TRADITIONAL MEDICINE (JAMU) IN MODERN MEDICAL DISCOURSE

Jamu is an Indonesian traditional medicine used for treating sicknesses based on experiences handed down through generations. Jamu becomes marginal and loses its significant role in treatments due to the inclusion of the global medical drugs. Based on
Foucault’s theory of discourse and his theory of power/ knowledge, this research would like to explain "how" rule operates where medical discourse began to strengthen and shift the position of the dominant jamu, the formation models and the forms of distribution in the
society. Jamu is part of a health regime that is "excluded" because of the presence of new technologies, that is more modern, practical, scientific and tested. Nowadays, herbal appears as a "middle ground" between jamu and medicine, traditional and modern, natural
and scientific, manual and technology, experience and knowledge. Through herbal, jamu is struggling to seize its position, become optimistic to be trusted again being a healthy treatment options.