Indonesian youth looking towards the future

Abstract

Selected survey data on future aspirations and expectations from 3565 young Indonesians are presented in this study. Muslim-majority Indonesia is an Asian economic success story. The economy has seen solid growth, leading to an expansion of the private sector. The upward credentialling of the labour market and the rapid growth of the middle class have resulted. Accordingly, the transition to adulthood for working-class and lower middle-class youth has been extended by the necessity to complete schooling and tertiary training before work can be obtained and marriage can occur. Marriage and children still signify adulthood for both sexes. Career preference favoured the professions, especially for girls, despite tight competition for university places. While indicating upwardly mobile aspirations to middle-class life, respondents also demonstrated strong commitment to religious faith and normative family formation in the future. High expectations were tempered by realism though. When asked about obstacles to life dreams, most named material challenges such as family finances. Respondents from more privileged backgrounds were more likely to think non-material factors such as their own laziness would constitute an obstacle, while those lower on the socio-economic scale often indicated they did not have much chance of realising their life dreams due to material and structural constraints.

Pembentukan Identitas Remaja di Yogyakarta

“…Remaja awal di Indonesia masih tergantung pada keluarga dan diperlakukan sebagai individu yang belum dewasa sehingga mereka akan mematuhi keinginan atau harapan orang tua dan mengabaikan keinginan pribadinya (Nilan, Parker, Bennett, & Robinson, 2011). Selain itu, berbagai domain identitas (misalnya karier) belum menjadi masalah konkret bagi remaja awal di Indonesia yang pada umumnya masih menempuh pendidikan di Sekolah Menengah Pertama (Sarwono, 2013).…”

Early marriage, adolescent motherhood, and reproductive rights for young Sasak mothers in Lombok

“…Much of the published literature on Indonesian youth to date has been focused on young people who are still participating in education (Parker 1997(Parker , 2009Nilan et al 2011), who are still living under the care of their natal families or other relatives (Bennett 2005), and who have the economic means to participate in highly commodified and increasingly globalized youth cultures (Beazley 2008;Luvaas 2009Luvaas , 2010Nilan 2008). The young people who have typically been the subjects of social research in Indonesia have tended to be middle class, unmarried, viewed as still dependent upon their natal families and pre-adult in their social status.…”

Parenting Values and Practices among Muslim Parents in Indonesia

“…Our study confirmed that religion is an important part of everyday life in Indonesia. And three religious groups out of six in all, which are Muslim, Christian and Hindu Indonesians, take their religious practice seriously (Adney-Risakotta, 2009;Nilan, Parker, Bennett, Robinson, 2011). The Muslim parents' beliefs in the importance of religion were well translated in their parenting styles with gentle approaches to their children without any use of physical punishment.…”

“…Best example that challenges our misperception about Muslim is Indonesia. The largest Muslim majority country in the world is Indonesia, not a country in the Middle East (Nilan, Parker, Bennett, & Robinson, 2011). It is necessary to provide some background information about Indonesia and its Muslim population.…”