Kinanthi's Social Vulnerability in Tasaro GK's Novel Kinanthi - Terlahir Kembali (2)

Tasaro GK

Kinanthi's Social Vulnerability in Tasaro GK's Novel Kinanthi - Terlahir Kembali (2)

Written by Ari Julianto






III. The Indicators of Kinanthi’s Social Vulnerability
In this study, the word ‘indicator’ means a pointer or an index. Some broad indicators appear repeatedly in social vulnerability analyses, although it is possible to choose different proxies for each indicator. The vulnerability indicators used in this study are gender, race and age.
Rygel (2006: 748) states that in general, poor people living in vulnerability more vulnerable than the wealthy to disasters as well as gender, race and age. Of the various institutional environments that tend to sustain a multitude of economic barriers to different groups, it is discrimination based on race and gender that create the most insidious obstructions.

1. Age
United Nations (2008: 71) describes that children should not be treated merely as small adults: they are uniquely vulnerable in ways that differ from the vulnerability of adults. They are vulnerable to the demands and expectations of those in authority, including their parents, extended family and teachers. Physically, they are not able to protect themselves.

a. Vulnerable at teen’s period
At teenager period, Kinanthi experiences a very difficult life. This is actually the beginning of her social vulnerability. Her real age is fourteen, but it is faked three years older so that it will be easy for her agent to sell Kinanthi to a new employer. This is revealed when she is in KBRI (Embassy of Indonesian Republic).

2. Race
Fothergill (2004: 95) describes that discrimination also plays a major role in increasing the vulnerability of racial and ethnic minorities. In particular, real estate discrimination may confine minorities to certain hazard-prone areas or hinder minorities in obtaining policies with more-reliable insurance companies. When minorities are immigrants from non-English-speaking countries, language difficulties can greatly increase vulnerability to a disaster.

United Nations (2008: 74) describes that the status of an individual within his or her environment, whether that status is defined through formal systems (such as a legal system) or informal systems, creates different levels of vulnerability.

a. Discriminated by Arabian employers
Saudi Arabia is a rich and wealthy country and the condition is contrary to Indonesia. Although Saudi Arabia and Indonesia are Moslems countries, the race between them shows that there is discrimination. Kinanthi feels that she has been discriminated for her status and ethnic.

The discrimination for being an Indonesian maid who works in Saudi Arabia that Kinanthi has either in Saudi, Kuwait or in America makes her vulnerable in social life. This condition becomes worse when she gets torture, evil deeds and even having without payment.

3.Gender
United Nations (2008: 72) describes that women are vulnerable because they are frequently excluded from mainstream economic and social systems, such as employment, higher education, and legal as well as political parity. They are often the hidden victims of war and conflict, and this vulnerability extends to their status as displaced persons or refugees. It is also arguably exacerbated by their “relatively unequal” (secondary) status in the family and society more generally. Women are vulnerable to rape, domestic violence, harmful traditional practices, trafficking and lack of or limited access to resources. Many of these gender-based conditions of vulnerability are linked to social and cultural conditions.

a. Vulnerable as a young girl
Being a young girl is a vulnerable condition for Kinanthi especially supported by her poverty, background and ethnics. She experiences many painful life that ends in America. Miranda, a volunteer who works in America many years sees that Kinanthi as a young girl feels a deeply social vulnerability aAs a young girl, Kinanthi also feels vulnerable and she has to follow her destiny after losing her only best friend in Bandung, Euis. This condition brings vulnerability for Kinanthi.

IV. Reference
Aysan, Y. F. 1993. Keynote Paper: Vulnerability Assessment. In: P. Merriman and C. Browitt, eds., Natural Disasters: Protecting Vulnerable Communities, pp. 1-14.

Adger, W. Neil. 1998. Indicators Of Social And Economic Vulnerability To Climate Change In Vietnam. Working Paper. Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment University of East Anglia and University College London.

Blaikie, P. et al.1994. At Risk: Natural Hazards, People’s Vulnerability, and Disasters. New York: Routledge.

Editorial Team. 1992. The American Heritage Dictionary of The English Language. Third Edition. Boston: Houghton Miffin.

Fothergill, A. and Peek, L.A. 2004. Poverty And Disasters In The United States: A review of recent sociological findings, Natural Hazards 32, 89–110.

Luthar, S. S., and Zigler, E. 1991. Vulnerability and Competence: A review of research on resilience in childhood. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 61, 6–22.

Roecklenein, J.E. 2006. Elsevier's Dictionary of Psychological Theories. Netherland: Elsevier B.V.

Rygel, Lisa et al. 2006. A Method For Constructing A Social Vulnerability Index: an application to hurricane storm surges in a developed country. Mitigation and adaptation strategies for global change.741–764. Springer.

Tasaro, GK. 2012. Kinanthi - Terlahir Kembali.Bentang Pustaka: Yogyakarta.

United Nations. 2008. An Introduction to Human Trafficking: Vulnerability, Impact and Action. New York: UNODC.

I hope today's posting will be useful for all of us. Amien.