Social Ethics in High School Students' Short Stories and Their Relevance to Humanism

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS ISSN(print): 2643-9840, ISSN(online): 2643-9875 Volume 08 Issue 09 September 2025 DOI: 10.47191/ijmra/v8-i09-04, Impact Factor: 8.266 Page No. 4867-4873 IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 09 September 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 4867 Social Ethics in High School Students' Short Stories and Their Relevance to Humanism Erma Septi Praptiwi1, St. Nurbaya2, Suroso3 1,2,3Indonesian Language and Literature Education Study Program, Yogyakarta State University ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study is to describe the social ethics found in the short stories of grade XI students at Srandakan 1 Public Senior High School. The method used is a qualitative descriptive method combining the Sudaryanto model and the Miles Huberman & Saldana model. Sudaryanto's reading and note-taking technique was used for data collection, and the data was analyzed using the Miles Huberman & Saldana model. The results of the study showed that the collection of short stories written by 11th grade students at Srandakan 1 Public High School depicted eight social ethics that are relevant to humanism in shaping students' characters and encouraging them to understand human values. These social ethics include empathy, social awareness, caution, responsibility, generosity, mutual cooperation, mutual assistance, and kinship. The social ethics present in the short story written by an eleventh-grade student at State Senior High School 1 Srandakan are depicted in the characters' dialogues and behaviors. The relevance of humanism in the short story can shape students' characters and encourage them to understand human values. KEYWORDS: Collection of short stories, Social ethics, Relevance of humanism, High school. INTRODUCTION Social ethics is the foundation that governs relationships between individuals in a community, encompassing values, norms, and shared responsibilities. Social ethics reflects the values that govern human relationships with one another. According to Bertens (2021), ethics is the science that discusses morality and moral behavior. In the field of literature, social ethics are often raised as a reflection of social conditions. One literary work that often addresses societal conditions is the short story. As a literary form, the short story has the power to succinctly depict social phenomena. Through diverse narratives and characters, short stories can voice social ethical issues that are often overlooked, such as injustice, discrimination, and empathy issues. (Novita, 2020) reveals that short stories are short compositions that contain stories about a person's life and focus on only one character. This allows readers to easily reflect on the characters and issues described. The issues discussed in short stories tend to be brief, concise, and to the point so that readers do not get bored, which is one of the attractions of short stories. In addition, short stories have their own appeal because they contain stories about various issues in life and how to deal with them. (Yulisetiani & Rohmatun, 2022) mention that short stories are an entertaining source of reading material with language that is not too difficult to read. In the context of education, short stories are an important learning medium, not only for practicing literacy skills, but also for developing written communication skills, creativity, and instilling moral and social values. Learning that integrates social ethics through short stories can help students understand the importance of maintaining harmony in social life. A philosopher and Aristotelian scholar (in Setiawan & Ningsih, 2021) revealed that literature serves as a means and medium for cleansing the soul of both writers and readers. This is in line with what Abidin (in Setiawan & Ningsih, 2021) said, that the noble values of literature can be used as a means of character education. Therefore, in the short stories of the 11th grade at Srandakan 1 Public High School, the themes tend to be based on personal experiences, the surrounding environment, or social issues that they find interesting. The phenomenon of social ethics issues becomes very relevant when linked to the context of humanism because humans have behavior. According to (Subiyantoro, 2013), humanism emphasizes the aspect of character building based on habits in the environment. (Nazihah & Anggraini, 2020) reveal that literary works have proven successful in demonstrating humanism because they attempt to resolve conflicts through learning that leads to changes in attitudes and behavior, thereby making individuals better than before. Short stories that raise social ethical issues not only voice criticism of deviant behavior in society, but also Social Ethics in High School Students' Short Stories and Their Relevance to Humanism IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 09 September 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 4868 encourage readers to reflect on the values of humanity that should be upheld. For example, stories about solidarity, respect for differences, or the struggle against injustice can be a medium for conveying messages of humanism to a wide audience. Several studies on short stories in education generally focus only on technical aspects, such as structure, diction, and student creativity in writing. Some studies also discuss the moral messages contained in the stories, but studies on the representation of social ethics in the short stories of 11th grade students at Srandakan 1 Public High School in relation to the concept of humanism are relatively rare. The novelty of this study lies in its approach, which integrates two main concepts, namely social ethics and the relevance of humanism in the analysis of students' short stories. This study highlights how short stories are not only a medium for artistic expression, but can also be a tool for social reflection and character building. By emphasizing a humanistic perspective, this study broadens the discourse on the role of literature in education, especially in shaping a generation that has social awareness and empathy for others. Several studies also discuss short stories in learning. This is found in a study conducted by (1) Ramadani et al., (2018), which examines the social values in the short story “Berhala” (Idol), which covers various aspects of life, ranging from material needs to spirituality. In addition, the study also relates to its use in teaching short story writing at the high school level; (2) Turaeni & Hardiningtyas (2020) discuss social criticism found in short stories and how these works