Balinese Patrilineal Society: A Moderation Model of Child Gender Preference through Cultural Characteristics (Case Studies in Kukuh Village, Marga-Tabanan, and Bungaya Village, Bebandem-Karangasem)

Abstract

This study addresses the issue of child gender preference, specifically examining perceptions that tend to prioritize sons over daughters. Kinship systems, such as patrilineal, matrilineal, and bilateral, are considered to influence these preferences, which not only affect fertility patterns in a region but also implicate to gender-based discrimination. Historically, women have experienced the loss of rights and social positions over centuries. The theory of family evolution, developed by 19th-century anthropologists, describes four stages of societal development, beginning with communal living which men and women bore children without formal bonds, gradually transitioning from matriarchy and patriarchy to a parental kinship structure that representing the fourth stage of cultural evolution.

This research examines attitudes toward the preference for sons within the evolving cultural context of Bali’s patrilineal society, specifically focusing on the nyentana tradition. In Balinese customary marriage, nyentana refers to a practice in which the woman assumes the role of purusa (lineage bearer), while the man assumes the role of pradhana (the spouse who marries into the wife’s family). The study, entitled “Balinese Patrilineal Society: A Moderation Model of Child Gender Preference through Cultural Characteristics (Case Studies in Kukuh Village, Marga-Tabanan, and Bungaya Village, Bebandem-Karangasem),” formulates three main research questions: (1) Why does child gender preference occur within Balinese patrilineal communities? (2) How does child gender preference occur through Balinese patrilineal cultural characteristic factors? (3) What are the implications of gender preference for social-religious life, customary and cultural practices, and the psychosocial dynamics of Balinese patrilineal communities?. The study explores the influence of background and contextual factors on child gender preference, with parental gender roles and the value attributed to sons serving as mediating factors, conducted in Kukuh Village, Marga-Tabanan, and Bungaya Village, Bebandem-Karangasem.

Employing a sequential mixed-methods approach, the study integrates quantitative analysis of 102 respondents using a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with qualitative insights obtained from in-depth interviews. Findings indicate that the perceived value placed on sons is the major underlying factor shaping gender preference. Empirical data reveal that nearly all respondents in Kukuh Village, Marga District, expressed agreement with the nyentana practice (98.2%), with only 1.8% indicating disagreement. In contrast, respondents in Bungaya Village, Bebandem District, predominantly expressed disagreement or low approval of nyentana (78.3%, with 50% explicitly rejecting it). Only 13% agreed when the practice involved single-child families, and 8.7% agreed when practiced within Hindu families.

The study concludes that: (1) child gender preference is deeply rooted in biased interpretations of patrilineal ideology; (2) customary law and cultural practices contribute to reinforcing, though relatively, patrilineal beliefs; and (3) the persistence of patrilineal perspectives results in gender inequality and unilateral prioritization of specific interests. Based on these findings, the study recommends: (1) active engagement of all stakeholders in promoting gender equality, justice, and human rights for both men and women; (2) encouraging early adoption of gender-equitable attitudes within Bali’s patrilineal cultural framework through stakeholder engagement; and (3) utilizing marriage ceremonies as opportunities for legal and customary socialization through collaboration between governmental and traditional institutions.