The Minangkabau of West Sumatra have been much written about. Yet there
is little in the literature about the Minangkabau women. This thesis explores the
position and concerns of the Minangkabau women.
A central argument in this thesis is that the Minangkabau village society is
matrifocal. To achieve coherence in our understanding, Minangkabau social
organisation has to be conceptualised as predicated on the exchange of men among
groups of women. This perspective on Minangkabau social organisation is made
manifest on ceremonial occasions. As such, this thesis focuses on women’s exchanges
and their use of a complex costume system in ceremonial context to express the
values of an enduring matrilineal society.
Social change is a major issue in Minangkabau studies and this is linked to
the anthropological models of matriliny where matrilineal organisation is regarded as
inherently fragile and doomed to disintegration in the face of economic expansion.
This thesis gives insight into the present state of play in Minangkabau matriliny
and shows that changes in property relationships (particularly inheritance) and
economy affect men and women differently. Through men’s and women’s ceremonial
activities, matrilineal organisation is reinforced
