Mal Sebagai Arena Pembentukan Identitas Sosial: Dinamika Perilaku Konsumtif ‘Rojali-Rohana’ di Panggung Sosial Masyarakat Urban

Abstract

This study attempts to understand the consumer behavior of 'Rojali-Rohana'—referring to the consumption patterns of Jakarta's urban society that are obsessive about symbols: social status, instant lifestyle, and image. The study uses Veblen's theory of 'consumption performance' and Goffman's theory of 'dramaturgy' to examine consumption patterns and consumer behavior as social performativity staged by urbanites on the virtual stage. Through qualitative methods based on a digital ethnographic study approach and critical discourse analysis, the study shows that the Rojali-Rohana metaphor is a form of symbolic consumption behavior due to the influence of class structure, social pressure, and the need for social validation. This consumer behavior not only reflects status ambitions but also becomes a dramaturgical strategy for urbanites in constructing social identities on the digital altar. The study findings: there is a theoretical relationship between Veblen’s and Goffman’s perspectives regarding urban consumer behavior; also the novelty of the discovery of the concept of 'digital consumption dramaturgy' as a new analysis. This study is expected to provide theoretical contributions in understanding the consumer behavior of contemporary urban society.