Exploring Intersectionality in Induk Gajah Season 2: A Literary Perspective on Gender, Culture, and Family Pressure

Authors

  • I Gusti Ayu Mahatma Agung Universitas Udayana
  • Tesalonika Saragih Universitas Udayana
  • Lexandra Kathlyn Batubara Universitas Udayana

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36312/jolls.v5i2.2638

Keywords:

Gender, Culture, Family pressure, Intersectionality, Patriarchy

Abstract

This study explores the role of intersectionality, as theorized by Crenshaw, in shaping gendered experiences within patriarchal cultures as represented in Induk Gajah Season 2. It focuses on how cultural norms, family expectations, and societal pressures intersect to impact women’s autonomy and well-being. The research drew on dialogues from selected scripted scenes in the series and employed qualitative, thematic analysis to examine how reproductive and familial expectations create specific pressures on women. The findings reveal that within the depicted patriarchal system, women’s choices are often marginalized in favor of family honor and cultural conformity, leading to the normalization of gender-based inequality. This pattern reflects a broader cultural issue where reproductive roles define women’s worth, limiting their freedom in decision-making and reinforcing systemic discrimination. The study concludes that intersectionality provides a crucial lens for understanding how overlapping social identities and cultural expectations create unique challenges for women. By applying an intersectional lens to a media text, the study contributes to gender and media studies by illustrating how traditional values are represented, negotiated, and potentially challenged in popular cultural narratives. It also highlights the need for further research into how traditional values and family structures shape women’s experiences, particularly in contexts where cultural pride and social reputation are placed above individual rights.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

  • I Gusti Ayu Mahatma Agung, Universitas Udayana

    English Department, Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University,  Jl. Pulau Nias No. 13,

    Bali-Denpasar, Indonesia

  • Tesalonika Saragih, Universitas Udayana

    English Department, Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University,  Jl. Pulau Nias No. 13,

    Bali-Denpasar, Indonesia

  • Lexandra Kathlyn Batubara, Universitas Udayana

    English Department, Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University,  Jl. Pulau Nias No. 13,

    Bali-Denpasar, Indonesia

References

Acho, M. (Director). (2024). Induk Gajah Season 2 [Streaming Series]. MD Entertainment.

Baiduri, R., & Wuriyani, E. P. (2023). Women’s Resistance to Toba Batak Umpasa from a Feminist Perspective. Journal of International Women’s Studies, 25(4), 1–13. https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol25/iss4/16

Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory, and Antiracist Politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), 139–167. https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclf/vol1989/iss1/8

Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241–1299. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039

Harahap, N. (2022). Communication Interaction of Double Burden Batak Women in Patriarchy Family in Gender Analysis in North Sumatra. International Journal of Humanities Education and Social Sciences (IJHESS), 2(2), 549–557. https://doi.org/10.55227/ijhess.v2i2.266

Hutabarat, N. M. P., Sitanggang, A., Perangin-Angin, A. B., & Hutabarat, S. D. N. (2024). Integration’s Impact on Mixed-Gendered Batak-American Students’ Perceptions of Batak Toba Gender Norms. Journal of Education Research, 5(1), 740–745. https://doi.org/10.37985/jer.v5i1.837

Jannah, S. S., Istiadah, I., & Jaafar, N. (2024). Intersectionality and Oppression in R. F. Kuang’s The Poppy War Novel. Paradigm: Journal of Language and Literary Studies, 7(2), 128–144. https://doi.org/10.18860/prdg.v7i2.29330

Kamyeb, F., & Hoseinzadeh, A. (2023). The Psychological Impact of Social Expectations on Women’s Personal Choices. Psychology of Woman Journal, 4(2), 169–176. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.pwj.4.2.20

Karota, E., & Afiyanti, Y. (2022). Preconception Care for Having a Male Descendant: An Ethnographic Study of Indonesian Batak Women. Pacific Rim International Journal of Nursing Research, 26(2), 269–281. https://he02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/PRIJNR/article/view/256514

Labibah, M., & Wajiran, W. (2024). Inequality Experienced by Black Women Characters in Bernardine Evaristo’s Girl , Woman, Other: A Black Feminism Study. Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 4(3), 671–679. https://doi.org/10.36312/jolls.v4i3.2061

Megbowon, F. K. (2024). African Folklore in Women’s Narratives: An Exploration of Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions. Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 4(4), 702–715. https://doi.org/10.36312/jolls.v4i4.2180

Moulton, J. E., Corona, M. I. V., Vaughan, C., & Bohren, M. A. (2021). Women’s Perceptions and Experiences of Reproductive Coercion and Abuse: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis. PLoS ONE, 16(12), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0261551

