The Normalization of Legal Deviance: A Socio-Legal Analysis of Illegal Parking Levies in Tunjungan Romansa, Surabaya

Abstract

The revitalization of Tunjungan Street into “Tunjungan Romansa” has significantly altered the socio-economic landscape of Surabaya’s city center. However, this transformation is marred by the persistent issue of illegal levies (pungli) disguised as unauthorized parking. This study aims to analyze this phenomenon through a socio-legal lens, focusing on how legal violations undergo a process of “normalization” within urban community culture. Utilizing a qualitative descriptive method with a case study approach, data were gathered through participant observation and in-depth interviews with various field actors. The findings indicate that the normalization of pungli occurs due to a sharp disparity between law in books and law in action, influenced by informal power relations and economic pragmatism. This practice persists not due to legal ignorance, but because of a pseudo-agreement formed between field actors and visitors for the sake of accessibility and convenience. These results suggest that formal law enforcement in urban public spaces is often overshadowed by local political dialectics and a permissive legal culture. The study recommends integrating digital monitoring systems and strengthening public legal literacy to erode the culture of normalizing such violations.