| Abstrak/Abstract |
In this research, we explored the social imaginary that relates to women’s sexuality
based on the writings of several prominent Indonesian female authors. We argue that the social
imaginary is not only a social construction but also a construct created through an individual’s
active participation. Historically, the social imaginary in Indonesia has been tied to
nationalism; however, it has gradually shifted toward the individual perspective. In particular,
this study examined the construction of the social imaginary in Indonesia by comparing and
differentiating literary works created under two political regimes: the authoritarian New Order
regime (1968–1998) and the more democratic Reformasi regime (1999–present), wherein
individuals—especially women—were given more space and liberty to participate in the
construction of the social imaginary of their sexuality. This study focused primarily on two
important research questions. First, how has the social imaginary of women's sexuality, as
contested by Indonesian women authors in their literary works, changed from the New Order
era to the Reformasi era? And second, how has the re-emergence of religious, political, and
social powers during the Reformasi era contributed to authors’ contestations of women’s
sexuality? The content analysis of selected literary works revealed that the social imaginary of
women’s sexuality changed alongside the changes in Indonesia’s political regimes. During the
New Order era, the social imaginary was controlled by the hegemonic power of the State. In
the early period of Suharto’s rule, women authors were co-opted by the State’s power, whereas
its later years were marked by the struggles of women authors against his authoritarian
government. The Reformasi era gave way for liberty in women’s discussions of their sexuality,
but this freedom was found to be temporary, its ephemerality compounded by new, religiously
oriented conservative powers’ attempts to push back against the new wave of self-expressive
women authors and restore women’s position to one of suppression and subordination. |
