Representation of Women's Roles in Toba Batak Oral Poetry in Gender Bias Relations: A Study of Oral Tradition
Abstract
This study discusses the representation of women's roles in Batak Toba oral poetry as a form of cultural expression that records social relations and gender construction in community life. Batak Toba oral poetry, such as umpasa, andung, and other forms of traditional speech, not only functions as an aesthetic medium, but also as a means of transmitting values that contain society's views on women. This study aims to describe the forms of representation of women in Batak Toba oral poetry, identify patterns of gender bias that emerge through the choice of diction, symbols, and speech structures, and explain how women's positions are formed through cultural discourses that are passed down from generation to generation. The research method used is descriptive qualitative with a literature study approach. The research data are in the form of Batak Toba oral poetry texts studied from cultural literature, folklore, and previous research. Analysis is carried out through critical reading by examining the themes, imagery, and cultural values contained in the speech, then linked to the perspective of gender studies. The results show that Batak Toba oral poetry represents women in two main tendencies, namely as a symbol of family honor and as a party placed in the domestic sphere and subordinate relations. Gender bias is evident through the reinforcement of stereotypes of women as family servants, guardians of dignity, and objects of social control within the patrilineal kinship system. However, oral poetry also demonstrates positive representations of women as sources of affection, strengtheners of solidarity, and supporters of customary continuity. This research is expected to contribute to the study of oral traditions and gender studies by positioning Toba Batak oral poetry as a cultural document that captures the dynamics of power relations within society.
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