Negotiating Liminal Identity and Women’s Empowerment in Pesantren Salaf
https://doi.org/10.14421/h6f33e86
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Abstract
The modernization of pesantren in Indonesia has brought significant sociological impacts, particularly in reshaping female identity amid tensions between traditional norms and modern expectations. This transformation has created a liminal space for female students (santriwati), fostering identity negotiations between adherence to traditional pesantren values and emerging aspirations as educated Muslim women. This study aims to examine how modernization processes within pesantren salaf, particularly at Pondok Pesantren Tahfidzul Qur’an (PPTQ) Nurul Falah Magetan, shape santriwati identity and facilitate women's empowerment. Employing a qualitative method with an ethnographic approach, data were collected through participant observation, in-depth and structured interviews with 15 informants, and reflective fieldnotes over more than two years. Data analysis was conducted using a thematic and interpretive approach based on case study methodology, supplemented by Spradley’s domain analysis to capture cultural meanings embedded in everyday practices within the pesantren. The findings reveal that santriwati identities develop within a complex liminal space, enabling negotiations between traditional structures and modern aspirations, and fostering empowerment through negotiated agency rather than overt resistance. The study implies that social change within pesantren salaf should be understood through the dialectics of tradition and modernity as experienced in women's daily lives, and highlights the importance of developing Islamic education and gender transformation models grounded in local epistemologies.
Modernisasi pesantren di Indonesia telah membawa dampak sosiologis yang signifikan, khususnya dalam membentuk kembali identitas perempuan di tengah ketegangan antara norma tradisional dan tuntutan modernitas. Perubahan ini menciptakan ruang liminal bagi santriwati, yang mendorong negosiasi identitas antara kepatuhan terhadap nilai-nilai pesantren tradisional dan aspirasi baru sebagai perempuan Muslim terdidik. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji bagaimana proses modernisasi di pesantren salaf, khususnya di Pondok Pesantren Tahfidzul Qur’an (PPTQ) Nurul Falah Magetan, membentuk identitas santriwati dan memfasilitasi pemberdayaan perempuan. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan pendekatan etnografi, mengumpulkan data melalui observasi partisipatif, wawancara mendalam dan terstruktur terhadap 15 informan, serta pencatatan lapangan reflektif selama lebih dari dua tahun. Analisis data dilakukan melalui pendekatan tematik dan interpretatif berbasis studi kasus, dengan menggunakan analisis domain Spradley untuk menangkap makna budaya yang melekat dalam praktik sehari-hari di pesantren. Temuan penelitian menunjukkan bahwa identitas santriwati berkembang dalam ruang liminal yang kompleks, memungkinkan negosiasi antara struktur tradisional dan aspirasi modern, serta membuka peluang pemberdayaan yang bertumpu pada agen negosiasi daripada resistensi terbuka. Implikasi penelitian ini menegaskan bahwa perubahan sosial dalam pesantren salaf harus dipahami melalui dialektika tradisi dan modernitas dalam pengalaman keseharian perempuan, serta pentingnya mengembangkan model pendidikan Islam dan transformasi gender yang berbasis pada epistemologi lokal.
Keywords:
Liminal Identity , Pesantren Salaf , Women Empowerment , Educational TransformationReferences:
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