Embroidering Identity: Women and Bugis Silk Weaving from an Ethnographic Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65943/cgqpm587Keywords:
cultural identity, ethnography, traditional motifs, women craftsmenAbstract
Bugis silk weaving is a rich cultural heritage, where women play a key role in the production process. This research uses a qualitative ethnographic approach to explore how women craftsmen embroider cultural identity through weaving practices, traditional motifs, and technical innovation. Data was collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and visual documentation, then analyzed thematically to reveal the relationship between technical skills, motif creativity, and the symbolic value attached to silk fabric. The research results show that women craftsmen not only maintain traditional techniques, but also adapt motifs and production processes to modern market demands, so that silk weaving functions as a medium for cultural expression, women's empowerment, and community identity. This study confirms the importance of preserving traditional practices through sustainable approaches, as well as providing an empirical contribution to the understanding of the role of women in the preservation of textile heritage and innovation in material culture.
References
Azizah, N. (2021). Women and traditional weaving practices in South Sulawesi. Journal of Indonesian Cultural Studies, 15(2), 55–71.
Chen, Y., & Wu, X. (2020). Sustainability and innovation in traditional textile industries. Textile Research Journal, 90(11–12), 1345–1361.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). Sage.
Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2018). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research (5th ed.). Sage.
DeWalt, K. M., & DeWalt, B. R. (2011). Participant observation: A guide for fieldworkers (2nd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield.
Emerson, R. M., Fretz, R. I., & Shaw, L. L. (2011). Writing ethnographic fieldnotes (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press.
Fletcher, K., & Grose, L. (2019). Fashion and sustainability: Design for change. Laurence King Publishing.
Fujimoto, A. (2016). Traditional knowledge and adaptation strategies in rural textile communities. Asian Anthropology, 15(3), 201–217.
Hammersley, M., & Atkinson, P. (2019). Ethnography: Principles in practice (4th ed.). Routledge.
Hanafiah, R. (2022). Symbolism and cosmology in Bugis silk motifs. Indonesian Journal of Anthropology, 8(1), 23–39.
Hine, C. (2020). Ethnography for the internet: Embedded, embodied and everyday. Bloomsbury Academic.
Ingold, T. (2018). Anthropology and/as education. Routledge.
Kawamura, Y. (2018). Fashion-ology: An introduction to fashion studies (2nd ed.). Bloomsbury Academic.
Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2015). InterViews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing (3rd ed.). Sage.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage.
Mahmud, A., & Hasan, S. (2025). Sustainability challenges in Bugis silk industries. Journal of Textile Heritage, 6(1), 45–63.
Mattulada. (1985). Latoa: Satu lukisan analitis terhadap antropologi politik orang Bugis. Gadjah Mada University Press.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2019). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (4th ed.). Sage.
Parker, L. (2016). Gender and cultural transformation in contemporary Indonesia. Routledge.
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (4th ed.). Sage.
Pelras, C. (1996). The Bugis. Blackwell Publishers.
Pink, S. (2013). Doing visual ethnography (3rd ed.). Sage.
Pink, S., Horst, H., Postill, J., Hjorth, L., Lewis, T., & Tacchi, J. (2016). Digital ethnography: Principles and practice. Sage.
Rahmat, A., & Sari, N. (2024). Women's economic resilience and traditional weaving communities in South Sulawesi. Asian Journal of Rural Studies, 12(1), 88–104.
Ridwan, H. (2022). Ethnographic perspectives on traditional weaving in Indonesia. Humaniora, 34(3), 221–234.
Rinaudo, M. (2021). Silk fiber properties and applications in traditional textiles. Journal of Natural Fibers, 18(9), 1234–1248.
Saldaña, J. (2021). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (4th ed.). Sage.
Sulistyowati, D., & Putri, M. (2023). Indigenous knowledge and ecological symbolism in Indonesian textile traditions. Journal of Material Culture Studies, 10(2), 91–108.
Tracy, S. J. (2020). Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
Triadi, F. (2019a). Bissu and toboto domain: Lanskap, Islam dan negosiasi. ETNOSIA: Jurnal Etnografi Indonesia, 4(1), 73–90.
Triadi, F., & Ismoyo, P. J. (2022). Sulapa Eppa: Bissu, Bugis cosmology and queer ecological politics. Jurnal Perempuan, 27(3), 215–225.
UN Women. (2021). Women's economic empowerment and sustainable livelihoods. United Nations.
UNESCO. (2022). Living heritage and safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. UNESCO Publishing.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Jurnal Administrasi Publik
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
