Journal of Higher Education and Academic Advancement
Vol. 3 No. 8 (2026): Journal of Higher Education and Academic Advancement

DECONSTRUCTING GENDER ROLES IN URBAN INDONESIAN FAMILY EDUCATION: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL MEDIA PARENTING CONTENT

Munawir Pasaribu (Muhammadiyah University of North Sumatra, Indonesia)
Muksanah Pasaribu (Muhammadiyah University of South Tapanuli, Indonesia)
Nurrahma Amini (Muhammadiyah University of North Sumatra, Indonesia)
Mahmud Yunus Daulay (Muhammadiyah University of North Sumatra, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
24 Aug 2026

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to critically analyze the discourse surrounding the deconstruction of gender roles in contemporary Indonesian parenting media. Method: The research employs a literature review methodology, integrating Norman Fairclough’s model of critical discourse analysis with qualitative content analysis. Data sources, comprising academic books, peer-reviewed journal articles, and research reports, were examined across three dimensions of discourse analysis: textual, discursive practice, and social practice. Results: The research yields four primary findings. First, the representation of gender equality discourse in parenting content exhibits a superficial progressivism that subtly perpetuates gender biases through a strategy of discursive harmonization between modern and traditional values. Second, the negotiation of urban paternal identity indicates a paradigm shift toward participatory fatherhood, though it remains obstructed by hierarchies of recognition and representational class biases. Third, the commodification of the ideal maternal role engenders a paradox of empowerment and double burden through the neoliberal construction of the "supermom." Fourth, the power relations underlying parenting content reveal a hybrid ideological formation that accommodates societal shifts without destabilizing foundational patriarchal structures. Novelty: The transformation of gender roles within urban Indonesian families confronts a fundamental contradiction between the imperatives of economic equality and deeply entrenched patriarchal ideologies, a dynamic that is currently mediated on a massive scale through social media parenting content. The study concludes that the deconstruction of gender roles within Indonesian parenting content is predominantly cosmetic and confined to a superficial discursive level. The implications of these findings emphasize the necessity of advancing critical media literacy among parents and formulating more gender-equitable parenting policies.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

EJHEAA

Publisher

Subject

Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Social Sciences Other

Description

Journal of Higher Education and Academic Advancement (JHEAA) is a Multidisciplinary Peer Reviewed Open Access Journal which covers the various areas of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Educational Research. This journal is monthly published online monthly. European Journal of Higher Education and ...