Solidarity Capital in Crisis: Indonesian Graduates’ Education-to-Work Transitions During COVID-19

This study investigates how Indonesian polytechnic graduates navigated the transition from education to employment during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on the capitals they mobilized. Using Bourdieu’s theory of practice, we examine the activation of cultural, social, and digital capital in response to disrupted labor market conditions. Findings from semi-structured interviews with 41 graduates reveal that solidarity capital—a context-specific subset of social capital grounded in mutual support and community ties—was the most prominently activated and impactful. While digital platforms and competencies facilitated some transitions, their use was constrained by digital inequality. In contrast, solidarity capital provided emotional, informational, and practical support across socioeconomic backgrounds, helping graduates access job opportunities in the absence of strong institutional mechanisms. These results contribute to career theory by highlighting the role of culturally embedded, informal support networks in non-Western contexts and call for more inclusive career assessment and intervention strategies.