Understanding these dynamics contributes to broader scholarship on digital populism, affective politics, and the role of “affordisian” storytelling in shaping public opinion in Southeast Asia.
| Theme | Key Authors & Works | Core Findings | Relevance to Current Study | |-------|--------------------|----------------|----------------------------| | Digital Revenge Narratives | Ševčíková (2020); Tang & Lee (2022) | Revenge is often framed as moral rectification in online spaces. | Provides a theoretical lens for balas dendam as performative justice. | | Gendered Marginality (Widowhood) | Hidayat (2019); Nursalim (2021) | The “widow” archetype is used to legitise political claims and invoke empathy. | Informs the analysis of janda as a symbolic resource. | | Stigmatization of Dissent (Troublemaker) | Khosravi (2018); Suryani (2023) | “Troublemaker” functions both to delegitimize and to rally opposition. | Directly aligns with the tukang rusuh label. | | Platform Affordances & Narrative Remix | Gillespie (2014); van Dijck (2020) | Platform design shapes how stories are created, spread, and transformed. | Central to understanding indo18.top’s “affordisian” environment. | | Critical Discourse Analysis in Online Communities | Fairclough (2015); Wodak & Meyer (2020) | CDA reveals power relations embedded in language and multimodal content. | Methodological backbone for this research. | | Theme | Key Authors & Works |
| Narrative Element | Description | Example (Paraphrased) | |-------------------|-------------|-----------------------| | Balas Dendam | Framed as a moral imperative to correct systemic injustice. | “If the state won’t punish the corrupt, the people must enact their own balas dendam.” | | Janda | Symbolises moral authority and victimhood; used to rally empathy. | “Mihana, the janda of the protest, stands as the living conscience of our struggle.” | | Tukang Rusuh | Dual‑edged: delegitimising label for dissenters, badge of honour for activists. | “They call us tukang rusuh, but we are the ones who disturb the complacent elite.” | | Sumikawa | Presented as a villain (corrupt official) whose downfall fuels the revenge plot. | “Sumikawa’s greed sparked the fire; his downfall is the balas dendam we all crave.” | | Mihana | The janda protagonist; her personal loss (husband’s death) becomes a political catalyst. | “Mihana’s tears are not just personal; they echo the nation’s grief.” | | Narrative Element | Description | Example (Paraphrased)