How to Deal and Negotiate with the Campus Environment? Female Students’ Experiences in Reconstructing Gender Identity

Mustofa Mustofa; Kacung Marijan; Mohammad Romadhoni; Beni Setiawan

doi:10.29333/ejecs/1618

Authors

Mustofa Mustofa Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Surabaya https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4191-1241
Kacung Marijan Universitas Airlangga https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4682-780X
Mohammad Romadhoni National Dong Hwa University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6271-1209
Beni Setiawan Universitas Negeri Surabaya https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6821-7949

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/1618

Keywords:

pesantren education, gender, negotiating female student, academic environment

Abstract

Being an ‘ideal woman of Muslim version,’ or muslimah in Indonesia, is the expectation from any family, and studying at pesantren (Islamic boarding school) is an option. However, female students confronted cultural shock when switching to a campus environment and experienced identity mediation. Experiences of study and interaction with the campus environment as well as the confrontation of gender norms between different pesantren and university, require them to renegotiate the meaning of gender and reinterpret Islamic teachings to meet their developing identity needs. To enhance our comprehension of the potential impact of higher education on gender identity negotiations, this study researched three female students who graduated from pesantren and then continued their education at university. The researchers employed in-depth interviews, discussions, and sharing of experiences through essays to obtain comprehensive information. This study found that pesantren and campus create an environment for thinking development. Some took the middle path to become more moderate, and others even resisted the pesantren doctrine. It generates novel assumptions concerning gender rather than the two prevalent perspectives, traditionalists who preserve the old system or principles and feminists who battle for gender justice based on their interpretation. Therefore, it is suggested that pesantren begin to adapt to the curriculum and public-school materials relevant to the era. Preserving a conservative notion of gender will diminish interest in studying at the pesantren.

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Author Biographies

Mustofa Mustofa, Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Surabaya

Mustofa, PhD., is an assistant professor at the Department of Elementary Teachers Education, Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Surabaya, Indonesia. His research interests are in curriculum and instruction and the Sociology of Education.

Kacung Marijan, Universitas Airlangga

Prof. Kacung Marijan is a professor of Comparative Politics in the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences. His interest in political science and political Islam. He has produced many writings on the dynamics of politics and Islamic parties.

Mohammad Romadhoni, National Dong Hwa University

Mohammad Romadhoni majors in The Ph.D. Program in Asia-Pacific Regional Studies College of Humanities and Social Sciences National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan, R.O.C. He is also taking Education and Human Potential Development as his minor program. His research interest is Educational Policy, Language Policy, and English Language Teaching.

Beni Setiawan, Universitas Negeri Surabaya

Beni Setiawan, Ph.D. is an associate professor at the Department of Science Education, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia. His research interest is Indigenous Science Teaching and Learning.

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