Social Learning and Community-Based Empowerment of Domestic Workers: A Phenomenological Study of the Malang Raya Work Revolution Movement
Keywords:
Social learning; Domestic workers; Community empowerment; Informal labor; Phenomenological study.
Abstract
Domestic workers remain one of the most vulnerable groups in the informal labor sector due to limited legal protection, weak bargaining power, and social marginalization. In the absence of comprehensive regulatory frameworks, community-based initiatives have emerged as alternative spaces for empowerment. This study aims to explore the dynamics of social learning in empowering domestic workers within the Malang Raya Work Revolution Movement (GERAK) community. This research employed a qualitative phenomenological approach to examine the lived experiences of domestic workers participating in community-based learning activities. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and documentation, and analyzed thematically. The findings reveal that social learning within the GERAK community operates through dialogical interactions, shared experiences, and collective reflection, fostering critical awareness, identity transformation, and increased self-confidence among domestic workers. Social learning not only enhances technical skills but also strengthens collective solidarity and agency, enabling domestic workers to negotiate working conditions and make informed decisions. This study contributes to the literature on social learning and community empowerment by demonstrating how informal learning spaces function as effective empowerment strategies for marginalized workers in the informal sector, particularly in contexts characterized by limited legal protection.
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Zhang, Y. (2025). Uneven Empowerment : Negotiating Gender , Institutions , and Sustainability through Self- Help Groups in Kenya. Gender and Sustainability in the Global South, 2(1), 333–362. https://doi.org/10.1515/gsgs-2025-0006
Zimmerman, M. A. (2000). Empowerment theory. American Journal of Community Psychology, 23(5), 581–599. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4193-6_2
Anderson, B., & Shutes, I. (2014). Migration and care labour: Theory, policy and politics. Springer.
Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Bellanca, N. (2025). In Search of Sufficient Causes in the Social Sciences. In Causal Mechanisms and Social Change: An Interdisciplinary Framework. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-01384-2_2
Boris, E., & Fish, J. N. (2014). Domestic Workers Go Global: The Birth of the International Domestic Workers Federation: The Birth of the International Domestic Workers Federation. New Labor Forum, 23(3), 76–81. https://doi.org/10.1177/1095796014544508
Brookfield, S. D., & Preskill, S. (2016). The discussion book: 50 great ways to get people talking. John Wiley & Sons.
Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. 18(1), 32–42.
Butin, D. (Ed. ). (2023). Service-learning and social justice education: Strengthening justice-oriented community based models of teaching and learning. Taylor & Francis.
Christens, B. D. (2012). Toward relational empowerment. American Journal of Community Psychology, 50(1), 114–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-011-9483-5
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research Design Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Aprroaches. SAGE Publications.
Fontanari, E., Dotsey, S., & Mezzetti, G. (2025). Precariousness on the Move. Everyday Experiences of “Migrant” Workers in Italy, Germany, and the UK. In The Three Challenges of Citizenship: Democracy, Market and Globalization. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-99359-6_12
Formenti, L., & Hoggan‐Kloubert, T. (2023). Transformative learning as societal learning. 117, 105–118. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.20482
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum.
Hamid, A., Aldila, M. R., & Intan, A. M. (2022). The urgency of labor law for informal sector workers in the welfare state concept : Anevidence in Indonesia. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science, 11(6), 528–541. https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v11i6.2036
Heaton, L., Halliday, E., Wheeler, P., Ring, A., Kaloudis, H., & Popay, J. (2024). Strengthening community empowerment initiatives as a route to greater equity : an English case study. Community Development Journal, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdj/bsae046
Hoggan, C. D. (2016). Transformative learning as a metatheory: Definition, criteria, and typology. Adult Education Quarterly, 66(1), 57–75. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741713615611216
Holst, J. D., & Tarlau, R. (2025). Social movements and adult education in the International Review of Education ( IRE ) and beyond. International Review of Education, 71(5), 859–880. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-025-10159-0
Kruahong, S., Tankumpuan, T., Kelly, K., Davidson, P. M., & Kuntajak, P. (2023). Community empowerment : A concept analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 79(8), 2845–2859. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15613
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Learning in doing: Social, cognitive, and computational perspectives. Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation.
Lethbridge, E. J. (2015). How public management reform influenced three professional groups-teachers, nurses and social workers-in England during the period 1979-2010. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Greenwich, May, 1–336.
Mezirow, J. (1997). Transformative learning: Theory to practice. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education.
Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological Research Methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Panjaitan, S. (2024). Analisis Perlindungan Hukum Bagi Pekerja Informal Dalam Perspektif Hukum Ketenagakerjaan. 2(3), 250–262.
Pearson, E. C., Rawdin, C., & Ahuja, R. (2023). A Model of Transformational Learning for Early Childhood Community-based Workers : Sajag Training for Responsive Caregiving. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 32(2), 598–612. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-022-02301-5
Perkins, D. D., & Zimmerman, M. A. (1995). Empowerment theory, research, and application. American Journal of Community Psychology, 23(5), 569–579. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02506982
Putra, F. (2025). The domestic workers protection : A Bibliometrics analysis of the scopus database. Multidisciplinary Reviews, 8(9), 2025288–2025288. https://doi.org/10.31893/multirev.2025288
Ratu, K., & Naben, M. (2023). Paradoks Pekerja Rumah Tangga di Indonesia : Belum Tergolong Pekerja Yang Melakukan Pekerjaan Layak ? SOSMANIORA (Jurnal Ilmu Sosial Dan Humaniora), 2(4), 487–494. https://doi.org/10.55123/sosmaniora.v2i4.2717
Rofiuddin, A., & Ruwaida, I. (2020). Modal Sosial Komunitas Dalam Pemberdayaan Ekonomi Purna Pekerja Migran Perempuan. Jurnal Ilmu Sosial Indonesia (JISI), 1(2), 16–39. https://doi.org/10.15408/jisi.v1i2.19029
Shalihah, F., & Damarina, R. (2023). PROBLEM HUKUM DALAM PERLINDUNGAN PEKERJA. JURNAL SELAT, Volume. 10.
Tenorio-Mucha, J., García, S., Portocarrero, J., Lazo-Porras, M., Rivero, K. R., Tudela, D. V., & Gupta, A. (2025). Addressing the challenges and constraints of social protection policies for Peruvian women domestic workers: the ANITA project study protocol. BMJ, 15(3), e088921. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-088921
Tupu, M. M. (2023). Decent Work for Domestic Workers. The case of Migrant Domestic Workers from Romania to Italy: a gender approach as a strategy fostering human rights protection.
Zhang, Y. (2025). Uneven Empowerment : Negotiating Gender , Institutions , and Sustainability through Self- Help Groups in Kenya. Gender and Sustainability in the Global South, 2(1), 333–362. https://doi.org/10.1515/gsgs-2025-0006
Zimmerman, M. A. (2000). Empowerment theory. American Journal of Community Psychology, 23(5), 581–599. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4193-6_2
Published
2026-07-30
How to Cite
A Zaki Mubaraq, Umi Dayati, & Supriyono. (2026). Social Learning and Community-Based Empowerment of Domestic Workers: A Phenomenological Study of the Malang Raya Work Revolution Movement. International Journal of Education, Vocational and Social Science , 5(03), 6652-6668. https://doi.org/10.63922/ijevss.v5i03.4506
Contact Person +6282139474255
Email : ijevss@citakonsultindo.or.id / editor.ijevss@gmail.com
