Local Wisdom and Gender Dynamics in the Cultural Interplay of Medan’s Ethnic Mosaic

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-448-8_23How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Local Wisdom; Transculturalism; Social Cohesion; Gender Inclusion

Abstract

This article analyzes the role of local wisdom in gender dynamics and transculturalism in Medan City, using a qualitative research method with a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach. As a multi-ethnic city with residents from various groups, such as Batak Toba, Mandailing, Karo, Malay, and others, Medan illustrates how local wisdom functions as a tool for social integration and collective identity. This study shows that transculturalism allows the exchange of values and practices between ethnicities so that local wisdom not only maintains culture but also creates harmony and collective awareness that strengthens social cohesion. Analysis from a gender anthropology perspective confirms that intercultural interaction allows women to play a more active role in public spaces, especially in the economic and social fields. This participation encourages more inclusive gender values, strengthening gender equality in public and family spaces. The research findings show that local wisdom is not only a marker of cultural identity but also a bridge that supports gender inclusion and social harmony. In addition, this study also notes challenges, such as social tensions due to economic and political competition between ethnicities, which can hinder the integration of local wisdom. In conclusion, local wisdom in Medan has great potential to be the basis for a more inclusive and harmonious society. This article offers a new perspective on the importance of local wisdom in building a just and gender-equal society in a multicultural urban environment.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Ratih Baiduri
AU  - Sulian Ekomila
AU  - Muhammad Ridha Syafii Damanik
AU  - Tappil Rambe
AU  - Arif Wahyudi
AU  - Sendi Permana
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/07/28
TI  - Local Wisdom and Gender Dynamics in the Cultural Interplay of Medan’s Ethnic Mosaic
BT  - Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary (ICSSIS 2024)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 216
EP  - 232
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-448-8_23
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-448-8_23
ID  - Baiduri2025
ER  -