Openness Without Safety? Negotiated Visibility, Stigma, and Well-Being Among Female Sex Workers Living in Local Communities

Authors

  • Riki Grahambel Palar Satya Wacana Christian University, Indonesia
  • Arthur Huwae Satya Wacana Christian University, Indonesia http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2918-3309

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47679/jopp.8114212026

Keywords:

Mental Health, Female Sex Workers, Negotiated Openness, Community Participation, Stigma

Abstract

Female sex workers (FSWs) often manage a concealable, stigmatized identity, yet some are known within their neighborhoods. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), this study examined how five Indonesian FSWs (35–45 years) living in Central Java made sense of “living openly” and mental health as emotional, psychological, and social well-being. “Living openly” was defined as negotiated openness: at least some community members (e.g., neighbors, informal leaders, and/or family) knew participants’ work status, while operational details were deliberately withheld. Participants were recruited via snowball sampling and completed in-depth interviews in Indonesian; excerpts were translated into English for reporting. Idiographic accounts converged in four cross-case themes: (1) boundary work that eased the burden of secrecy without requiring total disclosure; (2) emotional relief coexisting with vigilance as stigma resurfaced through gossip, moral judgment, harassment, and safety concerns; (3) psychological well-being sustained by time–space separation between work and home, privacy management, selective trust, and meaning anchored in caregiving roles; and (4) social well-being built through routine participation and visible contribution to community activities under conditional acceptance. The findings position openness as a continuing social practice through which well-being is reconstructed amid persistent stigma and structural vulnerability. Implications highlight harm-reduction norms, safe spaces, and family support.

Author Biographies

Riki Grahambel Palar, Satya Wacana Christian University

Riki Grahambel Palar is an undergraduate student at the Faculty of Psychology, Satya Wacana Christian University (UKSW), Indonesia. As part of his academic training, he is conducting a qualitative research project examining mental health among female sex workers who live openly within local communities.

Arthur Huwae, Satya Wacana Christian University

Arthur Huwae is a faculty member at the Faculty of Psychology, Satya Wacana Christian University (UKSW), Indonesia. He completed his undergraduate studies in Psychology at UKSW and earned his master’s degree in Psychology from Soegijapranata Catholic University. His teaching responsibilities include educational psychology, multicultural education, mental health, health behavior, personality psychology, and research methodology, as well as supervising undergraduate and graduate theses. His primary research interests focus on educational psychology, particularly multicultural education, mental well being, and student resilience. He is also active in the fields of clinical and health psychology, especially regarding health behavior and personality. He has published several studies in national and international journals on topics such as emotional regulation, psychological well being, resilience, and personality across various populations including students, athletes, adolescents, and individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

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Published

2026-02-04

How to Cite

Palar, R. G., & Huwae, A. (2026). Openness Without Safety? Negotiated Visibility, Stigma, and Well-Being Among Female Sex Workers Living in Local Communities. Journal of Psychological Perspective, 8(1), 29–38. https://doi.org/10.47679/jopp.8114212026

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Original Research Articles

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