Re-examining the Role of Youths in Independent Political Movements: The Case of Jogja Independent

Desiana Rizka Fimmastuti

doi:10.22146/pcd.35203

Abstract

This article discusses the involvement of youths in independent political movements since Indonesia’s political reform. Political reform became important to be elaborated cause the opening of political space in both political parties and civil society, including for youths. However, this ideal has not been realised, as political parties have been limited by several pathologies and the lack of inclusivity. In the other hand, the establish of independent movements have created alternative spaces for political activity, including for youths. Applying a Bourdieuan perspective, this article examines the habitus and capital evident within such independent movements’ political interactions. This article examined the youths in the Jogja Independent Movement (Gerakan Jogja Independent, JOINT), one independent political movement that has been involved in mayoral elections in Yogyakarta City. The exclusivity of political parties has led the movement to gather public support by collecting identity cards and public donations. Although no longer extant, the movement can still be understood as an arena for interactions between openly recruited volunteers and initiators. This study finds that youths have been unable to become agents and voice their own interests. Elitism continues to pose an obstacle to youths’ political involvement, as positions of power remain dominated by a small group of elites. Youths, having become involved through open recruitment, have yet to become capable of cross-field movement as they lack the capital of their closed-recruitment peers. At the same time, the academic habitus of these volunteers is incongruent with the political field, leading many youths to leave the movement. Political space being dominated by a small group of elites further limits their available space. The decreasing number of volunteers indicates that JOINT was unable to ensure sustained membership, leading to its ultimate failure.

Highlights

The role of youths in politics is a frequent topic of discussion
This article examines the involvement of youths in the alternative political space created by the Jogja Independent Movement (Gerakan Jogja Independent, JOINT)
This study examines the use of a structure–agency approach to understand the youths within a new space: an independent political movement

Summary

Introduction

The role of youths in politics is a frequent topic of discussion. Youths are understood as socially active, as driving social changes within the context of specific opportunities and risks in society (Hall, Coffey, and Williamson, 1999). The open recruitment mechanism used by this organisation offered a means for youths to become involved in alternative spaces, which were— or at least offered—as free of the pathologies of political parties This movement collapsed following their failure in the Yogyakarta mayoral election. In Indonesia, the beginning of political reform provided significant momentum for opening broad political spaces following 32 years of authoritarian rule This opportunity was seized by a range of actors who sought to become politically involved either through political parties or independent movements. The young volunteers at JOINT were primarily students and other persons from an academic background They viewed this movement as unique, as being capable of offering an alternative and cleaner means of practicing politics (Fimmastuti, 2017).

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