Digital Analysis of the Beautiful Man in Indonesian Students’ Collective Memory

Abstract

This study examines how students collaborate to develop the concept of the “beautiful man”. It explores how gender and cultural context shape collective memories. Based on 66 infographics created by first-year English Literature students at a university in Surabaya, this study investigates how Indonesian students collaboratively construct the concept of “beautiful man” through collective memory. The research employs a qualitative, corpus-based approach using 66 student-created infographics, which were converted into text and analysed through Voyant Tools. The analysis focuses on four categories: similarity, difference, real-life examples, and slogans. This methodological design enables both quantitative text mining and qualitative interpretation. The study reveals that makeup and self-care serve as both boundary markers and shared practices, highlighting similarities and differences. This suggests that students are blending traditional views of masculinity with more inclusive ideas. Real-life examples illustrate how schools, friends, family, and society shape perceptions of acceptance, resistance, and stigma. These everyday settings reveal how people judge and challenge gendered appearances, making them essential spaces for testing and redefining ideas of masculinity and beauty. The slogan category highlights values such as “embrace,” “uniqueness,” and “diversity,” reflecting new ideas of masculinity. Overall, the findings show that students actively engage with and reshape the meanings of male beauty through group discussions and their work. They are not just accepting traditional views but are constantly renegotiating masculinity in their campus culture.