Humanexus: Journal of Humanistic and Social Connection Studies
Exploring Lived Experiences of Power Negotiation in Everyday Local Governance in Indonesian Village Administration
Political sociology has long examined power and governance through institutional structures and policy mechanisms that shape state–society relations. More recent scholarship has increasingly recognized the importance of everyday governance, where local officials operate at the frontline and translate formal authority into lived practice. However, limited attention has been given to how these officials experience and make meaning of power in their daily interactions with citizens, leaving unanswered the question of how power is subjectively negotiated in local governance contexts. Here, an interpretative phenomenological approach is employed to explore how local officials experience, interpret, and negotiate power between state demands and community expectations. Data were generated through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with frontline local officials and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to capture essential meanings embedded in lived experience. The findings indicate that local officials experience power as a dynamic, relational, and morally embedded process rather than a fixed institutional resource. Participants reported persistent ethical tensions between bureaucratic compliance and community responsiveness, frequent reliance on informal negotiation strategies to resolve conflicts, and the strategic cultivation of trust as a key mechanism for maintaining legitimacy and administrative effectiveness. These results suggest that governance operates as a situated and ethically mediated practice shaped by interpersonal interaction and contextual judgment. By foregrounding lived experience, this study demonstrates that phenomenological inquiry reveals dimensions of power obscured by structural and policy-centered analyses, thereby offering practical insights for designing more responsive and trust-based governance frameworks.
Copyright (c) 2026 Mukhlis Lubis, Setiadi (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Sharia and Kaili Tradition: Islamic Acculturation in the Framework of Rahmatan lil 'Alamin Theology
This study examines the acculturation between Islamic law (sharia) and the local culture of the Kaili ethnic group, emphasizing the inclusive principles of Islam in engaging with indigenous wisdom. The research aims to understand how Malintinuhu cultural values are integrated with Islamic teachings without causing religious identity conflicts or the loss of cultural heritage. The study employs an interpretative phenomenological approach, with data collected through in-depth interviews with religious scholars, traditional leaders, and community members, as well as participatory observation in cultural and religious practices. The findings demonstrate that the majority of participants (religious leaders, customary authorities, and community members) consistently articulated a “middle-path” strategy of harmonization, in which cultural traditions are selectively reinterpreted rather than rejected. Empirically, the study identifies two concrete patterns of integration: (1) the institutional transformation of the Malintinuhu council into a consultative body aligned with the Islamic concept of shura, and (2) the systematic modification of ritual practices, where animistic elements are removed and replaced with Qur’anic recitations and Islamic prayers. These measurable patterns indicate a shift from syncretic coexistence to normative integration grounded in Islamic theology. The study further finds that this integrative process has strengthened communal religious commitment while preserving key elements of Kaili cultural identity, thereby reducing potential tensions between adat (custom) and sharia. This process demonstrates that Islam does not negate tradition but rather serves as an integrative force that sustains cultural identity while reinforcing religious values. The novelty of this research lies in applying the framework of rahmatan lil ‘alamin theology as a theoretical basis for explaining Islam’s inclusivity toward local culture. Thus, the study enriches academic discourse on religion–culture relations and offers a constructive model of integration for other indigenous communities in Indonesia.
Copyright (c) 2026 Surni Kadir, Nurhayati, Suraya (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Phenomenological Exploration of Cultural Identity and Digital Belonging Among Indonesian Diaspora Communities
This study examines how globalization and digitalization reshape the lived experience of cultural identity among diaspora communities, focusing on the subjective and emotional dimensions of digital engagement. While digital diaspora research is expanding, limited attention has been given to how these processes are personally lived as acts of meaning-making. This study therefore asks: How do Indonesian diaspora members experience the preservation of cultural identity through digital spaces? Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), data were collected from twelve participants through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Analysis identified core themes of emotional continuity, hybrid identity, digital belonging, and cultural resistance. The findings show that digital platforms function not only as communication channels but as meaningful spaces where individuals negotiate identity and belonging. Participants transform feelings of distance and displacement into continuity through reflective digital practices. These insights highlight how technology mediates identity formation and cultural attachment within transnational contexts. The study contributes to phenomenological scholarship by clarifying the experiential mechanisms through which digital environments shape cultural identity. It also suggests future research into how evolving digital spaces further reconstruct human belonging in a globalized world.
