Social Embeddedness and the Negotiation of Work Ethos: Economic Strategies of Javanese Migrants in the Micro Heterogeneity of Makassar City

Abstract

This study aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the work ethic manifested by the Javanese migrant community, identify their patterns of socio-economic interaction with a heterogeneous local population, and map their business adaptation strategies within the Makassar District. Employing a qualitative approach with a descriptive case study method, data collection was conducted through participant observation, in-depth interviews with 10 key informants, and document analysis in the Bara-Barayya Timur sub-district. The research reveals three interconnected findings. First, the cultural capital specifically the Javanese work ethic is strongly expressed through principles of perseverance, the setting aside of social prestige, and the internalization of honesty rooted in a subsistence-based rationality, all facilitated by adequate mobility in the migrant setting. Second, socio-economic interactions with the local population (comprising Bugis, Makassar, and Enrekang ethnic groups) are generally harmonious, characterized by integration in social life and interethnic marriage; however, minor frictions persist within urban industrial relations, stemming from shifts in power dynamics among the local working class. Third, the business adaptation strategies employed by the informants are dynamic and diverse; the accumulation of social capital strengthened through kinship networks combined with the flexibility to navigate informal market niches, has been key to the migrants' economic transformation from informal workers into established entrepreneurs. This study in economic sociology offers new theoretical contributions to the field of urban migration research and serves as a practical, strategic reference for local government authorities.