Examining Gender Discourse and Childfree Movement in Post-Authoritarian Era: A Case Study of @GITASAV on Instagram

Abstract

This article explores Indonesian netizens’ sentiments over the issue of childfree articulated by a woman influencer, Gita Savitri, through her Instagram account. This study employed a digital humanities method to analyze keywords using Antconc and sentiments using Voyant Tool from the year of 2020 to 2024. Reception theory by Stuart Hall was used to explain the standing of netizens’ dominant ideology and Gender Performativity by Judith Butler was utilized to describe the social construction on childfree decisions done by Gita Savitri. The results show that the phrase and words “Punya Anak” (Having a Child), “Aku” (I), and “Kita” (We) play a significant role in shaping public sentiments. The phrase “Punya Anak” has resulted in 37 negative comments (39,4%), leading to criticisms on the contents and disagreement towards child-free decisions. The word “Kita” portrays the interactions between Gita Savitri and netizens in the collective discourse on childfree. Moreover, the word “Aku” brings about 58 negative comments (50%), which generally reject the concept of childfree. This study indicates that the childfree choice is assumed as the resistance against Indonesian traditional gender norms referred to as state Ibuism, and the woman issues in this case are used to deconstruct and criticize the patriarchal power structures. Thus, Instagram is an essential space for critical dialogues, enabling changes in public’s understanding and acceptance of the ideas that challenge the established cultural norms.