SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE AS POLITICAL CAPITAL: A STUDY OF WOMEN IN LOCAL POLITICS IN KEDIRI CITY

This study explores the role of social intelligence as political capital for women in local politics in Kediri City. Despite the implementation of a 30% gender quota policy, the effectiveness of female politicians in performing legislative functions varies considerably. This research aims to identify the dimensions of female politicians’ social intelligence, analyze how social intelligence is transformed into political capital, and explain the strategies through which it is utilized in everyday political practice. Employing a qualitative approach with a Creswell case study design, the study involved 20 informants, consisting of 8 female members of the Kediri City Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) and 12 supporting informants. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document analysis, and were analyzed using the interactive model developed by Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña. The findings indicate that 5 out of the 8 female legislators demonstrated high levels of social intelligence, which they effectively employed in negotiations with communities and other political parties through empathy-based approaches, relational communication, and trust-building. These legislators converted social intelligence into political capital through the cultivation of trust, the construction of collective identity, and emotionally grounded patron–client networks. In contrast, the remaining 3 legislators exhibited low levels of social intelligence and relied heavily on party structures, resulting in weak substantive representation. This study contributes to Bourdieu’s theory of political capital by identifying social intelligence as a form of compensatory psychological capital and by balancing structural perspectives with agency in the gender and politics literature. Practically, the findings underscore the importance of strengthening social intelligence capacities through targeted training programs, political party recruitment reforms, and substantive capacity-building policies that complement gender quota regulations.