reflect social issues in society; and Ekasiswanto (2024) discusses the articulation of humanism in literary works. What distinguishes this research and makes it novel is the work used. This research uses the short stories written by 11th grade students at Srandakan 1 Public High School and focuses on examining social ethics and their relevance to humanism. This research is relevant to the studies by Ramadani et al. (2018), Turaeni & Hardiningtyas (2020), and Turaeni & Hardiningtyas (2020), which examine social ethics and humanism. This indicates an opportunity to explore more specific topics. Based on a literature survey, there are gaps that need to be addressed through this study: 1) a lack of studies on how high school students' short stories reflect specific social ethical values, and 2) a lack of research linking students' literary works to humanistic-based learning. This study aims to analyze social ethics in short stories written by 11th grade students at Srandakan 1 Public High School and examine the relevance of humanistic values, including how these values are internalized through the creative process. There are two contributions in this study, namely theoretical and practical contributions. The theoretical contribution enriches the literature on the relationship between literature, social ethics, and humanism in the context of education, while the practical contribution encourages students to use short stories as a means of reflection and character building based on human values. METHOD This type of research is qualitative research. This study aims to analyze social ethics and relevance to humanism found in the short stories written by 11th grade students at Srandakan 1 Public High School. The method used was a qualitative descriptive method combining the Sudaryanto model and the Miles Huberman & Saldana model. The Sudaryanto read-and-record technique was used for data collection, while data analysis used the Miles Huberman & Saldana model. Data collection in the form of documentation involves recording existing data. According to (Abdi, 2020), documentation comes from the word document, which means written material, a method of collecting data by recording existing data. The readand-record technique, according to Sudaryanto (in Khoirunniyah et al., 2023), is carried out by listening to or reading the text to be studied, then recording it after reading and noting down important data related to the analysis. In this study, the reading and note-taking technique involves the researcher conducting a sequential, careful, and systematic analysis of secondary data sources, namely the short stories produced by 11th grade students at Srandakan 1 Public High School, in order to obtain the desired data, namely the depiction of social ethics and the relevance of humanism. Then, after reading and recording, data analysis was conducted using the Miles Huberman & Saldana model. Based on this analysis, the condensation stage in this study involved selecting literary works that contained social ethics. The data presentation consisted of explanations related to social ethics and humanism found in the short stories written by 11th grade students at Srandakan 1 Public High School. The data presentation also took the form of tables or matrices. The final stage was the conclusion/verification of the findings on social ethics in the short stories and their relevance to humanism. Figure 1 shows a diagram of the combination of Sudaryanto's data collection model and Miles Huberman & Saldana's data analysis model. Social Ethics in High School Students' Short Stories and Their Relevance to Humanism IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 09 September 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 4869 Figure 1. Schematic of the combination of Sudaryanto's data collection model and Miles Huberman & Saldana's data analysis model. RESULT AND DISCUSSION The results and discussion are divided into four sections covering social ethics and humanism, an overview of the short stories written by 11th grade students at Srandakan State Senior High School 1, an analysis of social ethics in the short stories written by 11th grade students at Srandakan State Senior High School 1, and the relevance of humanistic values. The following is a discussion of social ethics in the short stories written by 11th grade students at Srandakan State Senior High School 1 and their relevance to humanism. Result Based on the results of collecting data on reading and recording short stories by 11th grade students at Srandakan 1 Public High School, there were 11 works that contained social ethics. Table 1 below maps the results of the etiquette values found in the short stories of 11th grade students at Srandakan 1 Public High School. Table 1. Social Label Values in Short Stories Written by Eleventh Grade Students Short Story Title of Grade XI Students Sosiak etiquette value Evidence of social ethic in short stories of grade XI students The Cry of Kenanga Village Empathy, social awareness, prudence, social responsibility. • The neighborhood association leader who asked a resident named Pak Adi to help residents who were trapped under rubble after the earthquake. • Mr. Adi's caution in dealing with the situation. He refused Mr. RT's request to help residents who were trapped under the rubble. Mr. Adi advised Mr. RT to run to a safer place and report to the SAR team to evacuate the victims. • The government sent a search and rescue team to help, evacuate victims, and secure property for rescue. The Story of Mr. Anwar's Family Family ties, responsibility (social responsibility helps strengthen social relationships within the family) • Mr. Anwar's role as the head of the family responsible for the safety of his family is evident in Social Ethics in High School Students' Short Stories and Their Relevance to Humanism IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 09 September 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 4870 the section on the character's actions. “Don't panic! Stay calm!” said Mr. Anwar as he looked for shelter. Earthquake in My City Concern, social responsibility (caring for others) • The character, depicted as Bani's parent, seeks news about the condition of his family in Yogyakarta and ensures that they are safe and sound after the earthquake. • Bani, who helped his grandmother to the evacuation post • The SAR team informed and socialized residents not to be traumatized by the earthquake. A Heartbreaking Story Concern, empathy • This is proven by the actions of the character I play, who helps an old man whose legs are injured by debris from an earthquake. Earthquake Caring, kinship (empathy helps strengthen social relationships within the family) • The