Copyright (c) 2025 Willya Achmad, Vinda Maya Setianingrum (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring the Lived Moral Meaning of Suffering and Ethical Awareness in Human Experience
Humanistic studies have long examined the moral and existential dimensions of suffering, emphasizing how individuals find meaning through pain, reflection, and ethical awareness. Within this broader field, phenomenological inquiry has become essential for understanding suffering not merely as a psychological event but as a lived moral experience that shapes ethical consciousness. However, previous studies remain largely descriptive and insufficiently articulate how suffering is interpreted as a process of moral awakening, thereby leaving a clear research gap concerning the mechanisms through which ethical awareness emerges from lived suffering. This study adopts a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, grounded in the philosophies of Heidegger and Ricoeur, to address this gap by systematically exploring how individuals morally interpret their suffering within concrete life contexts. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with eight participants who had undergone profound experiences of suffering and analyzed through iterative thematic interpretation. The analysis followed three structured stages—textual interpretation, thematic consolidation, and moral–existential synthesis—to ensure methodological transparency.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mukhlis Lubis, Syamsiah Depalina Siregar (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring Lived Experiences of Digital Intimacy in AI-Based Communication Among University Students in Indonesia’s Multicultural Higher Education Context
Digital technologies have transformed the way human connections are formed and sustained, reshaping social interaction in both private and public domains. Within this context, the use of AI-based chat and instant messaging has become especially relevant for students, raising new questions about intimacy, authenticity, and presence in digital communication. What remains insufficiently understood is how students themselves experience and interpret intimacy through these technologies, particularly in relation to the emotional and relational meanings they assign to AI-mediated communication. This study applies an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore students’ lived experiences and provides an answer to how digital intimacy is constructed and negotiated in AI-mediated contexts. A total of 12 university students (7 female, 5 male), aged 19–23, who actively use AI-based chat applications, were purposively selected to ensure relevance and experiential depth. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with university students who actively use AI-based chat applications, and the transcripts were analyzed thematically using IPA procedures. Each interview lasted between 45 and 70 minutes, was audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed through a systematic IPA process involving line-by-line coding, emergent theme development, and cross-case convergence to enhance analytic rigor. The findings revealed three major themes: the redefinition of intimacy in digital spaces, the role of AI interaction as a form of emotional substitution, and ambivalence regarding the authenticity of AI-mediated closeness. These themes highlight both the comforting and contested nature of digital intimacy, where students recognize the utility of AI communication while questioning its ability to replace human connection. The study demonstrates that AI-based communication technologies reshape social intimacy by blending accessibility with skepticism, offering insights that extend beyond descriptive or quantitative accounts. By detailing sample characteristics and analytic procedures, this study enhances methodological transparency and strengthens the credibility of its phenomenological claims. These results enrich current understanding of technologically mediated intimacy and provide important implications for future research, practice, and policy on digital well-being.
Copyright (c) 2025 Anggita Arsyandra, Deva Hasnah Rabbani (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring the Lived Meanings of Social Integration in Educational Settings among Second-Generation Migrants
Migration and integration studies have long examined the social and cultural dynamics of diverse societies shaped by global mobility. Within this field, the experiences of second-generation migrants in education have become an important focus, yet much of the existing research emphasizes structural or quantitative outcomes rather than lived realities. Consequently, the specific research problem addressed in this study concerns the limited understanding of how second-generation migrants personally interpret and experience social integration within educational settings. Despite these contributions, limited attention has been given to how second-generation migrants themselves make sense of identity, belonging, and recognition in formal educational contexts, leaving unanswered how integration is experienced as a personal and social process. This study applies an interpretative phenomenological approach to explore how second-generation migrants articulate their experiences of integration within schools. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 participants from diverse ethnic backgrounds, the analysis identified themes of hybrid identity negotiation, subtle exclusion, peer support, and the pursuit of recognition through educational achievement. The findings demonstrate that integration is not a fixed outcome but a continuous negotiation shaped by cultural expectations, social interactions, and personal aspirations. By foregrounding participants’ voices, this research highlights the centrality of education as both a site of opportunity and a burden of legitimacy. The results contribute to a richer understanding of social integration and extend migration studies by emphasizing the meanings embedded in everyday experiences. These insights underscore the importance of phenomenological inquiry for capturing the essence of lived realities and suggest directions for future research that compare contexts or explore integration trajectories over time.
Copyright (c) 2025 Annisa Azzahro, Nadhirotul Laily (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Analyzing Bureaucratic Leadership and Its Influence on Organizational Performance at the Regional Office of the National Land Agency of South Sulawesi Province
This study aimed to determine how bureaucratic leadership was implemented and what obstacles were encountered in its application at the Regional Office of the National Land Agency of South Sulawesi Province. Grounded in the theoretical framework of bureaucratic leadership proposed by Max Weber—emphasizing hierarchy, standardization, and authority—this study examines the extent to which these principles are reflected in organizational practices. The theoretical lens also enables an analytical connection between leadership behavior and organizational performance. The research method used was descriptive research with a saturated sampling technique, in which the entire population of 70 individuals was taken as the sample. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and questionnaires. The data analysis used quantitative methods supported by qualitative analysis, and the data were processed using frequency distribution tables. Quantitatively, the findings show that only 32% of respondents perceived leadership communication as effective, while 41% reported low consistency in task supervision, indicating a significant deviation from bureaucratic leadership standards. The results of the study indicated that the implementation of bureaucratic leadership at the Regional Office of the National Land Agency of South Sulawesi Province was categorized as poor. Three main obstacles were identified: limited training and competency development, lack of the leader’s presence in the office, and insufficient transparency in decision-making. These findings highlight the need for structural leadership reforms to improve administrative performance and strengthen organizational accountability.
