Transformasi Sosial Perempuan di Ruang Publik

Abstract

This study describes women's interpretations of public space and the social transformation they experience through their involvement in the Andalan Credit Union (CU) in Singgamanik Village. This study stems from the social reality that patriarchal culture still strongly limits women's roles to the domestic sphere, so that women's participation in public spaces is often seen as unusual. Using a qualitative approach and a case study design, this study focuses on women's experiences, interpretations, and social practices in everyday life. The research findings indicate that women's transformation in Singgamanik Village occurs through the use of economic capital, social capital, cultural capital, and symbolic capital. These capitals are then processed by women into adaptive and resistive strategies in facing patriarchal culture. Adaptive strategies are evident in how women utilize CU as a safe space to learn, adapt to village social norms, and build self-confidence before engaging further in the public sphere. Resistive strategies are manifested through the courage to express opinions, accept leadership responsibilities, negotiate roles within the household, and claim symbolic space within the village's social structure. The social transformation of women in Singgamanik Village is a dynamic and non-linear process. Change occurs not only at the individual level, but also in social relations and the structure of the village's public space. Although still faced with various cultural barriers, women's involvement in CU Andalan has proven to be a strategic entry point that allows women to build capacity, expand participation space, and gradually change their position and role in village social life.