actions of the character who tries hard to find and help his younger sibling in the rubble caused by the earthquake. Eruption of Mount Merapi Helping each other, caring, empathy • The actions of volunteers who distributed masks to people there and took victims to safer evacuation sites. Earthquake Disaster Mutual cooperation, generosity/caring, empathy (mutual cooperation and understanding the suffering of others). • The attitude of mutual assistance and cooperation among residents when a neighbor is in need. • The rescue team providing assistance. Tears of Mount Merapi Empathy, mutual assistance, kinship, cooperation, and understanding the suffering of others • Residents received masks and some food supplies. • After five days, residents flocked home and worked together to clean up the volcanic ash left behind by the eruption of Mount Merapi. Malioboro Caring for others (a friend's efforts to help someone who lost their wallet). • The actions of community leaders who tried to help the women who had been pickpocketed and my character who helped to cheer them up and calm them down. Memories from Several Years Ago of Mount Merapi Caring for others (good deeds performed by public figures, helping each other and sharing information), social responsibility (many people participating in providing assistance). • The actions of SAR team members who helped residents to be taken to evacuation posts. Social Ethics in High School Students' Short Stories and Their Relevance to Humanism IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 09 September 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 4871 • A team of volunteers helping to treat victims injured by the earthquake. Earthquake Tragedy Social responsibility and awareness • Many search and rescue teams and security officers began to arrive. We were all given assistance in the form of food, medicine, blankets, and other necessities. Based on Table 1 above, social etiquette values were found in 11 short stories written by 11th grade students at Srandakan 1 Public High School. The social etiquette values found were empathy, social awareness, prudence, responsibility, generosity, mutual cooperation, mutual assistance, and kinship. DISCUSSION It has been discussed that social ethics is a branch of ethics that discusses the values, norms, and responsibilities that govern relationships between individuals in society. Its relevance to humanism lies in their shared focus on humanity, individual dignity, and social harmony. Social ethics encompasses a focus on human dignity, overcoming social injustice, and promoting solidarity and empathy. The relevance of social ethics to humanism, first, focuses on human dignity, namely the role of social ethics in providing a normative framework that allows humanistic principles to be applied in a social context (respect for individual rights regardless of background). Second, humanism emphasizes the importance of justice and equality, while social ethics provides guidance on how this justice can be realized in social relationships, thereby overcoming social injustice. Third, social ethics teaches the importance of mutual care and empathy in social relationships, values that are at the core of humanism, which places human interests as a priority. The relevance of social ethics to humanism can shape students' character. According to Primayana (2022), character education can be carried out through the learning process. The character traits that can be developed include responsibility, prudence, and politeness. This is in line with what is explained by (Suardi et al., 2018) that the application of character education is easy to implement in schools. This is also explained by (Karim et al., 2021) that one way to foster student character is by using literary works. Literature teaching is believed to strengthen children's character because literary works contain moral values that can make children aware of the importance of character. The relevance of social ethics in the short stories of 11th grade students at Srandakan 1 Public High School to humanism is very important for shaping students' character and encouraging them to understand human values in everyday life. Humanism, which emphasizes respect for human dignity, such as empathy, social awareness, prudence, responsibility, generosity, mutual cooperation, dedication, and kinship, provides many relevant lessons for the younger generation through literary works such as short stories. Short stories are often an effective medium for conveying these messages because of their simple yet meaningful form. According to (Setiawan & Ningsih, 2021), the noble values of literary works can be used to shape the personalities of students. In short stories, there are characters with different personalities, illustrating that each character or person has a different personality. Based on the theme of the short story written by 11th grade students at Srandakan 1 Public High School, which is about earthquakes and vacationing in Malioboro, there are several points of relevance for high school students. First, short stories can help students understand how disasters affect human life and how small actions can bring about change. Second, students can learn about the importance of solidarity in crises and shared responsibility. Third, writing stories based on this theme can train students to think creatively and critically by incorporating ethical and humanistic values. According to (Santosa & Dwiratno, 2021), the educational values in literary works are moral education in the form of messages. Therefore, it can be said that the values in literary works can be used as a means to instill character education in students. CONCLUSION This study reveals the social ethics contained in a collection of short stories written by 11th grade students at Srandakan 1 Public High School. Based on the results of the study, there are eight social ethics, including the values of empathy, social concern, prudence, responsibility, generosity, mutual cooperation, mutual assistance, and kinship. Social ethics in the short stories Social Ethics in High School Students' Short Stories and Their Relevance to Humanism IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 09 September 2025 www.ijmra.in Page 4872 of grade XI students at Srandakan State Senior High School 1 are depicted in the characters' dialogues and behaviors. The relevance of humanism in short stories is very important for shaping students' characters and encouraging them to understand human values. In addition, there is relevance to senior high school students, namely learning empathy, increasing social awareness, and developing creativity. 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