Accepting fate and retaining status quo: Shifting masculinities among husbands of small-scale entrepreneur women in Surabaya Kampung

Abstract

This study examines the ways men negotiate their gender roles in the situations where women play bigger roles sustaining a family’s economy. The data were collected by interviewing husbands and wives residing in a suburban Surabaya neighbourhood or kampung. The kampung, Kampung Kue, is well known for its economic sustainability, generated by women who make and sell traditional snacks. The findings show that the husbands, who mostly were laid off by their former employers, were initially reluctant to help their wives making and selling the snacks as these activities were traditionally attached to women. However, as they realized that these activities have helped the families during economic difficulties, they started to help their wives run the economy. They helped their wives in matters related to the delivery of food and buying the ingredients. Despite their seemingly reluctant response to the wives’ economic activities, these husbands in general have been supportive. They did not see their wives’ increasing financial roles in the family as a threat to their masculine pride. These men considered this shifting situation as the fate given by God, a condition which has to be responded to by sabar and ikhlas. These two notions and attitudes are Islamic notions which are important markers of Indonesian masculinities. These restrained and less domineering masculine norms challenge the association of masculinities with domination and power.