"Studi ini berusaha mengatasi masalah yang terjadi dalam penelitian kontemporer tentang identitas diri dengan menjelaskan 'identitas diri sebagai hasil kerja sistem representasi' Perspektif ini melibatkan teori diri dialogis, representasi sosial dan teori relasi ohjek yang mempertimbangkan baik realitas individual, sosial dan simbolik.
Penelitian berlangsung di Yogyakarta selama kurang iebih satu tahun (Januari-Desember 2006) dengan melibatkan 7 informan yang berprofesi sebagai SPG (Sales Promotion Girl) dan 625 responden. Informan dan responden berasal dari kalangan wanita muda perkotaan Yqgyakarta yang berstatus mahasiswi, berumur 21-25 tahun dan berasai dari Yogyakarta dan Jawa Tengah. Metode pengumpulan data meliputi metode partisipatif, anilisis media, observasi dan Wawancara mendalam serta penyebaran skala psikologis. Analisis data dilakukan dengan empat metode yaitu analisis diskursus, analisis isi, analisis faktor dan analisis kluster.
Studi ini membuktikan bahwa budaya-konsumsi sangat fberpengaruh besar pada pembentukan identitas diri wanita muda perkotaan Yogyakarta. Namun, mereka mengadopsi budaya konsumsi secara lebih kritis dan cerdas sehingga mcnghasiikan pemaknaan yang baru yang berbeda dengan yang dimaksudkan oleh media maupun industri. Studi ini juga membuktikan bahwa dinamika proses pembentukan identitas diri melalui konsumsi mempakan proses dialektika saling mempengaruhi antara kekuatan masyarakat dan kreativitas individu. Gambaran identitas diri yang dominan pada wanita muda perkotaan Yogyakarta adalah menilai pentingnya ekspresi gaul dengan mcmanfaatkan benda-benda konsumsi sekaligus menekankan pentingnya menjaga harmoni sosial.
Penelitian ini juga memperlihatkan pola konservatif yang diasumsikan di awal studi ada, ternyata tidak ditemukan baik pada informan maupun responden penelitian ini. Pola yang ditemukan adaiah pola emansipatif konsumtif atau masih dalam masa peralihan. Mencermati hasil ini, dapat dikatakan hahwa tidak ada wanita muda perkotaan Yogyakarta yang mampu mengelak dari pengaruh budaya konsumsi.
Penelitian ini juga membuktikan bahwa telah dan sedang terjadi perubahan Kota Yogyakarta yang kini ekspresi masyarakatnya semakin melibatkan pemanfaatan barang konsumsi dan praktik kebertubuhan. Namun, di sisi Iain spirit untuk menjaga harmoni sosial juga masih terjaga. Dengan kecenderungan ini, dapat diprediksikan setidaknya dalam I0 tahun ke depan, Kota Yogyakarta masih tetap memiliki tradisi yang kuat meskipun fasilitas modern semakin banyak. Spirit untuk menjaga harmoni sosial tetap menjadi spirit yang dominan meskipun ekspresi penampilannya semakin diukur dari kepemilikan benda materi.
Penelitian ini hanya terbatas pada konteks wanita muda perkotaan Yogyakarta yang berasal dari suku bangsa Jawa yang berusia 2l-25 tahun. Dengan demikian, penelitian ini tidak bisa digeneralisasikan untuk konteks penelitian yang Iain, baik jenis kelamin dan umur yang lain maupun konteks sosial-budaya yang lain.
Berdasarkan kontribusi teoritik, penelitian ini menyarankan agar kajian di bidang psikologi selalu memahami dan memperhitungkan proses dialektika antara individu dan sosial, antara konstruksi kreatif individu dan konstruksi sosial. Faktor sosial dan individu bukan variabel yang bisa diperlakukan semata-mata individu sebagai variabel yang tergantung dan sosial sebagai variabel bebas, keduanya saling mempengaruhi dalam proses dialektika yang bekerja sebagai siklus yang berulang. Ruang sosial juga dibentuk oleh aktivitas individu, demikian sebaliknya individu juga dipengaruhi oleh kondisi sosial. Dengan kata lain, penelitian ini menyarankan pendekatan penelitian yang bersifat holistik yang mempertimbangkan dialektika antara individu dan sosial.