Copyright (c) 2025 Hasmiah, Harbani Pasolong, Farida Amansyah (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Lived Experiences of Loneliness in Digital Connectivity among Young Adults
Loneliness in the digital age has emerged as a critical area of study within the social sciences, particularly as online platforms increasingly shape patterns of interpersonal communication. Within this context, the paradox of being “connected but lonely” has drawn attention to the subjective meanings individuals attach to their digital interactions. What remains unclear is how individuals experience and interpret emotional isolation despite frequent online engagement, raising the central question of how loneliness is constructed in digitally mediated relationships. This study employs interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore the lived experiences of young adults and to reveal the essential meanings underlying their sense of connection and disconnection. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with purposively selected participants aged 18 to 30 who self-reported feelings of loneliness alongside active social media use. Transcripts were analyzed through iterative coding and thematic clustering, resulting in four central themes: the paradox of connectivity and isolation, performative interaction, silent comparisons, and the search for authentic spaces. These findings indicate that loneliness arises not from limited contact but from a lack of meaningful intimacy, as participants struggle to reconcile digital presence with emotional fulfilment. The study contributes a richer understanding of digital loneliness by emphasizing its experiential and interpretative dimensions, thereby addressing limitations in prior quantitative research. However, this study is limited by its small, purposively selected sample and its focus on self-reported experiences, which may not fully capture the diversity of digital loneliness across broader populations. Future research should therefore incorporate cross-cultural or longitudinal approaches to deepen generalizability. Practically, the findings suggest that digital well-being initiatives and social media design should prioritize fostering authentic interaction and emotional resonance rather than mere connectivity, offering guidance for educators, policymakers, and technology developers in promoting healthier online social environments.
Copyright (c) 2025 Atjih Sukaesih, Nurul Zuriah (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring Cultural Identity Negotiation among Adolescents in Digital Spaces through a Phenomenological Approach
Digital platforms are reshaping how adolescents construct and negotiate their cultural identities in an increasingly globalized era. This study addresses the limited understanding of how adolescents themselves experience and interpret tensions between global digital influences and local cultural traditions. Adopting an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), it explores adolescents’ lived experiences to uncover how cultural identity is continuously reshaped in digital spaces. Data were gathered through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with adolescents active in both social media and cultural practices, and analyzed thematically. The results reveal that adolescents negotiate identity through a balance of empowerment and vulnerability in digital self-expression, while creatively hybridizing local traditions with global trends. Family and community expectations continue to shape these processes. The study’s novelty lies in revealing the phenomenological depth of digital identity negotiation—showing how personal meaning, cultural continuity, and global connectivity intertwine in adolescents’ lived experiences. This contribution refines current discussions on youth, globalization, and cultural sustainability by providing an interpretative understanding of identity as a fluid, meaning-making process in digital contexts.
Copyright (c) 2025 Oksiana Jatiningsih, Zeni Maulidiana Fibriani (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring Existential Loneliness in the Digital Era among Philosophy Students
Loneliness in the digital age has become a pressing concern across psychology, sociology, and philosophy. This study focuses on the existential aspects of loneliness among philosophy students, a group deeply engaged with questions of meaning and identity. Using an interpretative phenomenological approach, it explores how students experience and interpret existential loneliness in a hyper-connected environment. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and reflective diaries with twelve participants and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Four central themes emerged: the void in digital interactions, the paradox of hyper-connectivity, the pursuit of authenticity in digital identity, and loneliness as a source of reflection. Findings indicate that digital connections can intensify isolation while also fostering philosophical self-awareness. This study contributes to understanding loneliness as an existential experience and highlights phenomenology’s value in examining subjective life in digital contexts.
Exploring Digital Identity Construction Among Santri in Modern Islamic Boarding Schools
Digital transformation is reshaping identity formation among youth, including santri in Islamic boarding schools (pesantren), where religious values shape daily life. Despite its significance, research rarely addresses how santri interpret and negotiate their digital engagement within pesantren norms. This study asks: How do santri construct and manage their digital identities in this context? Adopting a phenomenological approach with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the research involved twelve santri from two modern pesantren in East Java, Indonesia. Semi-structured interviews revealed that digital platforms provide opportunities for self-expression and access to broader knowledge, yet also generate tensions as santri balance autonomy, religious authority, peer influence, and online visibility. Four themes emerged: negotiating tradition and modernity, digital platforms as social spaces, redefining authority, and balancing collective versus individual identities. The study contributes by clarifying the research gap on digital identity in pesantren, offering evidence of both opportunities and tensions in santri’s digital practices. Its implications point to the urgency of developing digital literacy frameworks that integrate religious values, while also encouraging comparative studies across different pesantren contexts.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ahmad Fauzan, Kholilah (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Readers’ Lived Experiences and Meaning-Making of Collective Trauma in Literary Narratives
