Urban Youth, Marginalization and Mass Organization: Involvement in The Betawi Brotherhood Forum in Jakarta

In the whole discussion on children and youth, we are exposed on seeing youth as a social construct. The meaning of being youth is not determined by age category, but by the cultural and social factors within the context they live in. This research scrutinize Indonesia’s youth in one of the most dynamic urban cities: Jakarta. Its peculiar characteristic as the centre of government and business activities does not always bring prosperity for its dwellers. With problems of migration, poverty and inequality, Jakarta becomes one of the most challenging places to live in, including for its youth. Based on the life history of four male youths, the research presents how structural inequalities marginalized Jakarta’s middle-lower youth. They are being isolated from social institutions such as education and employment, which also serves as the main elements of transition towards adulthood. For them, their identity as an ethnic Betawi and young male exacerbates their state of exclusion. However, the means to overcome such exclusion emerged during the post-New Order era along with the establishment of various ethnic or religious based organizations. One of them is the controversial Betawi Brotherhood Forum. The incoherence between the Islamic values and their mission of Betawi revival with the acts of thuggery they perform has placed this organization in the centre of Jakarta’s urban dynamic. But through its coverage of the informal and formal employment, even the illicit sphere, the young members of FBR find possibilities to acquire income. In other words, their involvement in FBR helps them to overcome their marginalization and catalyze their transition towards adulthood. It also facilitates them to fulfil the construction of being youth. Nevertheless, this research shows how young urban people are not only victims of structural conditions but also agents within the harsh urban context.