Gender-Role Portrayals in Indonesian Movies

Alfy Amaliananda*, Lina Puji Rahayu, Rahmi Nur Hidayati, Nur Alifa Savira

Faculty of Psychology, YARSI University, Jl. Let. Jend. Suprapto Kav. 5, Jakarta 10510, Indonesia

*E-mail: alfy_amalia@yahoo.com

Abstract
This study is a qualitative analysis of eight Indonesian movies that were produced between 2010 and
2015. There are eight films Indonesia in 2010-2015 were selected purposefully: “MIKA”, “Pupus”,
“Get Married 3”, “Kapan Kawin?”, “Negeri van Oranje”, “Catatan si Boy”, “Surga yang Tak
Dirindukan”, and “Cinta tapi Beda”. The gender role depictions of the characters in Indonesian
movies were examined with a focus on their behavioral characteristics. Based on the result, six films
show traditional gender-role, with two films show Egalitarian gender-role and one movie show
Transitional gender-role. The depiction of heterosexual gender stereotypes in courtship dimension,
shows that male is more dominant than women. However, the commitment attitudes dimension shows
that women are more dominant than men and sexual double standard dimension have not seen in this
research.

Keywords— film; gender roles; gender stereotypes

1. Introduction become a wiser man (Nurgiyantoro 2007 in Setiawan,

The movie industry in Indonesia is experiencing a very
significant development. Based on Setiawan (2013),
enhancement of the Indonesian movie’s development
occurred in 2008 which is capable of producing up to 88
films. The total Indonesian movie produced in 2008
increased 40% from the previous year (Setiawan, 2013).
Movie in Indonesia is an entertainment that has a special
attraction for a wide variety of genres and mixed story.
Genre films can describe the way the story appears in the
film. Indonesian viewers are mostly interested genres such
as drama, comedy, horror, education, action, and much
more. The most widely produced movie genre in
Indonesian movie industry is the drama genre followed by
comedy. In 2011, Indonesian movies with drama genre
amounted to 35 movies, while the number of comedy
genre movies is 13 (Lembaga Sensor Film, 2011).
According to the Film Act of 2009, a movie is a work of
art and culture based on the principles of cinematography
voiced or not and can be made into a show as a form of
social institutions or media of mass communication
(Setiawan, 2013). Sobur (2013) explains that a movie is a
medium that has the potential to affect the audience
because of its ability to reach various social segments.
This makes the dissemination of information to the public
through a movie will become easier and faster. A movie is
very useful for the audience because the audience can
learn and interpret the various problems presented by the
story of life in the film. This can make the audience
2013).
Movies usually raise issues that can be found in the
community or in everyday life because a movie is a
picture of real life or society which is lifted into a story
(Sobur, 2013). One issue that can be raised into a film is
the issue of gender (Mulyawati, 2013) because it is a very
interesting topic to discuss. According to Emka and Astuti
(2013), gender is a concept or scheme of social relations
that separates the functions and roles of men and women
who serve targeted concept or scheme established by the
social construction of society. Gender is a term that
describes the differences between men and women based
on the social construction in the community (Fakih,
1996). The difference between men and women have been
socialized in a systematic way in order to create an
understanding of society embedded in society (Mulyawati,
2013).
There have been several informative studies that address
gender role portrayals in movies. For example, a study
done by Leaper et al. (2002) about gender stereotypes in
the cartoon displayed in America across four genres:
traditional adventure, non-traditional adventure,
education/family, and comedy. The result suggested that
adventure cartoons are the best type of cartoon that
depicts the gender stereotypes and educational cartoons
are the least type of cartoon that depicts gender
stereotypes. Smith, Choueiti, & Pieper (2012) examined
gender role in 129 family movies, 275 prime-time shows,
and 36 episodes from children's series, evaluating a total because someone who has behaviors in accordance with
of 11,927 characters with an identifiable gender. The their gender roles will get a positive assessment.
result shows some conclusions about gender in movies. Meanwhile, someone who exhibits behaviors that are
First, female characters portrayed as working are less than inconsistent with their gender roles will get a negative
their male counterparts in the family movies and prime- assessment. This study may also provide information to
time shows. Second, females are more likely than males to the moviemakers to make a more interesting movie which
be young, thin, and sexualized. Third, male character has is in accordance with the Indonesian community.
a larger possibility to appear on the screen than female
characters in the family movies, prime-time programs and 2. Methods
children shows.
This research is a qualitative study. The researcher
Media often portray women as nurturing, gentle, collected data through Indonesian movies. The sampling
concerned with appearance and sensitive to others, while technique in this study used a technique purposive
men are portrayed as independent, assertive, and sampling, in which the sample search is predetermined
competitive (Foss, 1989; Wood & Reich, 2006). Men are based on certain characteristics. Researchers chose 8
also more dominant than women (Morris, 2006). Women Indonesian movies with the following characteristics:
