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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.7, No.7
Publication Date: July 25, 2020
DOI:10.14738/assrj.77.8624.
Mahendrawati, I. K., & Prasetijowati, T. (2020). Livelihood Strategy Based On Assets As Efforts To Establish Scavenger Empowerment In
Facing The Poverty Of Living In The City (Case Study of Scavengers at Njawar, Surabaya). Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal,
7(7) 379-384.
Livelihood Strategy Based On Assets As Efforts To Establish Scavenger
Empowerment In Facing The Poverty Of Living In The City (Case Study
of Scavengers at Njawar, Surabaya)
Ita Kusuma Mahendrawati
Faculty of Social and Political Sciences,
Bhayangkara University Surabaya
Tri Prasetijowati
Faculty of Social and Political Sciences,
Bhayangkara University Surabaya
ABSTRACT
Surabaya as the second largest city in Indonesia has its large scale Final
Disposal Site (FDS) in Njawar. There are quite a lot of scavengers in this
area. They live in a village not far from the landfill site - FDS.
Unfortunately, the Surabaya city government has already extended the
waste management to the private sector leading to an impact on the
income of the scavengers there. On the other hand, the human resources
are very minimal. In responding such a situation, the scavengers apply
the livelihood strategy to empower themselves to survive amid the
urban poverty. This study aims to determine the livelihood strategy
undertaken by the scavengers in building their empowerment in
Surabaya landfill and some factors affecting it. The livelihood strategy
consists of acquisition, allocation and social networking. Also the
community applies the livelihood strategy for the assets owned
comprising of physical, financial, social, waste, and spiritual assets, In
addition, the results of research indicated that work ethic, work
motivation, the role of the collectors as mediators, facilitators and
patrons have a significant influence on the livelihood strategies
undertaken by the scavengers. The job as a scavenger can be classified
as a profession although this type of profession has not been recognized
by the state. Such a condition like this leads to less government
participation in the scavenging community. The result of the study
recommended the involvement of the related agencies such as Social
Service, Office of Sanitation and Gardening, NGOs and Universities to
issue a policy to regulate all the necessary things in finding out the
matters of the scavengers. The participation of the governments of the
native cities of the scavengers is highly expected. Some employments
are supposed to be provided by their hometown so as to reduce the flow
of urbanization.
Keywords: Livelihood strategies, existence, scavengers, urban poverty.
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URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.77.8624 380
Mahendrawati, I. K., & Prasetijowati, T. (2020). Livelihood Strategy Based On Assets As Efforts To Establish Scavenger Empowerment In Facing The Poverty
Of Living In The City (Case Study of Scavengers at Njawar, Surabaya). Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(7) 379-384.
INTRODUCTION
The presence of scavengers in the rigors of city life is caused by not only the problems related to
economic poverty but also social and cultural factors. The condition suggests that scavengers are
present not only as a result of a culture of poverty that characterizes scavenging work as a fatalist
act, but also as a result of structures that view the work as a compulsion in the absence of choices.
(De han, 2000) The study took place at Njawar landfill (FDS), Pakal sub-district, Surabaya city
because the location is the most populated location of waste pickers or scavengers in Surabaya. The
reason to take the scavengers as the subject of study is that the scavenger community has its own
characteristics. On the one hand, their presence is rejected by the people because they are
considered to have a potential to commit a theft, not to be trusted, and as the object of suspicion.
On the other hand, their presence is really needed to minimize the waste disposed in landfills (FDS),
especially the inorganic waste needed by certain factories.
Related to the condition of the scavengers living in Njawar Disposal Site (FDS), they have to face
the problem of the change in the landfill management which is now conducted by the a private
party with the authority to run the project to make use of the waste as a power source. It
automatically leads to the reduction of their income. In response to the problem, the scavengers
have to apply the livelihood strategy fot their empowerment to occupy the position as the subject.
Through the perspective, we have the abilitiy to see that the scavengers are not static but they are
able to deal with any changes and pressures for the survival to live in Surabaya city.
