Qualitative Experiences of Civil Law in Unequal Tenancy: Emotional and Moral Dimensions of Legal Duty among Urban Renters in Indonesia
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Abstract
In urban Indonesia, rental agreements often reflect asymmetrical legal relationships that disadvantage tenants, especially those with limited economic means or legal literacy. This study investigates how civil obligations embedded in such contracts are perceived and internalized by urban tenants facing rental injustice. Employing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the research explores the emotional and moral dimensions of legal compliance among ten adult tenants (aged 25–50) residing in Jakarta and Bandung who have encountered perceived inequality in their housing contracts. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling based on their lived experiences of unresolved rental disputes and reported feelings of legal disempowerment.
Findings reveal that tenants’ experiences of legal obligation are not governed solely by contractual norms but are shaped by fear, resignation, social dependency, and moral negotiation. Four key themes emerged: legal powerlessness, silent compliance, informal renegotiation, and the normalization of injustice. These themes highlight the subjective burden of fulfilling civil duties under conditions of legal imbalance, suggesting that tenants’ engagement with law is affectively and socially constructed rather than procedurally neutral.
This study contributes to a richer understanding of legal consciousness by emphasizing the lived reality of civil obligations. It challenges the conventional perception of legal enforcement as a rational process, calling instead for tenant-centered legal reforms that recognize emotional harm and social vulnerability. The findings underscore the need for more empathetic and context-sensitive approaches in contract law, particularly within socioeconomically strained urban settings.
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