Literature serves as a powerful medium for preserving cultural memory and negotiating collective trauma, enabling readers to engage with historical narratives on emotional and cognitive levels. Within this broader context, this study focuses on how readers interpret and internalize representations of historical trauma and identity reconstruction through Laksmi Pamuntjak’s novel Amba. While previous studies have largely emphasized textual analysis or authorial perspectives, little is known about readers’ lived experiences when encountering literary depictions of traumatic histories. Addressing this gap, this study highlights the novelty of examining readers’ meaning-making processes as an essential dimension of collective memory studies. Here, we apply Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore readers’ subjective experiences and reveal the essential meanings behind their engagement with the text. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with twelve participants who had read Amba and analyzed using a systematic, iterative approach to identify emerging themes. The findings demonstrate four interconnected experiential dimensions: embodied experiences of historical wounds, negotiation of cultural identity, emotional resonance and empathic imagination, and literature as a catalyst for collective remembrance. These findings advance prior scholarship by shifting the focus from textual representation to readers’ experiential engagement, thereby offering a novel contribution to trauma and memory studies. This study enhances our understanding of how literature mediates identity formation and cultural belonging, offering theoretical insights for phenomenological research and practical implications for educators, cultural practitioners, and policymakers. By centering on readers’ perspectives, this work contributes new methodological and conceptual approaches to the study of trauma narratives. Future studies may extend these findings by comparing multiple texts or exploring cross-cultural contexts to deepen perspectives on meaning-making and collective memory.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ita Yusnani, Intan Kamilah (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Basic Concepts of Historical Science: Foundations and Contemporary Applications
History is a branch of the social sciences that can be understood more profoundly if one follows the thought patterns of historians and comprehends the methodological principles underlying historical research. Unlike the medical profession, which requires a specific educational background, history is more inclusive and accessible. Anyone can become a historian as long as they can systematically, consistently, and responsibly apply historical methodologies. This study aims to analyze the basic concepts of historical science and their implications for history education, with a particular focus on the integration of historical methodologies into Social Studies (Ilmu Pengetahuan Sosial/IPS) curricula. Using a qualitative-descriptive approach through literature review, the research explores how historians’ ways of thinking and methodological rigor can be applied in classroom contexts. Understanding history requires adopting multi-causal and multi-perspective approaches, in line with the complexity and scope of historical studies. For educators, particularly those with educational backgrounds, it is crucial to develop a comprehensive understanding of history’s position within the broader framework of social sciences and its integration into Social Studies curricula. The findings indicate that applying historical concepts systematically not only enhances the effectiveness of history teaching but also enables teachers to deliver materials proportionally, in alignment with students’ cognitive development at different educational levels.
Copyright (c) 2025 Khoirul Amri Rambe, Muhamad Hidayat (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Analysis of Employee Work Discipline at the Head Office of PT Semen Tonasa, Pangkep Regency: A Study Based on Organizational Behavior and Motivation Theory
Employee work discipline can be measured by several indicators. Employee work discipline at the Head Office of PT Semen Tonasa has not been implemented well. This study aims to determine: (1) What is the level of employee work discipline at the Head Office of PT Semen Tonasa, Pangkep Regency. (2) What obstacles are faced in implementing employee work discipline at the Head Office of PT Semen Tonasa, Pangkep Regency. The research method used was descriptive. The sampling technique used was saturated sampling, where the entire population was sampled, with 32 samples. Data were measured using a Likert scale, and data collection methods included observation, questionnaires, and interviews. Data analysis used was quantitative analysis supported by qualitative analysis, and data processing used a frequency distribution table. Based on the research results, it shows that employee work discipline at the Head Office of PT Semen Tonasa, Pangkep Regency can be categorized as "Not Good". Unlike previous studies that often focus on general aspects of employee discipline, this research highlights the specific challenges of discipline implementation in a large state-owned enterprise context, offering an in-depth case study in Indonesia’s cement industry. The novelty of this study lies in its integration of quantitative and qualitative approaches to identify not only the level of discipline but also the structural and managerial obstacles that hinder its effectiveness. This provides a more comprehensive understanding of work discipline dynamics in highly regulated organizations. Based on the conclusions of this study, the author recommends that employees in the Human Capital Operations division of the Head Office of PT Semen Tonasa, Pangkep Regency, comply with and pay attention to all regulations set by the company to maintain discipline in their work. Furthermore, the Head of Human Capital Operations at the Head Office of PT Semen Tonasa, Pangkep Regency, should increase supervision and attention so that employees are more motivated and responsible for their work.
Copyright (c) 2025 Nur Ismianti, Harbani Pasolong, Paramudia (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Effect of Discovery Learning on Fractions in Grade V
This study investigates the effect of the Discovery Learning method on elementary students’ ability to represent fractions. The study was motivated by the persistent difficulty students face in expressing fractions in visual, symbolic, and verbal forms, often due to the dominance of conventional teaching approaches. Instead of focusing on procedural instruction, Discovery Learning encourages students to actively construct knowledge, leading to deeper conceptual understanding. The findings reveal that students who learned through Discovery Learning demonstrated stronger mathematical representation skills compared to those taught using traditional methods. Beyond improving test performance, this approach fosters active engagement, problem-solving skills, and conceptual mastery of fractions. These results highlight the broader implication that discovery-based approaches can serve as an effective alternative to conventional teaching in mathematics education, particularly in addressing common challenges in fraction learning.
Copyright (c) 2025 Iftitah , Nursina Sari , Haifaturrahman (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Ethical Reasoning and Lived Moral Challenges: Exploring Philosophy Students’ Experiences in Digital Post-Truth Environments
In the rapidly evolving digital era, moral decision-making is increasingly shaped by the complexity and ambiguity of online interactions. This study investigates how philosophy students interpret and navigate ethical dilemmas within digital post-truth environments, where information credibility and moral clarity are often contested. Using an interpretative phenomenological approach, ten students from Indonesian universities participated in semi-structured interviews to share their experiences of confronting issues such as misinformation, cancel culture, and AI-generated content. Analysis revealed three central themes: the pervasive moral ambiguity in digital spaces, the application of philosophical reflection as a decision-making compass, and the emotional fatigue associated with sustained ethical engagement online. Findings demonstrate that participants do not merely engage with ethical concepts theoretically but integrate philosophical reasoning into their lived moral practice. These insights underscore the importance of experience-centered ethics education that addresses both cognitive and emotional dimensions of moral agency. The study contributes to digital ethics discourse by highlighting the subjective processes underpinning ethical reasoning in fast-changing online contexts.
