Negosiasi Stigma Berbasis Gender dalam Budaya Vaping: Studi Fenomenologi Schutz pada Mahasiswi

Abstract

Vaping among female university students has increasingly become part of popular culture and social interaction, influenced by peers, social media, and social environments. However, research on how female students experience and interpret social stigma associated with vaping remains limited. This study aims to explore vaping culture, examine social labeling, and understand female students’ experiences in responding to such labels at Universitas Palangka Raya. A qualitative approach using Alfred Schutz’s social phenomenology was employed. Five female students aged 20–23 years were purposively selected from different academic disciplines. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and supporting observations and analyzed through horizonalization, meaning units, coding, thematic categorization, and interpretation. The analysis applied Schutz’s concepts of lifeworld, stock of knowledge, typification, and action motives, alongside Lemert’s social reaction perspective. The findings indicate that vaping is perceived as a lifestyle and social practice influenced by peers, social media, and social environments. Female students experienced gender-based labels, including being perceived as “naughty” or “inappropriate.” Their responses varied from reducing use and considering cessation to continuing to vape. These findings demonstrate that social reactions do not uniformly determine behavior or identity, as female students negotiate stigma based on their experiences, social knowledge, and interpretations of everyday life.