Contesting the Social Spaces: Gender Relations of Literary Communities in Yogyakarta and Surakarta

Abstract

This research seeks to map the gender relations within literary communities and their contestations in gaining social and financial capital in Yogyakarta and Surakarta social spaces. The presence of literary communities in these spaces, on the one hand, explains the local and specific self-identities of the communities, as well as their heterogeneity in gender relations. In particular, this research maps these communities' differences in expressions, trajectories (visions for the future), themes, narrations, language, and networks based on their gender relations. The Geographic Information System (GIS) method is used to map and explore the gender issues in these literary communities. By understanding the mapping of these literary communities, the dynamics of the social spaces used by these communities can be traced synchronically within a specific period. It can also be followed up when the database is used diachronically over time. This research finds that social spaces that enable open narration are insufficient to ensure the equality of women and men. Flexible domestic spaces for women are also necessary to ensure women to be active in creating the trajectory of the literary communities since they have capacities to do it.