Copyright (c) 2025 Muhammad Afin Wirdiyan (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring the Lived Meaning of Oral Tradition Among Indigenous Youth through a Phenomenological Approach in a Changing Cultural Landscape
Oral tradition plays a central role in the preservation of cultural identity, particularly within indigenous communities undergoing rapid social transformation. While previous studies have explored the structural dimensions of cultural transmission, the lived experiences of youth as inheritors of oral traditions remain underexamined. Little is known about how young individuals perceive, internalize, and negotiate oral narratives in relation to modernity and identity; this study seeks to understand how they experience and make meaning of oral tradition. Grounded in a descriptive phenomenological framework, this study emphasizes understanding the essence of participants’ lived experiences as they engage with oral tradition. Using a descriptive phenomenological approach, this research investigates the subjective dimensions of cultural inheritance among youth in an indigenous Indonesian community. The phenomenological method guided all stages of the study—from data collection through in-depth, semi-structured interviews to the thematic analysis aimed at identifying invariant meaning structures and essential experiential themes. The results revealed four central themes: oral tradition as identity affirmation, experiences of cultural dissonance, emotional intimacy in intergenerational storytelling, and resilience through remembering. These findings demonstrate that oral tradition is not simply content passed down, but a dynamic and affective process of identity formation and cultural negotiation. The study offers a nuanced understanding of cultural transmission as a lived, internalized experience and highlights the methodological strength of phenomenology in uncovering the depth and texture of such experiences. These insights can inform future studies in cultural education, identity development, and youth heritage engagement in similarly transitioning societies.
Copyright (c) 2025 Suprisno Baderan, Misrianto (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Understanding Social Identity Negotiation Through a Phenomenological Approach Among Second-Generation Muslim Migrants in Urban European Contexts
The increasing complexity of identity formation among second-generation migrants has become a critical focus within migration and social integration studies. In particular, the lived experiences of Muslim youth in European urban settings remain underexplored in terms of how they navigate cultural dualities and societal expectations. While prior studies have examined integration outcomes using structural or quantitative frameworks, little is known about how these individuals subjectively interpret and assign meaning to their social identities. This study applies an interpretative phenomenological approach to explore how second-generation Muslim migrants construct, negotiate, and internalize their sense of belonging. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve participants, and data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to uncover recurring themes related to identity tension, visibility, spiritual anchoring, and hybrid belonging. The analysis indicates that participants often confront pressures of misrecognition and discrimination, yet they respond by cultivating strategies of resilience, such as drawing on faith-based resources, reinterpreting cultural practices, and fostering supportive peer networks. These strategies enable them to transform identity tensions into opportunities for reflexivity and growth. The results reveal that participants experience identity as a dynamic and multidimensional process shaped by emotional, social, and cultural negotiations. Rather than conforming to binary models of assimilation or separation, they actively develop hybrid identities rooted in resilience and reflexivity. These findings underscore the importance of recognizing migrant youth as active agents who construct belonging beyond restrictive policy categories, highlighting the need for integration frameworks that account for agency, resilience, and hybridity. This study contributes to the development of more inclusive, human-centered approaches in migration discourse and encourages further qualitative exploration of lived experiences across diverse migrant populations.
Copyright (c) 2025 Loneli Costaner, Dessy Kurniasy (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring the Lived Experiences of Toxic Friendships Among University Students in Campus Social Networks: A Phenomenological Approach
Interpersonal relationships among university students represent a critical area within social and psychological sciences, particularly in understanding how peer dynamics influence emotional well-being. While friendships are generally seen as sources of support, emerging research reveals that toxic friendships—characterized by manipulation, exclusion, and emotional strain—are a significant yet understudied phenomenon in campus social environments. However, little is known about how students internally experience and interpret these harmful relationships, prompting the question: how do students make sense of toxic friendships within their peer networks? This study employs an interpretative phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of university students who have been involved in toxic friendships. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with eight participants and analyzed thematically to identify core experiential themes. The findings reveal three dominant themes: emotional exhaustion from sustained relational harm, the paradox of performative belonging, and the emergence of self-agency through emotional detachment. These results highlight the emotional and cognitive processes through which students endure and eventually reclaim control over harmful social ties. The study expands our understanding of relational toxicity by uncovering meaning structures that are often hidden beneath social conformity. Importantly, the findings suggest practical implications for improving student well-being, as they may inform the development of targeted counseling programs, peer support initiatives, and preventive university policies aimed at reducing the impact of toxic friendships on mental health. These insights hold practical implications for student mental health services and suggest the need for future cross-cultural research into the evolving dynamics of toxic relationships in both physical and digital peer environments.
