“...Jalanan are also the nation’s children...”: street­-associated youth identities in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Identity is seen by several academic disciplines as a concept critical to adolescent development. A singular, stable identity is often considered the idealised outcome of the bio-psycho-social development process. However, performing multiple distinct identities tailored for diverse contexts can be argued to be adaptive and productive for young people in difficult circumstances, such as those who are economically or socially marginal. This thesis explores if, how, and why street-associated youth in Yogyakarta, Indonesia perform distinct identities in diverse social and spatial contexts. The findings from a year-long ethnographic study form a basis for understanding better how youth perceive and enact their agency towards crafting identities as workers, as members of communities, as peers, as occupants of public space, as citizens, and on social media, within the context of rapidly changing urban landscape.