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The (Re)Construction of Househusband's Role in The Intern Film

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DOI: 10.17576/ebangi.2024.2101.08

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Volume X, Issue X, DOI: Volume 21, Issue 1, DOI: https://doi.org/10.17576/ebangi.2024.2101.08

Article

The (Re)Construction of Househusband’s Role in The Intern Film

Melly Ridaryanthi1*, Rizki Briandana1, Umar Halim2, Cici Eka Iswahyuningtyas2 & Hani Salwah Yaakup3
1
Faculty of Communication Science, Universitas Mercu Buana, Jalan Meruya Selatan No. 1, Kembangan,
Jakarta Barat 11650, Indonesia
2
Faculty of Communication, Universitas Pancasila, Jalan Lenteng Agung Raya No. 56, Jakarta Selatan
12640, Indonesia
3
Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Jalan UPM 43400 Serdang,
Selangor, Malaysia
*
Corresponding Author: [email protected]

Received: 03 September 2023

Accepted: 01 December 2023

Abstract: The role of the male as breadwinner is a common construction in society. However, there are
families with certain agreements with particular conditions that require the husband to stay at home with
domestic roles. This condition usually addressed the husband as a househusband. This research analyzes signs
identified in The Intern film (2015) that portrays the househusband which further interprets the characteristics
and roles of the househusband. Roland Barthes’ semiotics method is applied in order to be able to analyze
both the denotative and connotative meaning of the identified signs regarding the househusband. From the
study, it is identified that there are two roles of househusbands constructed in the film 1) caregiving, and 2)
act of service. Househusband duties are identified as everything domestic affairs outside of the public domain.
The term househusband is not meaningfully accepted based on the preferences of men carrying out domestic
duties, therefore, the term stay-at-home dad is preferred because it constructs the role of the father as a whole.

Keywords: sign; meaning; househusband; film; semiotics

Introduction
The construction of gender roles in society is inseparable from how the media represents them. These representations are
accepted by the audience, unconsciously, and as media users, shared and collectively perceived in their social interactions.
In everyday life, the media continuously convey its message which intrudes on our consciousness (Wood, 1994). It is
further stated by Wood that the media continuously presents certain stereotypes regarding women and men that limit the
perception of their audience, and it is happening until the present time. When the media unstoppably displays one
construct, it is consumed and is simultaneously discussed in the realm of social interaction, it allows the meaning to be
(re)formed according to what the media represents. Gender roles in the household, as one example that is often discussed
and debated when social reality shifts from what is so-called collective understanding. Househusband is one of the
interesting topics to see and peel off because it is often discussed both in the media and in interactions in the private
sphere.
A question raised such as "Is it true that a househusband is a useless man?" is one of the titles written in digital
media, originally in Bahasa Indonesia entitled “Benarkah bapak rumah tangga adalah lelaki yang tak berguna?“
tends to be provocative and invites debate among the people. The title was picked up in the online media mojok.co written
by Maureent Elizabeth was published in November 10, 2018. The writing arose out of the author's anxiety about a friend's

e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities https://ejournal.ukm.my/ebangi

