Cultural narratives of love and power: Marriage and gender in Javanese Folklore, Indonesia

The purpose of this study is to explore Javanese folklore based on the perspectives of marriage and gender, related to love and power in traditional society. This study employs a qualitative descriptive research method to produce written descriptive data. The data analysis approach is conducted interactively alongside data collection and classification, data simplification concerning love and power, condensed data synthesis, and drawing conclusions. The data used are nine Javanese folklores depicting marriage and emotional interactions. The research findings on traditional marriage are categorized into three types: marriages conducted for financial gain, marriages aimed at maintaining regional harmony, and marriages based on mutual affection. In conclusion, the main themes in the narratives include non-compliance with community standards, rejection of gender and social hegemony, and efforts to maintain stability within the kingdom. These folklores are valuable in the secondary school curriculum to foster critical thinking skills and increase awareness of social values. Analyzing power dynamics and gender roles in traditional stories offers insights into the structure of historical civilizations and their relevance to contemporary issues of gender and personal equality.