Modernisation and singlehood in urban Indonesia: A study of six single millennial women in Jakarta

Abstract

This research explores single lifestyle and the shift in the definition of family and marriage amongst single millennial women who live in Jakarta, Indonesia. The shift is explored through concepts from Ochiai (2014) i.e., Compressed Modernity and Marriage and Risk Aversiveness. These concepts are used to understand perspective changes in the meaning of family that occur in developing countries due to their increasing socio-economic outlook, single lifestyle, and modernisation. This research focuses on the phenomenon of a millennial generation in Jakarta that is experiencing delaying marriage in contrast to the general trend of early marriage throughout the majority of regions in Indonesia. Unlike these regions, the Jakartan's perception of being happy and prosperous is not the traditional aspiration of having family, but to pursue financial success through higher education and skilled careers. Because of the contrast in desires, Jakartan women must reconcile the juxtaposition of their own goals with the expectations set by traditional Indonesian society. The methodology of this research is a qualitative approach through remote in-depth interviews, digital ethnography, and visual participation. The findings revealed modernisation impacts millennial women's value on marriage and family, and that impact leads to delaying marriage or choosing not to marry. These choices are made despite living in a society with conservative social values, including government regulations which are perceived by these women to be rigid and unsupportive. Single women utilize various coping mechanisms in facing stigma of being single above 30 in a traditional society including using humour, focusing on career growth, seeking peer support, participating in religious activities, and choosing different forms of “partnership”.