A BLATER AND POLYGAMY IN MADURA SOCIETY

Case Study of Factors Causing Blater to be Polygamous and Its Influence on the Social Status of Wives in Tanjungbumi District, Bangkalan Regency

Abstract

This research is entitled “BLATER AND POLYGAMY IN MADURA SOCIETY” (Case Study of Factors Causing Blater to be Polygamous and Its Influence on the Social Status of Wives in Tanjungbumi District, Bangkalan Regency). The articulation of the issue is: (1) What are the factors causing harmonious polygamous family relationship in the blater group in Tanjungbumi District, Bangkalan Regency, and; (2) How does being blater wife affect the social status of wives in Tanjungbumi District, Bangkalan Regency. This study seeks to: examine and elucidate the elements the factors that cause harmonious polygamous family relationships in the blater group in Tanjungbumi District, Bangkalan Regency and analyze and describe the influence of being a blater wife on the social status of wives in Tanjungbumi District, Bangkalan Regency. This research employed on-site research utilizing a qualitative approach, specifically adopting a case study design. The informants in the research were 17 peoples consisting of 5 pairs of blater people who were polygamous, 1 pair of blater who had previously been polygamous, 1 pair of blater people who were not polygamous, 1 blater person who was not polygamous and 2 figures from the Tanjungbumi community. Data collection was carried out via: (a) participant observation; (b) in-depth interviews and; (c) documentation and literature review. The findings in the research are: first, the factors that cause blater people to become polygamous are: (1) increasing one’s blater; (2) increasing children/offspring; (3) because of hobbies and pleasure; (4) wanting to have a son; (5) the magnitude of the influence blater in society, and; (6) because it has an established (rich) economy. Second, blater polygamy has a positive effect on the wife’s social status, namely it can raise the wife’s social status from ordinary to respected person in society. This is none other than because blater is a group that is positioned as having upper social status in society, even though in terms of behavior it is closer to thugs.