DEPOK,
On July 2, 2025, the Postgraduate Program in Communication Science, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Indonesia (FISIP UI) again gave birth to a new doctorate. Evvy Silalahi officially earned the 150th Doctor of Communication Science degree in a promotion session held in a hybrid manner at the Juwono Sudarsono Auditorium (AJS), FISIP UI Depok Campus. The promotion session was chaired by Prof. Dr. Semiarto Aji Purwanto. The supervisory team consisted of Prof. Dr. Billy K. Sarwono, M.A. as promoter and Dr. Irwansyah, M.A. as Co-promoter. The examination team included Prof. Dr. Eni Maryani, Dr. Sunarto, M.Si., Endah Triastuti, Ph.D., Irwan Martua Hidayana, Ph.D., and Dr. Indah Santi Pratidina.
In her dissertation entitled “Construction of Connective Actions in Social Media in Handling Sexual Violence Issues at Madani Islamic Boarding School in Bandung,” Evvy explores how social media is used as an alternative advocacy tool when institutional channels are unable to provide justice for victims. The case studied began with the upload of the Facebook account @Mary Silvita which voiced cases of sexual violence in the pesantren environment.
Evvy uses a case study approach with a critical constructivism paradigm and exposes how connective actions do not happen spontaneously, but are the result of strategic constructions that she calls hybrid justice practices, a combination of the power of offline networks and digital campaigns curated by strategic actors.
“These findings reinforce the importance of the concept of personal networks as a complement to the theory of connective action. Personal networks emphasize empathy-based connections, interpersonal relationships, and local involvement that cannot be replaced by digital connectivity alone,” said Evvy in her dissertation presentation.
In this context, social media cannot be understood as a neutral space. According to her, today’s digital struggles are in a paradoxical platform architecture. “The struggle in the digital space remains limited by an ambivalent platform architecture that provides space for inclusivity while reproducing inequality through algorithms and contestation of interests,” she continued.
By juxtaposing it with the Indonesian context, Evvy offers a new conceptual model that is more sensitive to the digital divide, power inequality and intersectional oppression. Her theoretical contribution expands the study of digital activism that has been biased towards the context of the Global North. The findings are relevant for civil society activists, policy makers, and academics working on digital justice and empowerment of vulnerable groups.
The promotion session was attended by family, colleagues, and the academic community who gave full support to Evvy’s long struggle to complete her doctoral studies. The entire team of examiners expressed their appreciation for the struggle in the process of compiling the dissertation. Evvy Silalahi passed with very satisfying results and officially holds a Doctor of Communication Science degree at the University of Indonesia. (MAP)
