Gender, intergenerational relations and marriage patterns in Indonesia.

Abstract

Using data from the 1979-80 Asian Marriage Survey, this dissertation examines the determinants of the timing and arrangement of marriages for both men and women in Central Java. Trends in marriage patterns and their relationship to family background, education, pre-marital work and pre-marital residence are examined with a particular focus on gender differences. It is argued that the current marriage transition in Indonesia is reflective of both gender and generational hierarchies in the Javanese family system. While family and status concerns motivate parents to control the marriage choice and timing of both sons and daughters, the extent of this control over daughters is greater due to an additional concern for their sexual purity. Moreover, even as family organization and marriage processes respond to the spread of Westernization, schooling and a wage economy with a declining control of the old over the young, this process is substantially different for men and women. The analysis of the determinants of spouse choice patterns is conducted using a multinomial logit model while an event history approach is used in the analysis of marriage timing. The major findings are that while age at marriage is rising only modestly for women, there are no clear trends for their husbands. On the other hand, there is a dramatic increase in self-choice for both men and women. Even as the younger generation is gaining substantially more independence in marriage decisions, however, parents continue to play an important role in the marriage process. Moreover, while marriages are more conjugally oriented and the couple's concerns have gained prominence, family concerns continue to be a relevant and important focus. Women marry earlier than men, with less flexibility and less decision-making input. The determinants of marriage timing and spouse selection also differ by gender. Status concerns, ideological and normative issues are especially relevant for women while physical and economic independence is more relevant for the men. This is indicated by the fact that class background and education are generally more important predictors of women's marriage patterns while pre-marital work and residence are more important for the men. These differentials are less evident in rural areas, however, particularly with regard to marriage timing. The results suggest that the conception of work as a pre-condition for men to marry may be more relevant in urban rather than rural areas where obligations to or from parents may be the more critical issue for both men and women.