e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities 89

statement that men who are at home are a type of irresponsible individuals, those who do not love their family and do not
know about themselves. The topic is very interesting to discuss and further analyze.
Then, two years later, an article titled "The househusband is a solution, therefore, no need to feel
uncomfortable", which in Bahasa Indonesia is “Bapak rumah tangga adalah solusi, jadi tak perlu risi“, was
written by Denny Dominicus and published on January 31, 2020 in Magdalene.co attracted the attention of researchers
due to giving a different perspective. In the article, there are several excerpts of speech that are commonly heard and
discussed in society regarding the role of the husband and the wife that is commonly constructed. Such an article could
be a source of insights for the audience, or society in general, who eagerly spend some time reading the whole article,
not just merely the title, to have a comprehensive point of view of the idea. The article could lead to critical thinking of
the reader with the possible question arise, such as "is that really the case?" However, these arguments are presented in
online media containing women's articles with a feminist perspective. Furthermore, not every individual can understand
the context or can access information related to feminist views. The lack of understanding of the feminist context
possibly triggered the narrow construction of househusbands and then shrunk the construction role of men in the
domestic sphere. This is how media could play a role in meaning construction.
There are many digital and conventional media platforms that become mediums to represent gender roles that
are generally used as references by society and are further used in building meanings in social interactions. Film as one
of the mediums that shows gender roles in the context of social life still highlights gender roles in an unequal manner.
This is shown in several studies such as those conducted by Briandana and Hajariah (2013) with the results of studies
that brilliantly reveal gender roles by highlighting female masculinity. In addition, Basarah (2019) critically highlighted
healthy living from the point of view of feminism theory but still found that maintaining health is better done by women
than men. Therefore, studies need to be balanced with similar studies to provide a different point of view.
The representation of gender roles is always distributed to the audiences through multiple platforms, including
movies. A film released in 2015 entitled The Intern is one of the films that boldly represents a househusband as one of
the characters. The object of this study is the signs in the film The Intern (2015) written by Nancy Meyers tells the
story of a 70-year-old man named Ben, played by Robert DeNiro, who applies for an intern position at a fashion
start-up company (Djendri, 2020). The film also stars Anne Hathway as Jules Ostin, Anderson Holm as Matt, and
several other stars. Although the main highlight of this film tells the experience of a person of retirement age still
wanting to work and contribute to his job, there is something interesting about this film, which is related to the
portrayal of a househusband. Jules, starred by Anna Hathway, became the boss and founder of the fashion start-up
where Ben works is a brilliant and brilliant alpha woman building her business having a husband Matt, casted by
Anders Holm, taking on the role of househusband. The representation of an Alpha wife and a caring husband is drawn
nicely yet at some points the representation is twisted to the old stereotype of husband and wife in society. Therefore,
taking signs in this film into account for further analyzed regarding the construction of househusband representation is
needed.

Figure 1. The Intern Film Poster

Source: IMDB
e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities 90

This study is not taken far at the critical level to be able to first identify the available signs in the
construction of the meaning of gender roles, in this context it is the male who plays the role of the
househusband in the domestic context. This research focuses on the construction of the househusband in the film
The Intern which was further identified and analyzed using the semiotic method of Roland Barthes. With that, this study
is presented based on the following research question: How’s the (re)construction of a househusband’s roles in The
Intern film?

Literature Review
Studies on househusband-related films become interesting to be conducted when films can provide audio and visual
sensations that are much more interesting than reading articles. The representation of the role of the husband or father
in the domestic context is still seen as one topic that needs to be studied and further discussed. Research conducted by
Chell (2001) was conducted on the basis of assumptions related to the roles of husbands and wives constructed based
on gender roles formed, and this will be used as their expectations in the future. In keeping with these assumptions,
Chell found that their expectations regarding the roles of husband and wife in a household were not the same. This study
found that female students can accept the concept of a househusband compared to male students.
Previous studies related to gender roles in the context of the role of husband and wife in the household
have been carried out by scholars from various disciplines, including in the field of communication science.
Burkstrand-Reid (2011) discusses how to meet the needs of the family; Employment, health, tax fulfillment,
and so forth—are the basic needs of the family. In her discussion, it was said that Joan Williams, a professor
who wrote Reshaping the Work-Family Debate: Why Men and Class matter, saw the importance of involving
men and classes in the reform of work-family law reform. One of his efforts was that it was important to
realize that the choice for the father to stay at home may not be an option. Broadly speaking, this study shows
the public role of husbands who are considered more qualified to work outside the domestic sphere to meet
the needs of the family. This discussion is the same when talking about the body and sexuality where culture
plays a role in the construction of related meanings that consciously or unconsciously have influenced the
individual's perspective (Putranto et al, 2021).
Rohman (2013found that there are three aspects of change in women) in a study on women's
representation in the films Stepford Wives (1975), Orlando (1992), When Night is Falling (1995), and
Stepford Wives (2004). These include equality in work, expression of sexual identity, and the image of 'highly
educated women'. The films analyzed show some unchanging aspects related to the representation of women
such as motherhood, sexuality myths, and the position of women as victims. The results of this study are
interesting and relevant to the research that will be carried out regarding the representation of househusbands
in the film the Intern. To see the representation of the househusband, the role of the wife as a comparison
needs to also be looked at in the analysis.
Meanwhile, Ridaryanthi & Sinuyul (2021) in their research on gender roles in the context of women
superheroes, found that regardless of the construction of superheroes attached to the characters in the film,
the construction of female traits that become stereotypes in society remains inherent. For example, Gamora,
who is constructed as a superhuman with strength and speed as her superpower, is described as full of loyalty,
respect, and obedience to Thanos because of the power relations in that context. Besides, she is also caring
for her sister, Nebula. Further analysis found that although this film represents a form of empowerment of
female characters, at the same time it is still not far from being depicted that the figure of this woman
superhero is also close to domestic aspects that are very familiar in society. This is the trigger in this study
that the role of househusbands in the domestic sphere is still attached to certain stereotypes attached to men.
Carrim (2017) examines the cultural identity of married couples who work and at the same time share
the domestic work including in terms of childcare. The study found that wives expect husbands to be more
involved in domestic work, including childcare. The exchange of domestic roles and public roles in the
television soap opera 'World Upside Down' conducted by Wahid and Lancia (2018) shows that women have
the ability to play the role of breadwinners replacing roles that have been dominated by men. Meanwhile,
men, or in the context of the family is husband, in the soap opera tend to 'accept' their role changes due to
their financial incompetence. In this analysis, it appears an injustice in which the husband 'enjoys' his new
e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities 91

