SPIRITUALITAS PEKERJA MIGRAN MELAWAN EKSPLOITASI GLOBAL (TINJAUAN SEMIOTIKA ATAS FILM THE GOAT LIFE)

Fidya Mahdiana, NIM.: 22105040026 (2026) SPIRITUALITAS PEKERJA MIGRAN MELAWAN EKSPLOITASI GLOBAL (TINJAUAN SEMIOTIKA ATAS FILM THE GOAT LIFE). Skripsi thesis, UIN SUNAN KALIJAGA YOGYAKARTA.

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Abstract

The phenomenon of international labor migration often conceals the grim reality of global exploitation and modern slavery under the oppressive Kafala (sponsorship) system in the Middle East. Within extreme spaces of exile, workers are frequently subjected to dehumanization, social isolation, and an absence of legal and state protection that paralyzes human rights. This structural reality is dramatically represented through the character Najeeb Muhammad in the film The Goat Life (2024). Amidst physically oppressive power structures, spirituality emerges crucially as an instrument of inner resilience and a form of “inner agency”, whereby the subject consciously engages in chosen actions (such as praying, remembering God, or reframing suffering) to confront oppression. Building upon this background, this study identifies forms of spirituality represented visually and analyzes their function as resistance and a mechanism of inner defense against global exploitation. This qualitative research employs a media text analysis method using the Sociology of Religion and a phenomenological paradigm to understand the “essence of the experience” of the character s inner life. Operationally, the analysis is conducted in two interdisciplinary stages. First, Roland Barthes semiotic analysis is applied to deconstruct visual and audio signs within the film into levels of denotation (literal meaning), connotation (cultural/ideological meaning), and the formation of myths related to oppression and spirituality. Second, these semiotic findings are examined using Raymond Williams concept of Structure of Feeling to capture the emotional dynamics and psychological conditions experienced by the character, which are then integrated with Kenneth I. Pargament s theory of Religious Coping to systematically classify the mechanisms by which visual text constructs the transformation of Najeeb s suffering into a sacred dialogue and religious coping strategy. The research results indicate that spirituality undergoes a functional transformation from mere ritual obedience into an instrument of active resistance. Through the mechanism of Religious Coping, Najeeb reframes brutal exploitation as a transcendental spiritual test. This is manifested in several key visual symbols: the recitation of the name “Allah” as an anchor of identity against dehumanization; the Sacred Gaze directed at the sky as an existential protest against divine silence; a letter from a friend as a symbol of mechanical solidarity; the use of desert elements for tayammum as an act of total surrender; and the presence of Ibrahim Khadiri as a manifestation of divine intervention. This study concludes that spirituality operates as a dual mechanism: as symbolic resistance challenging the absolute authority of the kafeel (sponsor) and as an instrument of resilience through internal religious coping strategies that protect mental integrity from total alienation. When state protection fails, spiritual values emerge as a final "inner technology” to defend human dignity against oppressive power structures.

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