Negotiating Tradition and Social Change: The Transformation of Humakema Buji Marriage Practices in Eastern Indonesia

Abstract

This study examines the transformation of Humakema Buji, a customary marriage practice in Wapsalit Village, Buru Regency, Maluku, Eastern Indonesia, focusing on how communities renegotiate customary obligations amid changing social aspirations. Rather than framing customary transformation as a linear transition from tradition to modernity, the study conceptualizes it as negotiated cultural transformation shaped by education, generational expectations, family authority, religious values, technological connectivity, and socioeconomic opportunities. Using an interpretive qualitative case study, data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentary analysis involving customary leaders, parents, youth, women, community and religious leaders, and village officials. Thematic analysis revealed that Humakema Buji historically operated as a social institution regulating marriage, kinship, collective solidarity, cultural identity, and social continuity. Its normative authority has weakened as families increasingly prioritize education, economic preparedness, individual aspirations, and future opportunities over early marriage arrangements. However, this shift does not represent cultural abandonment. Kinship solidarity, respect for elders, and cultural identity remain significant, while customary practices are selectively reinterpreted and adapted. The study advances the concept of negotiated cultural continuity, demonstrating that social change in the Global South involves adaptation and selective retention rather than a simple erosion of tradition. It contributes to a more locally grounded sociology of social change and customary institutions.