knowledge, and hope for change continue to grow,” Nicky explained. She also highlighted how the idea of “work-life balance”—which has long been understood as an ideal goal—can actually become a new burden for women. “This notion of balance actually relies on assumptions about agency and individual responsibility that shift structural issues onto individual women,” she explained.
This study makes an important contribution to the development of Relational Dialectics Theory 2.0 by integrating feminist structural analysis and intersectionality. In practical terms, this dissertation encourages institutions of higher education to be more responsive to the experiences of mothers pursuing doctoral degrees. The recommendations offered in this dissertation include recognition of caregiving work as part of academic life, flexibility in academic policies, psychosocial support, and the creation of collective spaces that value women’s experiences as a source of knowledge.
At the end of the defense, Nicky Stephani was declared to have graduated with honors (Cum Laude). With this graduation, Nicky officially earned the 166th Doctor of Communication degree and became the 86th female doctorate recipient in the field of Communication from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Indonesia. (MAP)