are more likely to display empathetic behaviors, such as Indonesian movies with genre drama and produced in
compassion, sharing and caring for others than men 2010-2016.
(Glascock, 2001). Whereas, men look more physically
aggressive than women (Dill & Thill, 2007). The researcher used content analysis method for data
retrieval. The content analysis method is a research
Several studies highlighted the implications of movies method for the subjective interpretation of the content of
with regard to gender. For instance, Rivadeneyra & Ward text data through the systematic classification process of
(2005) conducted a study on the relationship between coding and identifying themes or patterns (Hsieh &
television viewing and gender-role in Latino adolescents Shannon, 2005, p.1278).
on. The result is that people who watch television more
often have associations with traditional gender-role This study used a Gender-Role and Heterosexual Script
attitudes. This shows that television and movies have an Table shown below to analyze every movie that has been
influence on the development of gender-role society. selected. Based on the Gender-Role Table, we can see the
Based on the research conducted by Álvarez-Hernández, Gender Role which is contained in each movie. Based on
de Garay-Domínguez & Frutos-Esteban (2015), the Heterosexual Script Table, we can see the gender
contemporary Spanish teen films reproduce an unequal stereotypes contained in each movie.
gender image through plot and character stereotypes in
films. It encourages a social imaginary in young viewers Table 1. Description of the gender roles
about men and women thus maintains a view of the
gender inequality. Gender Role Work-family balance
The traditional view that states the
Traditional Gender-Role
According to Bandura's social cognitive theory, media scope of men is work and women is
Attitude
home
messages can provide information about gender-linked The view that women and men have
knowledge and the development of gender-role (Michael, Egalitarial Gender-Role
the same power in the same
Attitude
1980). Individuals will adopt gender characteristics if they neighborhood
know the rewards and consequences associated with The view that women can work, but
others' behavior. Representation of characters in the media women still have to prioritize their
Transitional Attitude
responsibilities at home compared to
would be influence viewers' perceptions regarding gender his work
identity, which may ultimately influence attitudes and
beliefs about appropriate gender roles.
Table 2. Heterosexual script table
Based on the various explanations, the researchers suspect Heterosexual
Sex Characteristics
that gender roles and gender stereotypes in Indonesia can Script Themes
be seen through the Indonesian movies. This study will Sex is a defining component of
masculinity.
use observation method on 2010-2015 drama genre Men always want to have sex and are
movies in Indonesia. This is because the drama genre is a Male
always thinking about sex.
genre that is most widely produced compared to other Men are preoccupied with women’s
genres. Researchers speculated that drama will reflect Sexual Double
bodies.
gender stereotypes and gender-role that developed in Women are passive in sexual
Standards
Indonesian society compared to the other genres. relations.
Women are judged by their sexual
Female conduct.
Through the depiction of gender-role and gender Good girls are women who do not
stereotypes on film Indonesia, we will get a profile of have sex.
Indonesian society. It will provide an information about Women set the limits on sex.
how Indonesian people see the roles of men and women in
their daily lives and ways of behaving that is appropriate
for both men and women. This information is important,
 Heterosexual
Sex Characteristics as in the movie “Catatan Si Boy” where the heroine is
Script Themes trying to look beautiful in front of men that she likes.
Men initiate courtship behavior.
Men use dominant and powerful
Male strategies to attract women. Then on the dimensions of Commitment Attitudes, the
Men are valued for their strength, researcher found that women have a greater tendency to
wealth, and power. commit attitude in a relationship. Women tend to need a
Women are passive and alluring. man to complete her life. Women often prioritize the
Courtship
Women use indirect strategies to commitment in a relationship. But for men, they
attract men.
Female Women are valued for their frequently avoid commitment in a relationship so they
appearance. tend to want interdependence with their partner. They tend
Women use appearance and bodies to not want to rely emotionally on his partner in a
to attract men. relationship.
Men avoid commitment and
emotional attachment.
Male Men want independence. B. Discussion
Commitment
attitudes Men prefer sex over emotional
commitment.
Based on the research that has been conducted, it was
found that there are six movies that use Traditional
Female Women need a man to be fulfilled.
gender-role and there are two films that use Egalitarian
gender-role. In this study, no Transitional gender-role in
the film is visible. It shows that Indonesian people still
3. Results and Discussion had a strong gender-role view when a woman is a person
who has to work at home and do household duties, and the
A. Results. man is the person who must work outside the home and
earn a living. If it is further developed, it can become a
Table 3. Movies and Gender Role stigma in the society about the boundaries between men
Gender Role and women.
Movies Egalitarian Gender- Traditional Transitional