role and at the same time still demands the woman or wife to perform a domestic role while at home. In other
words, with financial circumstances requiring wives to work outside the home, they are still charged with
domestic work that has been constructed as their obligation.
Wentworth (2001) looked at how the roles of househusband and housewife were accepted or
understood by 526 students. The results of this study are quite interesting where most female respondents
tend to question the structure in household roles that they do more than men do. The results of this study also
show that the role of the househusband is still perceived negatively.
Several studies on the representation of gender roles were conducted by scholars such as Briandana and Hajariah
(2013) with the results of studies that revealed gender roles by highlighting the masculinity of female characters in films.
In addition, Basarah (2019) highlighted healthy living from the point of view of feminism theory but still found that
maintaining health is better done by women compared to men. On the other hand, Ridaryanthi & Jinguli (2021)
highlights how characters in animated films construct gender roles of exchange portrayed feminine as well as masculine.
With the consideration of the previous studies, it is not apparent that femininity is always attached to female
characteristics alone, or that masculinity necessarily indicates the characteristics of a man. Therefore, studies need to be
balanced with similar studies to provide a different point of view.
Related to The Intern film which was released in 2015, several previous studies and other reference sources have
focused more on the feminist point of view regarding Jules as a career woman, mother, and wife highlighted (Wibowo
et al, 2018). While Trisnawati et al (2021) highlighted gender stereotypes in the film The Intern from the audience's point
of view was further discussed related to the exchange of roles between men and women; Men become husbands who
do activities at home, while women become working wives. However, this exchange of roles is not further discussed in
depth regarding its depiction.
Some of the above studies are the foundation of a thought that justifies the importance of conducting
research related to the representation of the househusband in the film the Intern. Does the picture contained
in Wahid and Lancia's (2018) research exist, or does Rohman's (2013) study influence how the
househusband's representation builds up in this film. The common thread of this research with previous
studies lies in how gender roles are shown, presented, or represented in a film. The research of Briandana and
Hajarian (2013), and Basarah (2019) still highlights women as the main axis of studies related to gender roles.
Based on this, this study wants to reveal how the signs in the film give a construction of meaning related to
the gender role of the character househusband, a man with the status of a husband who lives at home, and
plays a role in the domestic sector in full so that it becomes a differentiator.
In addition, to state the position of this study, regarding the methodology, the qualitative approach
was used in this study with the semiotic methods of Roland Barthes. Besides, due to the unsimilar research
focus compared to the previous studies, we could address the difference in the methodological state as the
novelty of this research. However, this study has justification for the choice of method due to the issues
related to the construction of the role of men in the domestic context that have not been highlighted in many
of the studies before. The approaches and methods used can help the analysis process to interpret the
construction of the role of the househusband in a denotative and connotative context that is comprehensively
explored from the signs in the film related to the role of the househusband.