Copyright (c) 2025 Muh. Arifin, Andi Muspida (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Lived Experience of Double Identity among Diaspora Adolescents in International Schools
Global migration and cultural mobility have reshaped the landscape of adolescent identity development, particularly among youth in international educational settings. Within this context, diaspora adolescents often experience a dual cultural alignment that poses unique psychological and social challenges to their identity formation. While existing studies have addressed acculturation and bicultural identity using quantitative frameworks, limited research has examined how adolescents subjectively interpret the lived experience of holding a double identity. This study investigates: What is the essence of the experience of living with a double identity for diaspora adolescents in international schools? Using a descriptive phenomenological approach, grounded in social identity theory and acculturation frameworks, this research explores how adolescents articulate, negotiate, and make meaning of their dual cultural identity in everyday life. Specifically, the study followed Colaizzi’s seven-step method to ensure replicability: (1) reading all participants’ descriptions, (2) extracting significant statements, (3) formulating meanings, (4) organizing meanings into theme clusters, (5) developing exhaustive descriptions, (6) identifying fundamental structures, and (7) validating findings with participants. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 adolescents from diverse ethnic backgrounds enrolled in international schools across Southeast Asia. Interviews lasted between 60–90 minutes, were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using NVivo software to enhance rigor and transparency. The findings revealed four core themes: navigating cultural in-betweenness, engaging in cultural code-switching, experiencing linguistic dissonance, and striving for cohesive selfhood. These themes reflect the emotional and existential complexity of identity construction in multicultural environments. The study contributes to a richer understanding of identity as a lived and evolving phenomenon, highlighting the need for educational practices that acknowledge and support the emotional dimensions of bicultural development in youth. Findings also offer new directions for future research in cross-cultural psychology, education, and adolescent mental health.
Copyright (c) 2025 Rizky Subhan, Kukuh Sungkawa (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring Ethical and Emotional Engagement with Postcolonial Suffering through a Reader-Response Analysis of Millennial Readers’ Literary Experiences
This study advances postcolonial literary research by focusing not on texts themselves but on how millennial readers personally experience narratives of colonial suffering. Employing an interpretative phenomenological approach with in-depth interviews of eight university-educated readers (aged 20–30), the research identifies four key themes: emotional resonance, ethical reflection, identity negotiation, and ethical literacy. The findings show that engagement with postcolonial fiction fosters critical self-reflection and moral awareness, highlighting literature’s role as a site of ethical transformation. By centering reader-response experiences, this study contributes novel insights into how postcolonial literature shapes moral consciousness and underscores the value of phenomenological inquiry for understanding the ethical dimensions of reading.
Copyright (c) 2025 Purwanti Taman, Nurmiati (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Religion has long been recognized as a vital force in shaping moral values among youth, particularly in Islam, where hadith provides ethical guidance for daily life. In response to growing moral challenges, this study examines the effectiveness of hadith-based Islamic guidance in enhancing social morality among young people. A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving 200 respondents aged 15–20 from secondary schools in Aceh. Quantitative data were collected through structured questionnaires, while qualitative insights were obtained from in-depth interviews with 20 participants. The findings reveal significant improvements in key ethical dimensions: empathy (76%), respect (68%), and ethical decision-making (71%), alongside notable reductions in negative behaviors (59%). Qualitative evidence supports these results, showing enhanced self-control, stronger respect for parents, and improved peer cooperation. Together, the data indicate that hadith-based guidance strengthens both individual character and social relationships, thereby fostering family cohesion and community harmony. This study concludes that integrating hadith values into educational and community programs offers a strategic pathway to develop ethically responsible and socially engaged youth. The findings highlight the relevance of Islamic guidance as a moral foundation in contemporary society and call for broader application in character education initiatives.
Copyright (c) 2025 Wala Azizah, Miftahul Huda (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
AI and Emotional Intimacy: Exploring Romantic Bonds with Artificial Companions
Artificial intelligence has emerged as a significant mediator in modern emotional and romantic interactions, reshaping how individuals experience connection, intimacy, and presence. This study delves into the lived realities of users who engage in emotionally meaningful relationships with AI companions, particularly through chatbot-based interactions. Using an interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA), this qualitative study involved in-depth interviews with eight adult participants who maintained sustained romantic engagement with AI entities. Data were analyzed thematically through a multi-step IPA process, emphasizing idiographic depth and interpretative coherence. Thematic analysis revealed five interrelated experiential dimensions: emotional availability, comfort in predictability, perceived presence beyond simulation, internal conflict and moral ambiguity, and the transformation of romantic ideals. Participants described how AI companions, though inherently non-human, were perceived as emotionally attuned and relationally significant. These bonds were often rooted in safety, consistency, and the freedom from emotional volatility common in human relationships. While participants acknowledged the artificiality of their partners, the emotional impact and intimacy they experienced were tangible and complex. The findings suggest a reconfiguration of emotional authenticity and raise critical questions about the nature of human connection in a technologically mediated world. This research contributes to digital sociology and emotional technology studies by emphasizing the importance of subjective meaning-making in AI-mediated companionship. It also offers insights into how design, ethics, and psychological frameworks can better align with users’ affective needs in digital romantic contexts.