role Gender-role Gender-role Based on the Script heterosexual table, researchers can
Mika √ look at the gender stereotypes in Indonesian society. In the
Negeri Van courtship, the man looked more dominant than women.
√ This suggests that men tend to have a larger initiative to
Oranje
Get Married start a relationship than women. Men also look more
√
3 dominating in a relationship than women. On the
Kapan dimension of commitment attitudes, women look
√
Kawin?
dominant than men. This suggests that more women
Catatan Si
√ assume a romantic relationship is a priority compared to
Boy
Surga yang men. Women feel they need a man to complete her.
Tak √
Dirindukan Through the depiction of gender and gender-role
Cinta tapi stereotypes, it is expected for moviemakers to be more
√
Beda
cautious in presenting these things in the movie. This is
Pupus √ because there is a relationship interplay between the
From the analysis of the movies that have been image of gender and gender-role stereotypes on the movie
determined, the Gender Role showed that there are 5 with gender and gender-role stereotypes developed in the
movies that depict Traditional Gender-role: “Mika”, community. This will affect the way people view
“Negeri Van Oranje”, “Get Married 3”, “Cinta tapi Beda”, regarding appropriate behavior for men and women.
and “Vanished” and two movies depicting Egalitarian
Gender-role: “Kapan Kawin” and “Catatan Si Boy”. Research on the picture of gender and gender-role
“Surga yang Tak Dirindukan” was found as the only film stereotypes through movies is still rare in Indonesia.
that depicts transitional gender role. This shows that Therefore, researchers realized that this study has many
Indonesians still tend to have the views that the one shortcomings. The number of samples was minimal and
should work are men and not women. Women are less profound theory used are the limitation of this study.
required to have skills related to household work. However, researchers hope this study will be a trigger for
other studies related to gender issues. For future studies,
Refer to table 2 in appendix A, we can find that on the the researchers suggest using more sample size and from
dimensions of courtship both male and female have the different periods in order to better describe the gender and
same tendency in starting a relationship. Men would be gender-role stereotypes in Indonesia.
appreciated if they have power, wealth, and strength,
while women are more passive in a relationship. In 4. Conclusion
addition, women are usually will be appreciated from her
physical appearance or sex appeal. Women typically use Based on the research that has been conducted, it was
physical appearance to be able to attract the opposite sex, found that there are five movies that use gender-traditional
roles (Mika, Negeri Van Oranje, Get Married 3, Cinta tapi
Beda, and Pupus), two movies that depict Egalitarian
Gender-role (Kapan Kawin and Catatan si Boy), and the
first film that depicts the Transitional Gender-role (Surga
yang Tak Dirindukan). These findings determined that the
Indonesian people still have strong gender roles in which
women are people who have to work at home and do
household chores, and the man is the one who must work
outside the home and earn a living. It also shows the
presence of a stigma in the society about the boundaries
between men and women. Then based on the Script
heterosexual, researchers can see gender stereotypes in
Indonesian society. In courtship, men and women have
the same dominance. This suggests that men and women
have the same tendency to start a relationship. The man
will be rewarded with wealth, power, and strength. On the
dimension of the attitude of commitment, the woman
looked more dominant than men. This shows that women
tend to think of romantic relationships as a priority than in
men. Women feel they need a man to complete her life.
In a study about the image of gender stereotypes and
gender roles through the movie is still rare in Indonesia.
Therefore, researchers realized that this study has many
shortcomings. The small number of samples and less
profound theory used are the limitations to this study.
However, researchers hope that the study will be a trigger
for other studies related to gender issues. For future
studies, the researchers suggest using a larger sample size
and the selection of a more diverse film category includes
movies in different periods in order to better illustrate
gender stereotypes and gender roles in Indonesian movies.
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APPENDIX A.

Table 2. Movies and Characteristics

Negeri van Surga yang Kapan Get Married Cinta Tapi Pupus
MIKA Oranje Catatan si Boy TakDirindukan Kawin 3 Beda
Heterosexual
Script
Sex Characteristic
Themes
M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F

Men initiate

courtship behavior     

Men use dominant

and powerful 
Male strategies to attract    
women.
Men are valued for
their strength,  
    
wealth, ad power.

Courtship Women are passive

    
and alluring.
Women use indirect
strategies to attract
Female   
men.

Women are valued 

for their appearance.    
Women use
appearance and   
 
bodies to attract men.

Men avoid
commitment and

emotional attachment

Male Men want

independence  
Commitment
attitudes Men prefer sex over
emotional
commitment

Romantic
relationships are a
 
priority for women
 Negeri van Surga yang Kapan Get Married Cinta Tapi Pupus
MIKA Oranje Catatan si Boy TakDirindukan Kawin 3 Beda
Heterosexual
Script
Sex Characteristic
Themes
M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F

Female Women need a man

to be fulfilled.

  