Naibaho, M. N. (2023). The Investigating the Oppression of Toba Batak Women: Call for Empowerment and Woman Leadership. Studia Philosophica et Theologica, 23(1), 156–174. https://doi.org/10.35312/spet.v23i1.518

Nasution, U. R. (2024). Patriarchy Negotiation: Batak Women and the Domination of the Role of Cultural Space. Al-Ahwal, 17(1), 71–92. https://doi.org/10.14421/ahwal.2024.17105

Pohan, M. (2022). Double-burdened and Marginalized Women: Patriarchal Dominance in the Development in Padang Lawas, North Sumatera. Al-Ahwal, 15(2), 241–256. https://doi.org/10.14421/ahwal.2022.15205

Prasetyaningrum, D. A., & Ahdiani, U. (2024). The Intersectionality of Gender Discrimination Impact on Beth Harmon’s Identity Development in The Queen’s Gambit. Notion: Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Culture, 6(2), 171–189. https://doi.org/10.12928/notion.v6i2.10522

Rapi, M., Ridwan, R., & Junaedi, I. M. (2024). Voicing The Reality of Colonialized Women in The Novel ‘Belenggu’ By Armijn Pane. Tamaddun: Journal of Language, Literature, and Culture, 23(1), 43–50. https://doi.org/10.33096/tamaddun.v23i1.714

Rigitta, P. (2021). Gender Analysis in the Dalihan Na Tolu System in Batak Toba Culture in Samosir. International Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences Studies, 6(1), 14–20. https://www.ijahss.com/Paper/06012021/1179451341.pdf

Sianturi, T. D. Y., & Hidir, A. (2023). Modalities of Daughters in Patriarchal Traditions in the Batak Tribe Society. JETISH: Journal of Education Technology Information Social Sciences and Health, 2(2), 1613–1616. https://doi.org/10.57235/jetish.v2i2.974

Simangunsong, A. (2022). Dalihan Natolu: Towards Gender Equity in the Batak Society. Mission Sparks: Academic Journal of Asia Region, 12(1), 14–28. https://www.vemission.org/fileadmin/redakteure/Dokumente/Publikationen/Mission_Sparks/Mission_Sparks_12th_Final.pdf

Sinurat, R. E., Gautama, M. P., Kelen, A. A., & Prakosa, Y. H. (2024). Gender Equality in Batak Toba Society in the Lights of the Theological Thoughts of Ivone Gebara. Proceedings of The International Conference on Theology, Religion, Culture, and Humanities, 1(1), 59–72. https://doi.org/10.24071/tic.v1i1.8468

Sitanggang, R., Harahap, R. H., Siahaan, A. Y. S., & Daulay, H. (2024). Older Single Women in Toba Batak Culture: Fighting Stigma and Seeking Identity. Proceeding 2nd Medan International Economics and Business, 2(1), 2207–2211. https://doi.org/10.30596/miceb.v2i0.941

Sitinjak, V. N., Ginting, W. E. br, Tumanggor, T. F. br, & Hasibuan, N. (2023). Gender Equality in Batak Toba Wedding Ceremony. Civic-Culture, 7(2), 710–717. https://doi.org/10.31597/ccj.v7i2.1053

Tantri, A. L., & Asmarani, R. (2021). The Shackle of Patriarchal Culture Toward the Position of Batak Toba Women as Reflected in “Nyawa Sisa” by Sebastian Partogi. Seloka, 10(3), 210–218. https://doi.org/10.15294/seloka.v10i3.45369

Wei, Y., Chen, Q., Wu, D., Fu, X., & Song, H. (2024). Exploring the Role of Psychological Assistance Hotlines in Improving Mental Health Problems among Chinese Adult Women: A Perspective Based on Social Expectations and Gender Roles. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 96(1), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104026

Widihastuti, S., Nurhayati, I., Kuncorowati, P. W., & Puspitasari, C. D. (2024). A shift of inheritance tradition in Batak migrant communities in Yogyakarta. Jurnal Civics: Media Kajian Kewarganegaraan, 21(1), 41–53. https://doi.org/10.21831/jc.v21i1.71621

Downloads

Published

2025-06-16

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Agung, I. G. A. M., Saragih, T., & Batubara, L. K. (2025). Exploring Intersectionality in Induk Gajah Season 2: A Literary Perspective on Gender, Culture, and Family Pressure. Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 5(2), 290-304. https://doi.org/10.36312/jolls.v5i2.2638