Understanding, Dependable, Socializing: The Meaning of Friendship among Adolescents in Jakarta

One of the important characters for adolescents in the 21st century is the ability of social and cultural awareness and ability of communication. As adolescents, social awareness is an important factor in building relationships with a friend. The main purpose of the meaning of friendship become very important. This study aimed (1) to categorize about friendship in terms of the meaning of a friend, (2) to categorize a best friend, and (3) to categorize the importance of having friends. Respondents in this research were 160 respondents (female= 104, male=56). Data collection method used is survey method by using open-ended questions. Data were analyzed by using inductive content analysis. The results of this study indicate that the concept of “the meaning of friend” described in four categories: helping (51%), can rely on (23%), appreciation (17%) and embrace (9%). The concept of "a best friend” is expressed in four categories: dependable (43%), understanding (26%), trustworthy (16%), and acceptance (15%). On the other, the concept of “the importance of having friends” is defined in three categories: socializing (76%), helping (19%) and accepting (5%). This research implicates an understanding of the meaning of friendship for adolescents in order to establish a positive relationship which will relate to the importance the role of a friend in multicultural interactions. Keywords: A best friend, accepting, friendship, helping, trustworthy