Social Capital in Social Construction: In-Depth Investigation of Early Marriages in Bawean Island, Indonesia

Early marriage in Bawean Island involved long-term experiences and understanding of actors’ sociocultural. The phenomenon of early marriage has never been studied using social construction. This research aims to reveal the social construction of early marriage through the dialectical situation of externalization, objectivation, and internalization in early marriage. This research uses a qualitative case study approach by collecting data through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. This research was conducted on Bawean Island with 31 participants throughout 2023. The results of this study were as follows: first, actors perceived and interpreted early marriage as avoiding social sanctions (out-of-wedlock pregnancy) to avoid social embarrassment; economic solutions; religion does not prohibit early marriage; avoiding religious sanctions; and early marriage is not considered to violate state law and can be legalized. Second, early marriage continued because parents and other social organizations, such as religious leaders and hamlet heads, acquired social capital. The role of hamlet heads in supporting the administration and testifying in the marriage dispensation trial is regarded as objective, allowing the state to legalize early marriages. In addition to continuing practical programs aimed at female actors, outreach to the entire family about the dangers of early marriage, and adding psychological and health expert witnesses to trials, special consideration must be given to social capital, which needs to be taken into account in future research.