Inequalities for Indonesian Men to Pursue Fashion as a Career

Department of Communication Science, Faculty of Social and Politial Science, Diponegoro University, Jl. Prof. Soedarto, SH Tembalang, Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia’s fashion industry can be growth rapidly, but did not give the equal opportunity for man who wants to pursue career in the industry, due to gender stereotype in fashion which occurs in Indonesia. In prior researches, fashion examined as gendered activity and identically with women. This study aims to testify the existences of gender stereotype and inequalities among four Indonesian men who pursue fashion as a career, by describing their subjective experiences using qualitative approach and constructivism paradigm. This study concluded that in Indonesia, inequalities existed among four subjects due to gender stereotype. It is happened after the implications of society perspectives, that fashion perceived to be a career which linked with women rather than men. Also found in this study, that inequalities and gender stereotype also affected all of the subject self-concept. These factors made their self-concept tend to be low, but also encourages two of them to achieved many things and excel in the fields of fashion. So, they can be good examples to the society who underestimated them.