The strength of Minangkabau identity among the first year Minangkabau senior high school girls

285 Pages·2014·21.77 MB·English

THE STRENGTH OF MINANGKABAU IDENTITY
AMONG THE FIRST YEAR MINANGKABAU
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS:
A STUDY AT SMU2 PADANG, SMU 11 PADANG
AND SMU SUNGAI TARAB, TANAH DATAR,
SUMATRA BARAT, INDONESIA
Nurhizrah Gistituati
M.Ed. (University of Canberra), Dra (IKIP Padang)
Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of
Doctorate in Education
Faculty of Education
University of Tasmania at Launceston
1999
DECLARATION
I certify that this thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award
of any other degree or diploma in any tertiary education, and to the best of my
knowledge and belief, that any material previously published or written by another
person in the preparation of this thesis have all been acknowledged in the body of
the work.
Nurhizrah Gistituati
PERMISSION TO COPY
I hereby give permission to the staff of the University Library and to the staff and
students of the University of Tasmania to copy this thesis in whole or in part without
reference to me. This permission covers only single copies made for study purposes,
subject to normal conditions of acknowledgment.
Nurhizrah Gistituati
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to God for His great blessing and for allowing me to study at the University
of Tasmania, Australia. I wish to express my sincere 'gratitude and appreciation to Dr.
Mary Feamley Sander, my supervisor to whom I am greatly indebted, for her
interest, time, encouragement, patient, understanding and guidance throughout this
study.
I also would like to express my gratitude to Professor Dr. Bill Mulford, Dean of the
Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania; Professor Dr. John Braithwaite, Head
of the Ed.D program, Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania; Professor Dr.
John Williamson, Head of the Secondary and Post Compulsory Education, Faculty of
Education, University of Tasmania; Professor Dr. David Hogan and Dr. Marion
Myhill, lecturers of the Ed.D program, Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania
for their useful lectures, comments, suggestions and encouragements.
A deep and special gratitude is expressed to my beloved husband Dr. He1mi Suyuthie
M.Ed., and my beloved sons Tomi, Nanda and Jaka for their endless supports,
encouragement, patience, understanding, and faith in me, which made all my efforts
possible. I would like to express my appreciation to my parents A. Khairani and
Nurhuda Masik, and to my mother-in-law H. Afifah Suyuthie, who passed away few
weeks before I finished my study, for their continuous support and encouragement.
iv
Special thanks to all my country friends, especially Desmawati Radjab. Vera.
Maureen, Vano, Reinhart, Arthur, Marlon, Max, Reiny, Raymond and his wife Jo, for
their valuable helps and cheerful companion in my difficult time.
Special thanks are also due to the respondents who participated in this study. I
appreciate the time they give and I realise that without their cooperation the study
would have been impossible.
Last but not least, my great appreciation and thanks are expressed to Carol Shams
Abadi, Senior International Student Adviser, University of Tasmania, for her valuable
help in arranging my extention study and visa; to Dr. Mark Western, lecturer of the
Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, University of Tasmania, for his valuable help
in analyzing my data; and to Ginny Woof for her valuable assistance in editing this
study project. To all of these individuals and to others who participated in this study. I
wish to express my sincere thanks for their assistance in carrying out this study.
Launceston, Tasmania, August 1999
ABSTRACT
The study reported in this thesis is an investigation of the strength of
Minangkabau identity among first-year senior high school girls of
Minangkabau ethnicity in West Sumatra. The purpose of this study is to
determine the level of commitment among the sample to an ethnic heritage;
to identify areas of strength and weakness in self-identification as
Minangkabau; and to explore some background reasons for variance in
commitment to Minangkabau identity in different school communities. The
school communities include one (Darek) located in Minangkabau heartland
and two (Rantau land Rantau 2) in rantau areas of West Sumatra. Rantau
names areas where Minangkabau people live that are outside the core clan
territories of the Minangkabau, which are darek. The two rantau schools
were selected to represent two different socio-economic communities so that
socio-economic factors could be examined in relation to variance.
