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‘It's Already Gone Too Far’: Women and the Transition into Marriage in Lombok, Indonesia

‘It's Already Gone Too Far’: Women and the Transition into Marriage in Lombok, Indonesia Kawin lari is a form of socially sanctioned elopement whereby a young woman is ostensibly ‘stolen’ from her natal home by a man who wishes to become her husband. It remains a popular method for entering marriage in Lombok. Typically, the marriage is later formalised under Islam. This paper focuses on marital choice and how women in the village of Teduk who kawin lari, may acquiesce to marriage, rather than assert an active choice over who and when to marry. I argue that kawin lari propels many women into an ambivalent zone which causes a rupture in their social identity as gadis (virgin), although their physical virginity may still be intact. Therefore, kawin lari creates a phase of heightened ambiguity and ambivalence regarding women's status. Many women describe kawin lari as an act that places them in a situation which has sudah terlanjur (already gone too far), although the practice can also facilitate women's agency in marital choice. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology Taylor & Francis

‘It's Already Gone Too Far’: Women and the Transition into Marriage in Lombok, Indonesia

Platt, Maria
The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology , Volume 13 (1): 15 – Feb 1, 2012
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‘It's Already Gone Too Far’: Women and the Transition into Marriage in Lombok, Indonesia

Abstract

Kawin lari is a form of socially sanctioned elopement whereby a young woman is ostensibly ‘stolen’ from her natal home by a man who wishes to become her husband. It remains a popular method for entering marriage in Lombok. Typically, the marriage is later formalised under Islam. This paper focuses on marital choice and how women in the village of Teduk who kawin lari, may acquiesce to marriage, rather than assert an active choice over who and when to marry. I argue that kawin...
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Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
Copyright The Australian National University
ISSN
1740-9314
eISSN
1444-2213
DOI
10.1080/14442213.2011.636063
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Kawin lari is a form of socially sanctioned elopement whereby a young woman is ostensibly ‘stolen’ from her natal home by a man who wishes to become her husband. It remains a popular method for entering marriage in Lombok. Typically, the marriage is later formalised under Islam. This paper focuses on marital choice and how women in the village of Teduk who kawin lari, may acquiesce to marriage, rather than assert an active choice over who and when to marry. I argue that kawin lari propels many women into an ambivalent zone which causes a rupture in their social identity as gadis (virgin), although their physical virginity may still be intact. Therefore, kawin lari creates a phase of heightened ambiguity and ambivalence regarding women's status. Many women describe kawin lari as an act that places them in a situation which has sudah terlanjur (already gone too far), although the practice can also facilitate women's agency in marital choice.

Journal

The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology – Taylor & Francis

Published: Feb 1, 2012

Keywords: Indonesia; Sexuality; Gender; Lombok; Marriage; Youth

References

  • Marriage by capture
  • Narrative and marriage in an Indonesian Society
  • ‘“Lacking education”: Young Sasak women and teenage marriage, divorce and polygamy in rural east Lombok’
  • ‘Trends in age at marriage in the provinces of Indonesia’
  • ‘Gender and law reform in Indonesia: Overcoming entrenched barriers’
  • ‘Relasi Suami Dan Isteri Berdasarkan Nash (Studi Kasus Masyarakat Muslim Sasak)