Livelihood Strategy of Scavengers
As Ellis (2000) points out, livelihood is
“A livelihood comprises the assets (natural, physical, human, financial and social
capital), the activities, and the access to these (mediated by institutions and social
relations) that together determine the living gained by the individual or household”
The description above can be submitted that livelihood strategy is a variety of efforts by a person
or individual, household or family by utilizing various resources to earn income so as to maintain
its survival. The concept of livelihood strategy is closely related to the concept of capital or assets
(Coloman, 2010). There are several terms relating to capital, resources and assets, all of which bear
the purpose of benefit and carrying capacity that sustains the livelihood of individuals, families or
households, as well as the community. As Scoones (1998) explains, a livelihood strategy is a way of
leveraging assets, asset choices for investments and how the households retain the assets and
revenues. Assets consist of various forms of capital, such as social, physical, human, financial, waste
and spiritual capitals possessed and they are used for the lives of individuals or households to
maintain material well-being at different levels of survival (DFID 2001) .
There are three strategies in relation to the livelihood strategy undertaken by the scavenger
community in establishing its existence: the first one is acquisition, the second is allocation, and
the third is social network utilization. The scavengers cannot be entirely dependent on both the
shrinking waste assets and the acquisition strategy through the kinship and non-kinship ties
(Lewis 1998) such as the relationships with the fellow scavengers, with stall owners, or with landfill
apparatus. When they do the allocation strategy, they will share the experiences, provide some
hepls for other scavengers. These experiences can be shared with the fellow scavengers so that the
other scavengers can learn and do so if they are considered profitable and able to increase the
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income. The allocation strategy can sometimes be manipulative tactics to make a profit (Scott,
1977). In the strategy of social network utilization, they are use the built-in pulp product network
which involves the role of the collectors as mediators and as facilitators in providing the life facilities
and the as patrons in flexible patron-client bonds between collectors and scavengers. Through the
livelihood strategy, the scavengers show that there is the potential to build up their empowerment
and also a means of protest against the dominance of powerful structures (Scott , 1988)
SOME FACTORS INFLUENCING THE LIVELIHOOD STRATEGY OF THE SCAVENGERS
Work Motivation
The scavenging work has become a life choice because it provides more income than the previous
work. The scavenger are motivated because this work does not need any special requirements nor
capital money. They only have to provide their energy to work. In addition, they are highly
motivated by the obligation to send money to their families living in the villages of origin. These are
the reasons why the scavengers undertake the livelihood strategy in order to build their
empowerment in the Njawar FDS.
Work Ethic
The work ethic can be interpreted as the attitude shown by the scavenger of the work done which
is based on the scavenger's life philosophy of work. The philosophy of life is what makes the
scavengers can live together in Njawar FDS. They personally feel on the same boat because they are
poor, leave the village to come to the landfill or FDS to find a source of life, and they do not receive
any helps from others .
The Role Of Collectors As Mediators
The role of the collectors as a mediator is described as the role in the system of retail goods
management which is more familial. There is a symbiotic relationship between the collectors and
the scavengers. This is a kind of reciprocal behavior and it is an evidence that the scavengers need
the collectors and vice versa. The collectors, however, have the power to the price decisions based
on the manufacturer.
The Role Of Collectors As Facilitators
The collectors have the role to provide some facilities such as the dwellings or warehouses for a
few scavengers to live or some money to lend. The dependence of the scavengers on the collectors
as the facilitators is a form of social capital in the form of trust and the participation in the form of
force to apply a livelihood strategy in order to survive in Njawar FDS. Some facilities provided by
the collectors are the supporting factors in making a livelihood strategy run well.
The Role Of Collectors As A Patron
The role of the collectors as a patron is described as a position of a protector for those who become
his clients. Based on some concepts of some experts, it can be seen that the patron – client
relationship is a social exchange relationship of two or more persons that evolves toward an
imbalanced relationship in which one party clearly has a higher position than the other. This
position is due to a greater ability of the superior to that of the second one, the inferior, which
causes the second party to become dependent on the first one. In return for the first party, the
second one provides some assistances and supports covering personal services so that the
collectors have a position as a facilitator (Kusuma I, 2014)