Negotiating Tradition: Hidden Resistance of Batak Toba Women to Marpariban Arranged Matchmaking
Keywords:
Everyday resistance, women’s agency, Marpariban arranged matchmaking, Batak Toba society, customary marriageDOI:
https://doi.org/10.59435/jgrp.v3i1.2026.55Abstract
The purpose of this article is to investigate the methods by which Batak Toba women in Habeahan Naburahan Village, Samosir Regency, resist the concealed practice of marpariban matchmaking. As part of the Batak Toba kinship structure, Marpariban matching is a traditional practice that places women in a position where they are unable to select their life partners. A form of resistance that is not overtly articulated has emerged as a result of this. Information was gathered using descriptive qualitative methods such as in-depth interviews, documentation, and observation. Relevant data and information are provided by informants who are Batak Toba women in the village of Habeahan Naburahan who have firsthand experience with the Marpariban matchmaking practice and family members who participate in the customary matchmaking procedure. The findings and analysis revealed that the Batak Toba women in this hamlet oppose this matchmaking practice through covert resistance. Some of these behaviors are putting off arranged marriages for school or work reasons, using religious legitimacy as a reason to say no without directly confronting the person, formally accepting arranged marriages with a passive attitude and little emotional involvement, and not talking openly about marriage plans. James C. Scott's theory of resistance says that these activities show that there is concealed resistance, or a sort of resistance that happens while people follow the rules. This suggests that Batak Toba women tend to use subtle opposition as a tactic to preserve their independence inside the patriarchal system rather than openly rejecting the Marpariban norm
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