Copyright (c) 2025 Diah Fatma Sjoraida (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Navigating Urban Belonging: Identity Fragmentation and Resilience Among Female Economic Migrants in Southeast Asian Cities
Urban multiculturalism increasingly shapes the lived experiences of female economic migrants, who navigate complex processes of identity, belonging, and adaptation in metropolitan settings. This study examines how migrant women negotiate cultural identity in urban environments that are both diverse and subtly assimilationist. Using an interpretative phenomenological approach, the research involved in-depth interviews with ten female migrants aged 23–46, residing in Jakarta and Surabaya, and originating from five different cultural backgrounds (Javanese, Batak, Minang, Sundanese, and Eastern Indonesian ethnic groups). Findings reveal that participants experience cultural fragmentation, emotional labor, and identity concealment in response to societal expectations and urban anonymity. Many reported internal conflicts, public invisibility, and pressures to conform, leading to shifts in self-perception and emotional fatigue. Despite these challenges, women found empowerment through informal community support, religious gatherings, culinary practices, and cultural rituals, which provided emotional anchoring and a sense of reconstructed belonging. The study suggests that for female migrants, cultural identity is not a linear trajectory of integration or resistance, but a fluid, emotionally charged negotiation shaped by everyday experiences. These insights point to the need for inclusive urban policies and culturally sensitive mental health services that address the specific needs of women migrants. By centering the affective dimensions of adaptation, this research contributes to migration studies and urban sociology, highlighting how resilience is embedded in ordinary acts of cultural affirmation.
Copyright (c) 2025 Nur Ekaningsih (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Emotional Belonging and Identity Reconstruction in Online Mental Health Peer Communities
The emergence of digital platforms has transformed how individuals with mental health challenges seek emotional connection and support, offering alternative spaces that differ markedly from traditional offline settings. This study explores how individuals with a history of psychological distress experience emotional belonging and identity reconstruction within online mental health peer-support communities. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study analyzed in-depth narratives from ten participants who actively engaged in virtual peer communities. The analysis focused on the subjective meanings participants attached to their digital interactions and the relational dynamics within these spaces. The findings reveal four central themes: (1) the psychological safety afforded by anonymity, (2) emotional reciprocity and shared vulnerability, (3) construction of digital selfhood through acceptance and recognition, and (4) the formation of community-based identity beyond clinical labels. Participants described these online spaces as restorative environments that provided authenticity, connection, and a sustained sense of emotional belonging—often lacking in their offline social worlds. Online peer communities can serve not only as coping mechanisms but also as transformative ecosystems that reshape emotional well-being and self-perception. The study highlights the affective and relational potential of virtual engagement and offers practical implications for developing trauma-informed, inclusive digital mental health spaces.
Copyright (c) 2025 Dian Anggraini (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Blended Tourism-Based English Learning in Indonesian Vocational Education: Integrating AI, Gamification, and Flipped Classroom
English instruction in Indonesian vocational tourism education often lacks contextual alignment with real-world communication demands, resulting in limited student engagement and skill acquisition. This study designed and tested a blended learning strategy that integrates flipped classroom, Think-Pair-Share (TPS), gamification, and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based feedback. A quasi-experimental design was conducted with 38 fourth-semester students from the Hotel Division Management Program at Politeknik Pariwisata Medan. Data were collected through pre- and post-tests on speaking and listening, motivation questionnaires, and classroom observations. The intervention led to significant improvements in speaking (N-Gain = 0.50) and listening (N-Gain = 0.52) competencies. Students showed increased motivation and active classroom participation. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.71, p < 0.01) was found between motivation and language performance. Participants also reported high satisfaction with AI-based feedback, particularly in sentence construction, pronunciation, and confidence. The integration of contextual learning, collaborative pedagogy, and adaptive technology offers a promising direction for English language teaching in vocational settings. The study recommends embedding industry-relevant content and AI-driven feedback into curricula to enhance learners’ communicative competence in tourism-related professions.
Copyright (c) 2025 Jerry Wilson (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring Moral Tension between Academic Integrity and Institutional Survival in Neoliberal Higher Education
Higher education has increasingly been shaped by neoliberal governance, managerial accountability, and performance-driven cultures that reconfigure academic work and professional ethics. Within this context, ethical issues in academia have largely been examined through normative frameworks and institutional policies, leaving limited attention to how such issues are experienced in everyday academic life. What remains insufficiently understood is how academics subjectively experience and interpret ethical dilemmas arising from tensions between moral integrity and institutional survival. Drawing on a hermeneutic phenomenological framework informed by Heideggerian notions of lived experience and moral agency, this study conceptualizes academic ethics not as a set of external rules, but as an interpretative and meaning-laden practice embedded in institutional lifeworlds. This study addresses this gap by employing a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to explore the lived ethical experiences of academics working in contemporary higher education settings. Data were generated through in-depth semi-structured interviews and reflective ethical narratives with academics who had sustained experience of institutional pressure. The data were analyzed using hermeneutic thematic analysis to identify meaning structures that reveal how ethical dilemmas are lived, interpreted, and negotiated over time. The findings show that ethical dilemmas are experienced as ongoing processes characterized by moral distress, ethical silence, negotiated integrity, and continuous meaning-making within institutional constraints. Specifically, participants described recurring tensions between performance metrics and pedagogical commitments, strategic compliance as a survival mechanism, and moments of reflexive resistance that reasserted personal moral identity. These findings demonstrate that ethical practice in higher education is shaped less by formal codes than by situated interpretative judgments formed within power-laden institutional contexts. These findings deepen understanding of academic ethics as a lived and interpretative phenomenon and suggest that future research and policy development should attend more closely to the experiential dimensions of ethical life in higher education.
