Social Construction on Use of Supplements in Two Urban Societies: Cases in Padang and Pekanbaru, Indonesia

This Indonesian society is known as a plural society, both based on socio-economic structure and ethnicity. Such pluralism will create a polarization in the use of supplements in various community groups how the use of supplements socially constructed in urban societies is a significant question in this study. To answer the question, a research was done in Padang and Pekanbaru with qualitative research method. In order to obtain primary data, there were in-depth interviews of 20 users of supplements and 2 persons from each carried “jamu” (traditional medicine) sellers, jamu shop owners, herbal sellers, “herbal home” owners, and fitness center managers or gym studio managers. In addition, observations were made on the activity of supplement transactions in each type of supplement trade. Data analysis used Miles and Huberman models. The results of the study showed that the use of supplements was socially constructed in a reference group. 4 reference groups construct the use of supplement patterns, namely traditional group, religious group, neoteric group, and rational group.