Methodology
This research was carried out based on a constructivist paradigm in which qualitative is employed as the
approach in the implementation. Cresswell and Poth (2018) state that constructivist frameworks or social
constructs provide an opportunity for researchers to be able to understand the world in which the subject
under study is located and work to recognize the background of that subject in shaping interpretations. The
unit of analysis in this study were identified, analyzed, and interpreted using the semiotic method of Roland
Barthes with the following framework:
e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities 92

Lan Signifier Signified

gua
ge Sign
SIGNIFIER SIGNIFIED
MYTH

SIGN

Figure 2. Semiology Roland Barthes

Source: Budiman (2011)

1. Data Collection
Data were selected based on the criteria that refer to the representation of the househusband in the film.
Scenes were selected through observation and presented in Tabel 1.

2. Data Analysis
Analysis units, which are coded as D1 until D9, were analysed using a set of semiotics method by Roland
Barthes as seen in Figure 2. The analysis units were analysed based on the denotations and connotations
meaning interpretation and further discussed the construction of the meaning from the perspective of the
semiotics using Barthes’ order of signification.
Based on a thorough observation, analysis units were identified and grouped as shown in the following
table:

Table 1. Analysis units

D1 D6

Romantic relationships, caregiving

Romantic relationship

Domestic roles; home chores, caregiving

Romantic relationship
Domestic roles; home chores, Gender role as husband
Romantic relationship

Social Relationship
e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities 93

D2 D7

Romantic relationship
Caregiving

Domestic roles; home chores, caregiving

Romantic relationship as father

D3 D8

Domestic roles; home chores,

Romantic relationship The role of the father: Caregiving

D4 D9

Social relations
The construction of naming and meaning regarding the role of
househusband

Conversation:
Ben: “Matt seems like a terrific guy…”Jules:
“…I agree, he is.”
Ben: “…how does the househusband work…”
Jules: “They actually prefer to be called a stay-at - home-dad”
D5

Domestic roles; home chores, caregiving

The Findings and Discussion

Based on previous research that has been studied regarding the content of the film and the meaning in this film, it is
highlighted a lot regarding Jules working as a successful businessman, the exchange of gender roles in the public and
e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities 94

domestic spheres, but once the role of the husband as a stay-at-home dad or househusband is not studied or discussed
in depth. By saying so, even though this film was launched in 2015, issues related to the construction of gender roles
are still being discussed, such as the study of Trisnawati et al (2021) which discusses gender stereotypes in this film
and highlights the exchange of roles between men and women. In this section, the results of the study will present
units of analysis related to the depiction of a househusband which will then be continued with a discussion related to
how the construction of the role of the househusband is shown in this film by Nancy Meyers.
The results of the study will be presented based on the results of the analysis of nine (9) units of
analysis related to a househusband in the film The Intern, as follows:

Table 2. Units of analysis

Data/Unit of Details
analysis
D1 Romantic relations, domestic role, caregiving
D2 Romantic role, caregiving
D3 Domestic roles; doing domestic chores, & romantic relations
D4 Social relations, politeness
D5 Domestic roles; doing domestic chores, caregiving
Domestic roles; doing domestic chores, & romantic relations, role as
D6
a husband
Domestic roles; doing domestic chores, caregiving, romantic
D7
relations, gender role as a father
D8 Gender role as a father, caregiving
The construction of naming and meaning-making of the
D9
househusband role

1. Househusband and The Construction of The Role

In this section, the discussion will be divided into several sub-discussions (i) appearance characteristics, (ii)
househusband character construction, and (iii) househusband role construction, as follows:

Characteristics of the Appearance of Young Couples

Jules:
Formal-casual dress style with color choices and minimalist dressing up that constrains the appearance of young
entrepreneurs. As a young businesswoman, Jules is portrayed as casual yet formal in every appearance. The colors
that are usually worn build the construction of young entrepreneurs who in red give a very strong, dominant
impression and ambitious and bold nature, black and white indicates professionalism and credibility in the field of
business being run.
Minimalist yet beautiful hair styling gives a dynamic impression, plus light facial makeup with colors as if
without makeup gives a natural and light impression that merge in harmony with the character of a person who is
easy to move, to grow with the capability and capacity she has.
A workplace with a dynamic and growing start-up concept was adopted in this film so that a digital start-up-
based company was constructed that has been developing recently. The owner of the company has access to every
line of work at the company and intervenes directly in the running of the business. This can then be attributed also to
how the formal but casual appearance of Jules became her trademark.
Construction of a dynamic work environment that gives space to its workers to be creative without
restrictions. Activities are carried out openly and interconnected between one person/division and another. A digital-
based and creative-based office culture uses workplace concepts as it is to provide a space for creativity and dynamic
movement among its employees. Fluid interactions flow from superiors to other co-workers with almost no barriers
and are (lead to) egalitarian. Jules' flexibility as a company owner creates room for her to expect every corner of the
office to get involved in every activity that takes place within the business.

Matt:
e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities 95

A modern man who looks smart with eyeglasses and has a gentleman's demeanor that is constructed through the
facial hair that shows maleness which it becomes a symbol of strength, a male characteristic, with a relaxed and calm
bearing. As a man, Matt is constructed relaxed and calm from the signs on his appearance, as well as that his
appearance represents that he is a gentleman. In certain circumstances with a certain representation, the construction
of trait stereotypes is represented also by a lighter, unusual color of clothing. This relaxed and informal appearance
is motivated by Matt's status of not playing a role in the professional sector, therefore, there is no social necessity to
look formal.
A multi-storey house with a multi-family home type that is not too luxurious with furniture that looks
adapted to the shape of the room, as well as a kitchen that is also used as a place to eat. The lifestyle of the Brooklyn
people where this film is made to present a picture of family life in the cultural context of the area. The shape of the
building and the layout of the room are the hallmarks of changes in the type of multi-family home in one cluster or
one building.
The home design which can be referred to as minimalist depicts a multifunctional space, especially in an
open kitchen leading to the dining room. The daily activities of family members are centered there. The construction
of the house and how the interior design of the room gives space, especially to the location of the kitchen, as a place
to chat, share tasks and roles, and discuss trivial things to the point of importance, making this place very fluid. That
way, it's also related to how Matt's later sightings were constructed.

2. Househusband Role Construction

The characteristics of the househusband referred to in this section are how the signs in this analysis describe the
appearance or physical traits, character, and gender characteristics that can be interpreted through the signs. The units
of analysis that have gone through the selection process are then categorized based on signs indicating the existence of
gender roles, in this context domestic roles, carried out by the figure of the househusband; parenting, and doing
household chores.

Caregiving
Matt’s gesture by opening the door and welcoming Jules, as his partner, after work can be seen as a form of a couple's
appreciation for other couples who work outside the home as breadwinners. Work in the public sphere that makes
money is seen as more valuable, therefore the seen-hard work and sweat are appreciated in such a way in the form of
a welcome at the door of the house for the hard work that has been done.
The individual who plays a role in the domestic sphere, who takes care of the house and ensures it is
comfortable to live in, seems to have a duty to provide comfort to another individual, who is his partner, by giving a
welcome and appreciation after one day of work as a breadwinner whose measure of hard work can be seen in the
form of income earned to meet the needs of the family.
In scenes D1 and D2, Matt is depicted welcoming Jules who has just returned from work. Matt greeted Jules
at the door of the house with a warm greeting and held the door to let Jules enter the house. Accompanying the spouse
who has just returned homr from work; gives a sense of comfort and protection, as a form of appreciation. This is one
of the domestic role cultures constructed in this film, namely the domestic role of a couple who gives a sense of security
and comfort to their partner in their home.
A father's domestic role in giving affection to his child in the form of touch is shown in scene D8. If usually
the father or husband is placed in the public domain, this scene in the film is described as his role in the domestic
sphere which it gives a sense of comfort to his child.

