Spaces/Places Casestudy: Jembatan Besi

Question 1

What 4 types of evidence of social inequality can be found in Jembatan Besi?

Answer 1

• Housing
• Environmental quality
• Crime rate
• Digital divide

Question 2

Where is Jembatan Besi located?

Answer 2

Jakarta, Indonesia.

Question 3

What is the wealth divide within Indonesia?

Answer 3

• The wealthiest 10% have access to nearly 30% of the countries wealth
• The poorest 10% have access to 3% of the countries wealth.

Question 4

What fraction of people residing in Jakarta live in slums?

Answer 4

• Just over a 1/4.

Question 5

What is the average income of people in Jembatan Besi?

Answer 5

4 US dollars per day.

Question 6

What are the 4 key evidences of social inequality in Jembatan Besi?

Answer 6

• Housing
  Jembatan Besi has poor housing quality, with inadequate sanitation and high population densities. There are informal and lack of permanent structures
• Environmental quality
  The environmental quality is extremely polluted by nearby urban activity. In addition, groundwater is polluted as Jembatan Besi was built on a former waste tip - perpetuated by inadequate waste disposal.
• Crime rates:
  There are high levels of petty crime within Jembatan Besi as a result of poverty and social unrest.
• Digital divide:
  There is digital exclusion as the slums are most likely unable to accommodate any technology, including many residents being without an iphone due to low income. No internet access.

Question 7

What factors influence peoples social inequality in Jembatan Besi?

Answer 7

• Gender
• Age
• Income
• Health
• Personal mobility
• Ethnicity
• Education

Question 8

How does income influence social inequality in Jembatan Besi?

Answer 8

• Jembatan Besi has a low income of 4 dollars per day average, which is reliant on insecure and informal employment, so most residents only can provide casual and unskilled labor. The most common employer is the garment industry.
• Many rely on self-employment which also lacks security - so social mobility is inhibited.

Question 9

How does gender influence social inequality in Jembatan Besi?

Answer 9

Women have fewer opportunities for work and education in an already deprived area, limiting their income and social mobility.
The main employment sector for women is the garment industry, which has little protection, health and safety precautions.

Question 10

How does age influence social inequality in Jembatan Besi?

Answer 10

• For the younger populations, inequality is perpetuated by the fact there is limited education or employment opportunities.
• In the older generations, age influences health which is already poor within Jembatan Besi. Epidemics of waterborne disease, alongside hot tropical climates for malaria make the young and elderly at risk, especially from diarrhoeal diseases.
• For older generations also, reliance on the informal economy means they struggle with inadequate pension systems and are economically vulnerable.

Question 11

How does health influence social inequality in Jembatan Besi?

Answer 11

• Due to poor economic state, Jembatan Besi residents
• There is a life expectancy of 68, attributed to low nutrition, respiratory disease associated with kerosene air pollution and no clean running water poses threat for water-borne disease.
• (higher vulnerability to disease)
• If people contract illnesses from their living situation, they are unable to work or attend school which deepens their economic disadvantage.

Question 12

Why do people live in Jembatan Besi?

Answer 12

Demand for affordable housing greatly exceeds the supply.
Governments and private sectors do not have the resources to cope with increasing urbanization, and people do not have the resources to afford more expensive formal housing.

Question 13

How does personal mobility affect social inequality in Jembatan Besi?

Answer 13

• As Jembatan Besi is a slum, there is poor transport infrastructure which inhibits wider geographical area to search for employment, despite being situated 4km North West of the city center.
• This limits access to work, education and healthcare.

Question 14

What is a positive impact of social inequality on Jembatan Besi?

Answer 14

As a result of social inequality, there is a strong sense of community within the slums, so inhabitants are resilient.

Question 15

What types of evidence of social inequality can be found in Jembatan Besi, Indonesia (overall)?

Answer 15

Evidence includes..
- poor housing conditions (informal settlements)
- low environmental quality (pollution and limited sanitation)
- high crime rates (due to poverty and lack of law enforcement)
- digital divide (limited access to technology and the internet).

Question 16

How does the housing situation in Jembatan Besi reflect social inequality?

Answer 16

The area has informal settlements with inadequate housing, overcrowded conditions, and poor infrastructure, which reflects poverty and lack of access to adequate housing resources.

Question 17

How does education influence social inequality in Jembatan Besi?

Answer 17

• Jembatan Besi has presence of schools, however, they are poorly equipped.
• Schooling is often undersubscribed as many children will not complete formal education as they enter the workforce to supplement family incomes. From this, cycles of inequality are perpetuated through restricting access to skilled work sectors.

Question 18

In what ways does social inequality impact people’s lives in Jembatan Besi?

Answer 18

• Social inequality in Jembatan Besi results in limited access to basic services, education, healthcare, and employment opportunities.
• This leads to a lower standard of living, higher levels of stress, and restricted opportunities for social mobility, ultimately reinforcing cycles of poverty and disadvantage for the residents.