DINAMISME BUDAYA DAN KELESTARIAN AMALAN SEMENDA-MENYEMENDA DALAM ADAT PERPATIH: SUATU ANALISIS KULTURALISME

Abstract

Adat Perpatih in Negeri Sembilan is often perceived as a rigid and obsolete traditional system within the context of urbanization and modern civil legalities; thus, this conceptual study aims to examine the sustainability of semenda-menyemenda (intermarriage) practices as a dynamic cultural mechanism contributing to social cohesion and community identity. Grounded in Raymond Williams’ Theory of Culturalism, customary practices are analyzed through the lens of lived culture that is perpetually renegotiated rather than merely a static collection of traditions, employing a theoretical synthesis design that evaluates academic discourse, traditional oral texts (teromba), and customary legal documents. The findings identify three critical factors ensuring the sustainability of these practices: the strategic role of cultural socialization agents such as Ibu Soko and Orang Semenda in internalizing values through daily social experiences; the clarity of customary economic structures via the inheritance system (harta dapatan, carian, and pembawa) which serves as a mechanism for social justice and economic protection for women amidst the dualism of custom and Faraid laws; and the dynamism of customary adaptation through dikodinkan practices, the integration of Syura and Ijmak principles, and the use of popular culture mediums like contemporary music. This proves that the resilience of Adat Perpatih lies in the flexibility of cultural negotiation and the internalization of the structure of feeling, allowing traditional practices to remain relevant while facing modernization and shifting social structures. Consequently, this study offers significant implications for shifting heritage preservation from descriptive documentation towards strengthening social functions and re-signification that is responsive to contemporary realities.