Stuck in a Limbo: The Waithood Phenomenon in Indonesia

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-503-4_53How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Waithood; Liminality; Socio-cultural Pressures; Adulthood Transition; Delayed Marriage

Abstract

The phenomenon of waithood has become a significant social condition in many countries, including Indonesia. Waithood refers to a delayed transition into adulthood, commonly marked by postponed marriage. While existing studies often frame waithood as an outcome of individual choice shaped mainly by economic constraints, this study argues that such explanations are insufficient to capture its complexity. By employing Victor Turner’s concept of liminality, this research explores the factors that shape waithood and how individuals experience and perceive it. The study is based on participant observation and in-depth interviews with seven women aged 25–35 years. Findings reveal that beyond economic aspects, waithood is also influenced by socio-cultural pressures, social expectations, and changing aspirations. For some individuals, waithood is a temporary stage, with various enabling factors allowing them to transition out of it, while for others it becomes a prolonged condition due to interrelated constraints. This research contributes to the state of the art by shifting the analysis of waithood from an economic-deterministic perspective toward a more nuanced understanding that emphasizes culture and everyday lived experiences in contemporary Indonesian society.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Rahayuwati Rahayuwati
AU  - Adelia Rachman
AU  - Izmy Khumairoh
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/19
TI  - Stuck in a Limbo: The Waithood Phenomenon in Indonesia
BT  - Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Culture and Sustainable Development (ICOCAS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 452
EP  - 465
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-503-4_53
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-503-4_53
ID  - Rahayuwati2025
ER  -