Emotional Vulnerability Among Men in Kompas Short Stories 2020 Edition: A Study of Masculinity
Abstract
This study aims to describe the discourse construction of male emotional vulnerability in short stories published in the 2020 edition of Kompas, which is represented as a fixed and dominant identity, as well as a dynamic social construction through the lens of Connell’s masculinity studies. The study employs a qualitative approach using a descriptive-interpretive method. The data sources consisted of ten short stories from the 2020 edition of Kompas, selected using purposive sampling based on the criteria of male characters, the presence of emotional experiences, and the representation of emotional vulnerability in the narrative, dialogue, monologue, and characters’ actions. Data were collected through a literature review by reading, taking notes, coding, and classifying the data. Data analysis utilized the Miles and Huberman interactive model, which includes data reduction, data presentation, and conclusions and verification. The results of the study indicate that men’s emotional vulnerability is constructed through three main dimensions: social context, masculine performance, and social relationships. The social context of emotional vulnerability emerges as a response to the pandemic, social conflict, economic pressure, discrimination, illness, and isolation. Masculine performance of emotional vulnerability is negotiated through emotional control, responsibility, anger, and efforts to maintain self-esteem, so it is not always openly expressed. Meanwhile, social relationships including family, partners, close friends, and the community serve as spaces where feelings of loss, longing, sadness, sacrifice, and the need for emotional closeness are formed. The research findings indicate that masculinity in the 2020 edition of Kompas short stories is not represented as a fixed and dominant identity, but rather as a dynamic social construction that is continually negotiated through the emotional experiences of male characters. This study enriches the discourse on masculinity in Indonesian literature by positioning emotional vulnerability as an integral part of the formation of masculine identity.
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