Berdasarkan kontribusi ap1ikalif, hasil penelitian ini memperlihatkan bahwa pengaruh budaya konsumsi terhadap pembentukan identitas diri wanita muda perkotaan Yogyakarta sudah tidak mungkin dibendung lagi. Untuk itu Studi ini menyarankan:
Perlama, penting bagi Wanita muda perkotaan khususnya dan anak muda umumnya agar memiliki sikap kritis dan ketrampilan mengambil keputusan yang tepat. Hal ini sangat diperlukan untuk menghadapi pengaruh budaya konsumsi yang semakin kuat dan tak terbendung sehingga mereka tidak larut di dalamnya. Untuk membentuk sikap kritis dan ketrampilan tersebut orang tua dan masyarakar termasuk lembaga pendidikan harus memiliki pemahaman yang lebih tepat dan kontekstual atas kondisi wanita muda sehingga tidak jatuh pada pendakatan yang normatif.
Contemporary research on self-identity remains a problematic study area. This study aims at solving that problem by explaining ?self-identity as a result of the working of representation system? by using dialogical self-perspective, social representation and object relation theory by considering individual, social and symbolic realities.This research was carried out in three steps. The first one is initial step, consisting of participatory research (from February to June 2006) and media analysis (from March to May 2006). The second step is observation and in-depth interview with sales promotion girls (SPG), from August to December 2006. The third step is the distribution of scale of psychology (from November to December 2006). This research was conducted in Yogyakarta, involving seven informan working as SPG and 625 respondents of urban, young females living in Yogyakarta, mostly students, age between 21 to 25 years old, grow up-in Yogyakarta -and Central Java. Data was analyzed through four methods, namely discourse analysis, content analysis, factors analysis and cluster analysis.It is proven that consumption practice by utilizing body powerfully determines the very process of self-identity formation of urban young females in Yogyakarta. It means that consumer culture strongly affects their self-identity. However, they adopt consumer culture displayed by media Suggestion critically and intelligently that it results in another meaning which is different from that of what media intends. They are able to re-contextualize a number of new things, including media's suggestion on consumer culture, referring to the meaning and their own interests that can be completely different from that of what media and industry intend.The main result of this research proves that as a result of the working of representation system, self-identity of urban young females in Yogyakarta that are strongly affected by consumer culture is dynamic and plural one. Their self-identities are dynamic and plural since they have been moving to Yogyakarta city. Prior to moving, the image of their self-identities was described as being in a position which is relatively integrated, stable, and single one, as a child of an ustadz, qoriah or as a child of a public figure in parochial council, etc. Moving to Yogyakarta the image of their self-identities which was relatively stable, single and integrated turned to be that of dynamic and plural. ln Yogyakarta, various identification and imitation figures exist in a number of social, academic, religious, tradition and gaul spheres. With the existence of new identification and imitation figures, there emerge new positions in their selves, e.g. SPG, model, entertainer and anal: gaul. Thus, these new positions were integrated with old positions in such a way that there is a dynamic movement among various positions.In the mental world of these research?s informants and respondents, the image of their self-identities is expressed in their abilities to manage strategy of playing a number of positions in a harmonic way. Initially, the image of the self-identity in that mental world was social one, given that it emerged from social representation where an individual lives. ln other words, an individual heritages and live in a certain feature of self-identity existing in the society. In this research, social representation of urban young female in Yogyakarta can be described as vaulting the importance of expression of gaul style and having spirit to keep social harmony. The image of self-identity in social representation then belongs to individuals through identification as well as imitation process as being explained by object relation theory. ln consumption moment, this area represents moment of appropriation, a moment that shows individual?s creative acts in giving meaning to new object does not merely adopt meaning offered, but re-contextualize the meaning instead. Then it becomes completely new meaning or the result of modification from personal meaning and other meaning offered, so that it turns to be personal and belongs to her.Dynamics of self-identity formation as a result of the working of representation as described above will occur over and over again so that self-identity is a result of dynamic relationship between two opposing powers, namely publicly acknowledged power of the society, and creativity as well as freedom acquired by individuals. There is inter-dependence between culture and individual?s mind in the process of self-identity formation.This research is limited to the context of urban young female. in Yogyakarta, whose ethnic background is Javanese, between 21 -25 years of age.Thus, this research cannot be generalized to other research, gender, age as well as socio-cultural contexts.For that reason, this research suggest that study 911 self-identity for-other age-group, and cultural contexts to be carried out by implementing a holistic- research approach by considering individual, social and symbolic realities. Research on self-identity will not be sufficient if it merely consider one single reality. BY considering simultaneously those three realities, the study on self-identify can result in a perspective which is sensitive to various socio-cultural contexts where individual live Other suggestion, since the influence of-consumer culture on the self-identity formation is impossible to prevent; it is important that urban young female particularly and youth generally acquire critical attitude and ability to make the right decision in order not to be drawn in it. ln order to develop such critical attitude and ability, parents/family and society as well as educational institution should have a better and contextual understanding on the nature of young female. By such a better and contextual understanding it is expected that they can implement a more appropriate approach without being trapped into that of normative one."
