Fish and Female Agency in a Madurese Fishing Village in Indonesia
In 1978 two remarkable features of the economic and social organization of the fishing village of Patondu on the island of Madura were women’s key role in the local fishing economy and their large measure of social autonomy. Fieldwork carried out in 2004 showed that, during the 26 years in-between,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Université de Provence
2007-12-01
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| Series: | Moussons |
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| Online Access: | http://journals.openedition.org/moussons/1817 |
| _version_ | 1811340133221269504 |
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| author | Anke Niehof |
| author_facet | Anke Niehof |
| author_sort | Anke Niehof |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In 1978 two remarkable features of the economic and social organization of the fishing village of Patondu on the island of Madura were women’s key role in the local fishing economy and their large measure of social autonomy. Fieldwork carried out in 2004 showed that, during the 26 years in-between, far-reaching technological and economic changes in fishery had taken place. Public facilities had become available to Patondu, which was now better connected to the outside world. Yet in 2004, the position of its women was still strong, if not stronger than before. To find an explanation, six cases of women active in fish trading and processing and in fishery finance were documented, survey findings checked for trends, and key informants interviewed. The pangambă’ warrants special attention: A trader, entrepreneur, and banker, all in one, she plays a pivotal role in the fishing economy. Referred to in the literature as a “phenomenal group of women,” the pangambă’ are the matrons in the matronage relationships structuring the local socio-economic networks. The analysis shows that the explanation for the strong position of women lies in the ecologically and culturally underpinned, gendered division of labor in Patondu society that provides women with ample space and opportunities to exercise agency in the economic and social spheres. Since daily life in Patondu is taken at “fish value” and it is the women who manipulate and determine this value, they control the local fishing economy to a large extent. Furthermore, the boundaries between the domestic and economic spheres are fluid, preventing women from being domestically confined and enabling them to play their role as matrons in the economic sphere. Research on women traders in the Javanese market system has yielded similar findings. Patondu society is not egalitarian and, although gender as a stratifying variable intersects with other variables and the gap between well-to-do and poor women has widened, the gender difference has remained all-pervasive and encompassing. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:36:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f48114c8e2344ed5aacd104d8d1106b5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1620-3224 2262-8363 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:36:39Z |
| publishDate | 2007-12-01 |
| publisher | Université de Provence |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Moussons |
| spelling | doaj.art-f48114c8e2344ed5aacd104d8d1106b52022-12-22T02:34:52ZengUniversité de ProvenceMoussons1620-32242262-83632007-12-011118520910.4000/moussons.1817Fish and Female Agency in a Madurese Fishing Village in IndonesiaAnke NiehofIn 1978 two remarkable features of the economic and social organization of the fishing village of Patondu on the island of Madura were women’s key role in the local fishing economy and their large measure of social autonomy. Fieldwork carried out in 2004 showed that, during the 26 years in-between, far-reaching technological and economic changes in fishery had taken place. Public facilities had become available to Patondu, which was now better connected to the outside world. Yet in 2004, the position of its women was still strong, if not stronger than before. To find an explanation, six cases of women active in fish trading and processing and in fishery finance were documented, survey findings checked for trends, and key informants interviewed. The pangambă’ warrants special attention: A trader, entrepreneur, and banker, all in one, she plays a pivotal role in the fishing economy. Referred to in the literature as a “phenomenal group of women,” the pangambă’ are the matrons in the matronage relationships structuring the local socio-economic networks. The analysis shows that the explanation for the strong position of women lies in the ecologically and culturally underpinned, gendered division of labor in Patondu society that provides women with ample space and opportunities to exercise agency in the economic and social spheres. Since daily life in Patondu is taken at “fish value” and it is the women who manipulate and determine this value, they control the local fishing economy to a large extent. Furthermore, the boundaries between the domestic and economic spheres are fluid, preventing women from being domestically confined and enabling them to play their role as matrons in the economic sphere. Research on women traders in the Javanese market system has yielded similar findings. Patondu society is not egalitarian and, although gender as a stratifying variable intersects with other variables and the gap between well-to-do and poor women has widened, the gender difference has remained all-pervasive and encompassing.http://journals.openedition.org/moussons/1817female agencyfishing economygenderMaduraIndonesia |
| spellingShingle | Anke Niehof Fish and Female Agency in a Madurese Fishing Village in Indonesia Moussons female agency fishing economy gender Madura Indonesia |
| title | Fish and Female Agency in a Madurese Fishing Village in Indonesia |
| title_full | Fish and Female Agency in a Madurese Fishing Village in Indonesia |
| title_fullStr | Fish and Female Agency in a Madurese Fishing Village in Indonesia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fish and Female Agency in a Madurese Fishing Village in Indonesia |
| title_short | Fish and Female Agency in a Madurese Fishing Village in Indonesia |
| title_sort | fish and female agency in a madurese fishing village in indonesia |
| topic | female agency fishing economy gender Madura Indonesia |
| url | http://journals.openedition.org/moussons/1817 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ankeniehof fishandfemaleagencyinamaduresefishingvillageinindonesia |