Pergeseran Makna Belis (Sebuah Studi Pada Masyarakat Etnis Sikka Di Kota Kupang Propinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur)

• Main Authors: , RUBENSON A BANFATIN, , Partini
• Format: Theses and Dissertations NonPeerReviewed
• Published: [Yogyakarta] : Universitas Gadjah Mada 2012
• Subjects: ETD
• Online Access: https://repository.ugm.ac.id/98616/; http://etd.ugm.ac.id/index.php?mod=penelitian_detail&sub=PenelitianDetail&act=view&typ=html&buku_id=55286
• Institution: Universitas Gadjah Mada

In marriage customs of ethnic communities in Kupang put Sikka dowry (belis) as an important thing because it has a meaning as a symbol of appreciation and recognition to the dignity and to the dignity of a woman. But in fact now the practice has not been conducted belis payments as they should be giving rise to a new understanding of the negative and the community began to blame the customs. Many practices on behalf of indigenous peoples and raise the amount of treasure belis with demands that exceed the limits the ability of a person or group is especially associated with the issue of self esteem and prestige. The kind of research that is used the kind of qualitative descriptive on the ethnic Sikka in the Kupang of East Nusa Tenggara with the informant by as much as fifteen people.  The results showed that the dowry (belis) in the tradition of community marriage at the beginning before Sikka influx of Portuguese missionaries in the Sikka only in the form of a betel nut betel in the proposition as a symbol or a sign of unity and bond of love between husband and wife as well as the bonds of brotherhood between the two families. However after the influx of Portuguese influence, originally in the form of objects belis betel nut betel replaced with ivory elephant which is the meaning of symbolic power of ancestral community Sikka. The background to the emergence of elephant ivory objects as due to many complaints belis from Sikka women are treated unfairly by the men. For men who have a lot of free treasure remarried and his wife were abandoned completely for granted and not living. So in the time of King leadership Sikka named Agnes da Silva in the 17th century set the marriage customs (belis) add tight with the aim of providing protection to women. The community define as a sign of Sikka belis respect for women and their families. Belis objects that were once contained a symbol of power and social status are now starting to be ignored by using the money as his successor. In the development of community life today, Sikka belis experienced etymology, where the community define belis as a symbol of prestige. Dominant factors affecting the etymology belis is: a symbol of prestige, economic value and objects belis.