The study is a quantatitive one using survey research. The questionnaire
instrument was substantially developed for the project and extensively
reviewed and pre-tested. Data were ended into SPSS Version 9 and
analyzed by parametric and non-parametric procedures. The questionnaire
draws on Minangkabau adat (custom and customary law) aesthetic tradition
and gendered ideals for its construct of Minangkabau identity. It also
includes alternative identities to form a basis of comparison, namely identity
as Indonesian and global, youth identity.
The study found that some aspects of Minangkabau identity are weaker than
others among all respondents, while some are relatively weaker only among
the Rantau 1 respondents. Overall, the Rantau 1 girls showed less
vi
attachment to Minangkabau identity than the Rantau 2 and Darek girls; and
stronger orientation to a globalized youth identity. This study also found that
socio-economic background — parental education and occupation — has a
significant effect on attachment to Minangkabau identity.
The study concluded with recommendations for the future development of
curriculum policy in West Sumatra in the area of Budaya Alain
Minangkabau, the "local content" of the national curriculum for the
preservation of indigenous cultures in Indonesia.
vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
TITLE i
DECLARATION ii
PERMISSION TO COPY iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv
ABSTRACT vi
TABLE OF CONTENT viii
LIST OF TABLES xiii
LIST OF FIGURES xix
LIST OF APPENDICES xxi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Aims and Significance of the study 1
1.2 Research problems 3
1.3 Research questions .. 5
1.4 Outline of the thesis 7
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 8
2 1 Concept of identity 8
2.2 Concept of ethnic identity 15
2.2.1 Culture and ethnic identity .. 21
2.2.2 Language and ethnic identity 23
2.2.3 Religion and ethnic identity 24
2.2.4 Aesthetic cultural patterns and ethnic identity 24
Conclusion 24
2.3 Minangkabau identity 26
viii
2.3.1 Matriarchy 26
2.3.2 Minangkabau Adat 30
2.3.3 Language 33
2.3.4 Religion: Islam 34
2.3.5 Merantau 36
2.4 Minangkabau Womanhood 37
Conclusion 41
2.5 National identity as Indonesian ... 42
2.5.1 Civic ideal for Indonesian women 46
Conclusion 49
2.6 Globalized identity 49
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY AND DATA GATHERING 52
3.1 The choice of a survey approach 52
3.2 Development of the research instrument 53
3.3 Selection of the research sites . 59
3.4 Population and sample . 60
3.5 Permission to conduct research 62
3.6 Data analysis 62
CHAPTER FOUR: BACKGROUND OF THE RESPONDENTS .64
4.1 Age 65
4.2 Family background 65
4.2.1 Parental education 66
4.2.1.1 Fathers' education 66
4.2.1.2 Mothers' education 69
4.2.2 Parental occupation 73
4.2.2.1 Fathers' occupation 74
4.2.2.2 Mothers' occupation 80
ix
4.3 Type of the house 85
CHAPTER FIVE: MINANG IDENTITY: THE FINDINGS 87
5.1 Findings related to Research Question 1 90
5.1.1 Minangkabau adat 90
5.1.1.1 The important of adat and knowing of adat 91
5.1.1.2 Specific aspects of adat 93
5.1.1.3 Support for the practices of the matrilineal 97
system
5.1.1.4 Kinship relationship 101
5.1.1.4.1 Feeling of closeness to the first 102
and second kinship levels
5.1.1.4.2 The Important of suku or clan 104
5.1.1.5 Attitudes towards the importance of 106
conforming behaving to adat
5.1.2 Traditional Minangkabau Aesthetic Culture 108
5.1.2.1 The importance of being attached to and .... 109
preserving Minangkabau traditional culture
5.1.2.2 Identity Practice on the Minangkabau 111
traditional culture
5.1.2.2.1 Practices that indicate 111
respondents' support for
traditional Minangkabau culture
5.1.2.2.2 Language used at home and in ... 114
the Future
5.1.2.2.3 Involvement in traditional 115
cultural Groups
5.1.2.2.4 Listening to the traditional 115
music
5.1.3 Attachment to Minangkabau Community 117
5.2 Findings related to Research Question 2 120
5.2.1 Attitudes towards the role and responsibility of 120