Ryan Sugiarto, M.A., a lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa Yogyakarta, has officially earned his Doctor of Psychology degree from the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) after successfully defending his dissertation in a public examination held on Wednesday (June 17) in Room A-203, Faculty of Psychology UGM.
During the defense, Ryan presented his dissertation entitled “Manungsa Tanpa Tenger: Konsep dan Proses” (Manungsa Tanpa Tenger: Concept and Process). The study explores the teachings of Kawruh Jiwa by Ki Ageng Suryomentaram to develop an indigenous psychological concept that is relevant to the Indonesian context.
The public examination was chaired by the Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, and Cooperation of the Faculty of Psychology UGM, Pradytia Putri Pertiwi, S.Psi., Ph.D. Ryan completed his doctoral studies with cum laude honors, achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.86 after 3 years, 8 months, and 2 days of study. He also became UGM’s 7,306th doctoral graduate.
The examination committee consisted of six examiners, Prof. Drs. Koentjoro, M.BSc., Ph.D., Psychologist, as the principal supervisor, Dr. Wenty Marina Minza, M.A., as co-supervisor, Prof. Drs. Subandi, M.A., Ph.D., Psikolog, Pdt. Stefanus Christian Haryono, MACF, Ph.D., Dr. H. Fahruddin Faiz, S.Ag., M.Ag., and Dr. Mohammad Mahpur, M.Si.
In his dissertation, Ryan introduced the concept of manungsa tanpa tenger (“a person without labels”) as an alternative perspective on human identity. He argued that identity should not always be understood as something fixed and permanently attached to an individual.
“Manungsa tanpa tenger is a person who is able to distance themselves from attachment to labels—a person who can step back from the identities attached to them,” Ryan explained during his presentation.
The study employed an Inductive-Sequential Multimethod Design, combining Grounded Theory and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The findings indicate that the process of becoming manungsa tanpa tenger unfolds through four stages: weruh dewe (self-awareness), krasa dewe (self-feeling), ngerti dewe (self-understanding), and nglakoni (living it out in practice).
Based on these findings, Ryan proposed Post Identity Theory, a perspective suggesting that individuals are capable of recognizing, deconstructing, and ultimately transcending the social and psychological identities attached to them.
In his remarks following the dissertation defense, Ryan reflected that writing his dissertation had been not only an academic endeavor but also a deeply personal journey of self-discovery.
“A dissertation is an intellectual journey to understand humanity, while at the same time a personal journey to understand oneself,” he said.
Ryan further emphasized that formulating the concept of manungsa tanpa tenger represents an effort to advance psychology by drawing upon Indonesia’s indigenous wisdom.
“The effort to formulate manungsa tanpa tenger is not merely an academic attempt to introduce a new psychological concept. It is part of a broader endeavor to bring Indonesia’s distinctive knowledge traditions into contemporary academic discourse,” he concluded.
Writer: Erna Tri Nofiyana