Act of Service
The existence of a construction of the role of serving and being served between spouses in the household. Romantic
relationships are shrouded in the role of each individual involved in them; Some are constructed to play a role in the
public sphere as breadwinners and a role in the domestic sphere as those who take care of the house and the whole. In
relation to the two roles, there is an impression of one serving the other, and the other having the right to be served for
the public role he has performed and appears in scene D3.
e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities 96

Similarly, in scenes D4 and D5, the role in the domestic sphere is always prepared for domestic work, including
representing the family in receiving guests. The role of an individual in the domestic sphere will be in parts of the
house such as the living room, family room, dining room, and kitchen. In these spaces, there are jobs that are becoming
part of the duties of the individual who plays a role in his domestic sphere.
When a spouse or other family member has time alone in more hidden areas such as rooms or workspaces,
individuals with domestic roles are always awake and prepared for work in other parts of the home, including making
sure to open the door of the house if someone knocks from outside. The invitation to drink coffee as a form of
hospitality is shown by the host who is preparing breakfast in the kitchen. When the invitation to drink coffee and
coffee is served, it describes the habits or roles that the person is used to in the domestic sphere. Ordinary means that
it is a part of his duties, perhaps a daily routine.
The data instructs Matt who is the one who will open the front door and welcome the guests or anyone coming
to the house. This is because Matt's work area is at the bottom of the house which consists of spaces such as the living
room, dining room, and kitchen which are directly connected to the front door. While the rest of the family was in
another room upstairs in a separate house. This scene shows Matt's role domestically being the recipient and greeter of
guests who come to the house. The appearance of domestic roles is not only focused on spouses or family members
alone but openly on strangers who are becoming the guests in the house. This shows an openness to the status of male
roles in the domestic sphere in the context of this data. The acceptance of domestic roles by male partners opens up
space to allow others, outside the family, to see their roles as something ordinary, or "normal" for a man to do in the
context of a husband.

Domestic Chores
In this study, the unit analysis was interpreted as the construction of the role of the househusband, it is known that the
activities of the husband, Matt in this context, in the kitchen are often highlighted in several scenes in this film.
Preparing food, preparing drinks, and serving them to family members and guests is depicted in a repetitive manner
that emphasizes the domestic work it does.

3. Myths Househusband in the Context of Gender Role

The concept of gender can be found in everyday life, for example, women are known for motherhood and
emotionality. While men are known as male and mighty Fakih (1996). Masculine characteristics in males are
associated with traits, such as strong, hard, and sweaty (Kurnia, 2004). Meanwhile, according to Fakih (1996),
the gender context is formed through a long process by society socially and culturally, therefore the gender
context is considered by society to be the nature between women and men as if it has a biological nature that
cannot be changed anymore. Vice versa, women must be gentle and graceful, therefore, women are also
indirectly encouraged to be gentle and graceful and this influences their physical and biological development.
Matt's domestic role was publicly performed by him to Ben who came to the house for the first time. There
was no hesitation in offering Ben a morning coffee, even Matt performed his role in the kitchen. In the D6 and D7
units of analysis, the openness of domestic roles performed by men has not been generally accepted or commonly
accepted by individuals characterized by the look in their eyes, facial expressions, and how is their tone in the
conversation takes place. Domestic roles are usually attached to women; who will be at home and do chores or
homework including ensuring the facilitation of the needs of other family members, including couples who have a role
in the public domain as breadwinners.
When the condition reverses, whatever the reason, it turns out that the situation has not been equally accepted
by both partners; male and female, or husband and wife. In this scene, women who have a wide space in their public
domain turn out to show an uncomfortable attitude when someone else outside the family sees this exchange of roles.
A study conducted by Chell (2001) based on assumptions related to the roles of husbands and wives constructed based
on gender roles formed, and this will be used as their expectations in the future. In keeping with these assumptions, Chell
found that their expectations regarding the roles of husband and wife in a household were not the same. It is this
expectation that may be causing the acceptance of the exchange of roles in the gender context to be not easy to accept,
especially if it is the first experience of seeing it in a social context.
e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities 97

