Constructing Idol Femininity: The Circulation of Feminine Ideals within JKT48’s Digital Community

Lukman Amir; Gunawan  Wiradharma; Mario Aditya  Prasetyo; Nida Israliati  Widiyanto

doi:10.58230/txvw0049

Authors

Lukman Amir Communication Sciences Study Program, Faculty of Law, Social, and Political Sciences, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia
Gunawan Wiradharma Communication Sciences Study Program, Faculty of Law, Social, and Political Sciences, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia
Mario Aditya Prasetyo Postgraduate Program in Communication Science, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia
Nida Israliati Widiyanto Communication Sciences Study Program, Faculty of Law, Social, and Political Sciences, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58230/txvw0049

Keywords:

digital fandom, feminity, JKT48, networked self, social control

Abstract

This study examines how JKT48 fans circulate femininity values through criticism and evaluation on social media and how these practices construct members’ networked selves within Indonesian cultural contexts.

This qualitative study combined digital ethnography with Norman Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis. Data collection began with online participant observation, followed by the documentation of fan posts and comments and a literature review of idol culture, fandom, femininity, and digital identity. The collected data were subsequently examined through textual analysis, discursive practice, and sociocultural practice.

Fan criticism operates as a mechanism for circulating and enforcing femininity values related to performance, emotional expression, politeness, friendliness, appearance, and professionalism. Idol identities are dynamically negotiated through tensions among personal expression, fandom expectations, platform-based visibility, and Indonesian cultural norms.

Feminine values are not only produced by the industry but also negotiated and enforced collectively by the fandom through standards such as emotional expression, performance energy, and modesty. This research opens up opportunities for further research, particularly in exploring the long-term impact of digital social control on idols' psychological health and the dynamics of their personal identities outside the public sphere.

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