A Pattern of Social Interaction of the High–Rise Public-Housing of Jatinegara Barat in Jakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

The rapid urbanization of Greater Jakarta has resulted in the existence of slum areas. Some of them were inhabited along the riverside and were purged by the Governments in order to prevent a flood. Residents of the settlements were then relocated to the high-rise low-cost public housing named Rusunawa Jatinegara Barat. Literature and previous studies have stated that high-rise settlements pose problems for its residents, and social interaction was one of them. Physical factor also plays an essential role in this problem. For example, the social interaction of upper-floor residents might be different compared to that of lower-floor residents. This research aims to study changes after relocation and the pattern difference of social interaction between upper- and lower-residents. The research will be done through quantitative analysis using Wilcoxon test to show the significant changes after relocation and later a Chi-square test in order to see whether there were any significant differences in terms of social interaction between the upper-floor and lower-floor residents. From this study, first, it was discovered that in the case of Rusunawa Jatinegara Barat, the frequency of visiting neighbors was the most significant change after the relocation. Second, there were several significant pattern differences in social interaction between upper- and lower-floor residents including the frequency of having interaction, the location of where residents spend their free time and have social interaction, and perception of the number of friends.