This acceptance and openness to the exchange of domestic roles and public roles are increasingly fluid as close
relationships/relationships are built between the individuals involved. Increasingly improved habits and relationships
between individuals establish a common view of the exchange of domestic roles and public roles that at earlier times
might have been seen as unusual. Sayyida (2019), who focuses her research on the representation of gender role
exchange in the film, stated that this analysis still looks at the side that this gender role exchange causes environmental
pressure on the part of women. This is also illustrated in the D6 data when Ben first came to Jules and Matt's
house and indicates how conjugal interactions with unusual roles take place. Jules gave a clumsy impression
through the look in his eyes towards Ben, and vice versa.
The above may be because however, the construction of women's roles in the domestic sphere is still
often dominant even when women are portrayed as individuals with certain strengths. As research conducted
by Ridaryanthi & Sinuyul (2021) in their research on gender roles in the context of women superheroes found
that regardless of the construction of superheroes attached to the characters in the film, the construction of
female traits that become stereotypes in society remains inherent. Although power is fictional, the
representation and construction of women's roles are still portrayed the same as that of a caring individual, for
instance.
The exchange and reconstruction of signs and meanings related to this role provide flexibility in the interaction
and acceptance between individuals so that the exchange of these roles becomes natural. The exchange of domestic
roles and public roles in the television soap opera 'World Upside Down' conducted by Wahid and Lancia
(2018) shows that women have the ability to play the role of breadwinners replacing roles that have been
dominated by men. Meanwhile, men, or in the context of the family is husband, in the soap opera tend to
'accept' their role changes due to their financial incompetence. Acceptance between the two individuals
involved is indispensable in this context, therefore, the roles become equal in their respective capacities.
The exchange of meanings that occurs through communication interactions regarding the understanding of the
role of men in the domestic sphere and the designation of the role. Naming is important so that the construction is
emphasized according to the preferences of the men who hold the role. In scene D9 of this study, Domestic roles are
usually played by women, where when they become a wife who does not work in a public space, they will be referred
to as 'housewife'. The role of this 'housewife' is around the domestic realm such as taking care of the house, cooking,
cleaning, serving, and other things that are not converted into income in the form of money.
This role tends to be invisible, for it is called the domestic sphere, it is closed/private in nature. However, his
role is very crucial in a family. On the other hand, in the context of the sign in this scene, the selection of the role
name 'stay-at-home-dad' is preferred because it shows the role of the Dad who lives at home, not the housekeeper.
From the terminology used, there are differently constructed values for essentially the same work; matters related to
the domestic realm of households. Thus, the term househusband is not meaningfully accepted based on the
preferences of men carrying out domestic duties, so the term stay-at-home-dad is preferred because it constructs
the role of the father as a whole, not the role of the husband who takes care of the house.

Conclusion
Based on this study, the following conclusions can be drawn from the results of the analysis and discussion in
the previous chapter: there are nine (9) scenes identified that became the unit of research analysis. The results
show that the role of the househusband can be categorized as (i) caregiving and (ii) act of service. Meanwhile,
househusband duties are identified as everything domestic affairs outside of public domain work such as taking
care of the house, family, and supporting activities. The term househusband is not meaningfully accepted based
on the preferences of men carrying out domestic duties, therefore, the term stay-at-home dad is preferred
because it constructs the role of the father as a whole, not the role of the husband who takes care of the house.
This research uses a constructivist paradigm that limits the analysis in breaking down the myths that lie behind
the meaning of the stay-at-home dad role. By saying that, the meaning of the role can be discussed further
with a critical paradigm and justification for how the naming and construction of its role can be built in such
a way.
Acknowledgement: We would like to thank the Research Center of Universitas Mercu Buana, Jakarta for
facilitating the internal research funding of Universitas Mercu Buana with the Kerjasama Dalam Negeri
e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities 98

scheme, therefore the study could be conducted and this publication can be fulfilled as the requirement. We
would like to thank the Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication, Universiti Putra Malaysia for the
contribution to the article publication. We would also like to express our gratitude for the opportunity to
collaborate with the Faculty of Communication Sciences, Universitas Pancasila for the collaboration to this
research.

Informed Consent Statement: Any research article describing a study involving humans should contain this
statement: ‘Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study. For studies not involving
humans, please exclude this statement.

Conflicts of Interest: No conflict of interest.

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