Negotiating Patriarchal Authority in Islamic Marriage: Evidence from Pesantren Communities in Madura
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52496/mjhki.v4i2.151Keywords:
Negotiated Patriarchy, Islamic Family Law, Qiwāmah, PesantrenAbstract
Patriarchal authority in Muslim marriage has often been examined as a structure that reproduces gender inequality, while less attention has been paid to how such authority is negotiated within religiously grounded communities. This study intervenes in this debate by examining how patriarchal authority is maintained, negotiated, and reinterpreted in marriage practices among pesantren communities in Bangkalan, Madura. Drawing on qualitative data from in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document analysis involving kyai, nyai, female santri, and married pesantren alumni, the study conceptualizes negotiation as the everyday process through which women navigate, accommodate, and reshape marital authority within existing religious and cultural frameworks. The findings show that patriarchal authority remains evident in male leadership and gendered divisions of marital responsibilities, but it is not exercised as an uncontested or fixed structure. Women negotiate this authority through educational participation, involvement in family decision-making, and reinterpretation of marital expectations within Islamic normative frameworks. The study contributes to scholarship on gender and Islamic family law by demonstrating that women’s agency does not necessarily operate through rejection of patriarchal norms, but can emerge through their reinterpretation and renegotiation within religious frameworks. This perspective distinguishes the study from approaches that treat patriarchy primarily as either reproduced or resisted, highlighting instead the dynamic and context-dependent negotiation of marital authority in pesantren communities.
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