Masculine identities, youth gangs and male sex work among East Javarese migrants in South Bali (Indonesia)

The present work examines the construction of masculine identities in the context of migration between the city of Surabaya, East Java and the region of South Bali. It addresses the issues of growth, work and the transition towards adulthood among underemployed East Javanese young men who seek membership to street gangs of male sex workers in South Bali. My focus is on social relations among youth gangs who make extensive use of violence. I try to explore the meaning of collective practices and the outcomes of violent behavior in the lives of these young men as they attempt to draw together the necessary social and material resources to enter adult life. This thesis is based on ethnographic fieldwork carried out in South Bali and Surabaya for twenty months between 2008 and 2010.