Copyright (c) 2026 Abdul Azis Muslimin, Syamsiah Depalina Siregar (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Comparative Models of Islamic Family Law Development in Southeast Asia
This investigation examined evolutionary pathways of Islamic family legislation across Southeast Asian jurisdictions through systematic comparative methodology. The research analyzed legal transformations in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and southern Thailand's Muslim territories from 2000-2023, identifying distinct modernization approaches. Three primary reformation models emerged: Indonesia's progressive-adaptive framework emphasizing gender equality and child protection, Malaysia's balanced-moderate system maintaining traditional-modern synthesis, and Brunei's conservative-traditional approach preserving classical Islamic jurisprudence. Data collection involved comprehensive legal text analysis, scholarly literature review, and governmental reports examination. Findings revealed that globalization pressures, human rights discourse, indigenous cultural contexts, and religious authority restructuring significantly influenced juridical transformations. Empirically, Indonesia’s progressive-adaptive model has resulted in stronger judicial protection for women in divorce litigation, stricter regulation of polygamy, clearer procedural safeguards in child custody disputes, and expanded recognition of children’s civil rights—demonstrating measurable shifts toward substantive gender justice within Islamic family courts. The progressive Indonesian model demonstrated enhanced women's legal standing and expanded child welfare protections, while Malaysia's moderate approach yielded mixed outcomes due to implementation inconsistencies. In Malaysia, reforms such as procedural standardization in Sharia courts and limited expansion of women’s post-divorce financial claims have improved access to justice; however, inconsistent enforcement across states has reduced their overall effectiveness. Brunei's traditional framework maintained classical interpretations with minimal contemporary adaptations. This approach has preserved doctrinal consistency but has limited the incorporation of international human rights norms, particularly in matters of marital dissolution and inheritance equity. These divergent approaches produced varying impacts on family welfare outcomes, particularly regarding matrimonial rights, divorce proceedings, inheritance distributions, and economic security. The study contributes to understanding how shared religious foundations interact with diverse political, cultural, and historical contexts to produce distinct legal modernization trajectories in contemporary Muslim societies.
Copyright (c) 2026 Akel Pernando, Almi Jera, Muslih, Muhammad Valiyyul Haqq, Nabila Mardiah (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Understanding Social Connectedness in Digital Workspaces: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study Among Remote Workers
The rapid shift toward remote work has redefined how individuals experience social connectedness in digitally mediated professional environments. While previous research has examined communication tools and productivity outcomes, less is known about the lived emotional and relational experiences of remote workers. What remains unclear is how individuals interpret and make sense of social connection when physical co-presence is replaced by virtual interaction. In this study, we adopt a descriptive phenomenological approach, grounded in Husserlian principles, to explore the lived experiences of remote workers regarding social connectedness in digital workspaces. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured online interviews with ten purposively selected remote workers (5 males and 5 females, aged 28–45) across diverse professional sectors including IT, education, and digital marketing. Interviews were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method to uncover essential themes. The findings reveal five central experiential themes: feeling present but invisible, disrupted rhythms of social bonding, emotional exhaustion from digital engagement, intentional acts of connection, and blurred personal-professional boundaries. These results highlight the emotional complexity and paradoxes of digital connection, revealing that technological presence does not always equate to social or emotional presence. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the psychological and interpersonal dimensions of remote work and suggest that digital environments should be designed to support relational authenticity and emotional resonance.
Copyright (c) 2025 Faizal (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring the Lived Experiences of Cultural Identity Negotiation among Adolescent Migrants
Migration studies increasingly highlight the psychological and cultural challenges faced by adolescents navigating life between multiple cultural worlds. Within this domain, the subjective experiences of identity negotiation among adolescent migrants remain underexplored, particularly in terms of how cultural tensions are lived and internalized. Despite growing interest in bicultural adaptation, existing research often relies on quantitative approaches that fail to capture the nuanced and evolving nature of personal meaning-making. This study addresses the question: How do adolescent migrants experience and negotiate dual cultural identities amid social and familial pressures? Conducted in Indonesia, this study employs an interpretative phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of ten adolescent migrants aged 13 to 17, each having resided in the country for a minimum of three years following cross-border migration. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, enabling rich exploration of individual narratives. Thematic analysis using NVivo software uncovered four central themes: (1) cultural in-betweenness, (2) emotional dimensions of language use, (3) conflicting family expectations, and (4) the emergence of empowered bicultural identities. Analytical procedures were grounded in Heideggerian phenomenology, ensuring interpretative depth in capturing participants’ meaning-making processes. The study reveals that cultural identity formation is a dynamic, emotionally intricate process influenced by continuous negotiation and adaptation within familial and social spheres. These findings enhance context-specific understanding of migrant identity development and provide practical insights for educators, mental health professionals, and policymakers engaging with multicultural youth populations. Future studies are encouraged to broaden phenomenological investigations across diverse migration contexts and refine theoretical frameworks on bicultural identity integration.
Copyright (c) 2025 Badirun Basir (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0