Book chapter:
Title: "Governing Surabaya’s Streets: PNS, PKL (Street Vendors), and Youth Subcultures"
In: Urban Dreams and Realities in Contemporary Indonesia (ed. Hellman, Thynell, & van Voorst, 2018, Brill)
A new culture is emerging called Ngopi Suroboyo—coffee shops that are neither formal PNS offices nor chaotic ABG hangouts. Here, a Kepala Dinas (Head of Agency) might debate football and Warkop DKI movies with a 17-year-old anak tongkrongan. These coffee shops, priced at Rp 15,000 for a glass of Kopi Joss (coffee with hot charcoal), are the neutral ground where PNS authority meets ABG passion. A new culture is emerging called Ngopi Suroboyo
Surabaya has the highest number of shopping malls per capita outside of Jakarta. For ABG, nongkrong (hanging out) is a sacred ritual. Places like Tunjungan Plaza (the largest mall in Southeast Asia), Galaxy Mall, and Pakuwon Mall are the cathedrals of youth culture. Surabaya has the highest number of shopping malls
But the social issue is exclusion. While ABG with disposable income sip iced caramel macchiatos, the PNS earn a modest TPP (Tambahan Penghasilan Pegawai/Employee Income Supplement). The economic gap creates a cultural schism. Many PNS parents complain that their ABG children demand lifestyles they cannot afford—new iPhones, café-hopping at Rp 50,000 per coffee, and Staycation at hotels. café-hopping at Rp 50
