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Boredom, Hope, and Intimate Labor in Transit: Young Male Refugees and Their Intimate Relationships with Older, Local Women in Indonesia

Author

Listed:
  • Danau Tanu
  • Antje Missbach

Abstract

Thousands of refugees transit through Indonesia, often for prolonged periods of time. With limited access to basic rights, including the right to work, some young or underage male refugees forge intimate relationships with older Indonesians. Public perception of these relationships is, for the most part, dichotomous: the refugees are seen either as moral transgressors or victims of sexual exploitation. This research explores how these intimate, age-dissimilar relationships are formed, and the consequences of the public condemnation and criminal sanctions that can follow. We show that these relationships are often more complex than a mere exchange of money for sex, and argue that they can be best understood as intimate labor. When these relationships are extended ones, they can help refugees alleviate their economic precariousness and afford a more consumerist lifestyle, and to overcome the loneliness, boredom, and hopelessness that characterize their prolonged waiting times in transit.

Suggested Citation

  • Danau Tanu & Antje Missbach, 2023. "Boredom, Hope, and Intimate Labor in Transit: Young Male Refugees and Their Intimate Relationships with Older, Local Women in Indonesia," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 709(1), pages 145-164, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:709:y:2023:i:1:p:145-164
    DOI: 10.1177/00027162241248280
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wayne Palmer & Antje Missbach, 2019. "Enforcing labour rights of irregular migrants in Indonesia," Third World Quarterly, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(5), pages 908-925, May.
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