EKSISTENSI MAFEFA DALAM TRADISI PERKAWINAN ADAT DI ERA MODERNISASI

Abstrak

Penelitian ini dilatarbelakangi oleh perkembangan modernisasi yang memengaruhi keberlangsungan berbagai tradisi budaya lokal, termasuk peran mafefa dalam tradisi perkawinan adat masyarakat Desa Kuanfatu, Kecamatan Kuanfatu, Kabupaten Timor Tengah Selatan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui dan mendeskripsikan eksistensi mafefa dalam tradisi perkawinan adat di era modernisasi. Metode yang digunakan adalah penelitian deskriptif kualitatif dengan teknik pengumpulan data melalui observasi, wawancara, dan dokumentasi. Informan penelitian terdiri atas mafefa yang pernah aktif terlibat dalam upacara perkawinan adat, tokoh adat atau pemuka masyarakat yang memahami struktur dan makna prosesi adat, serta generasi muda sebagai pembanding pandangan terhadap adat. Analisis data dilakukan melalui tahapan reduksi data, penyajian data, dan penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa mafefa masih tetap eksis dan dipertahankan dalam pelaksanaan perkawinan adat karena keberadaannya diakui sebagai bagian penting dari sistem adat dan identitas budaya masyarakat Desa Kuanfatu. Namun, eksistensi tersebut menghadapi tantangan berupa menurunnya minat generasi muda untuk mempelajari dan mewarisi pengetahuan adat, terutama kemampuan berbahasa adat dan praktik sebagai mafefa. Penelitian ini berkontribusi pada pengembangan kajian budaya lokal serta menjadi referensi dalam upaya pelestarian tradisi dan pewarisan nilai-nilai adat di tengah arus modernisasi.

This research is motivated by the development of modernization, which has influenced the sustainability of various local cultural traditions, including the role of mafefa in the traditional marriage customs of the people of Kuanfatu Village, Kuanfatu District, South Central Timor Regency. The purpose of this study is to identify and describe the existence of mafefa in traditional marriage ceremonies in the era of modernization. This study employed a descriptive qualitative method, with data collected through observation, interviews, and documentation. The research informants consisted of mafefa who had actively participated in traditional marriage ceremonies, traditional leaders or community elders who understood the structure and meaning of customary rituals, and young people whose perspectives served as a comparison regarding traditional customs. Data were analyzed through the stages of data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal that mafefa continues to exist and is maintained in the implementation of traditional marriage ceremonies because its role is recognized as an important part of the customary system and cultural identity of the Kuanfatu community. However, its existence faces challenges due to the declining interest of the younger generation in learning and inheriting traditional knowledge, particularly traditional language skills and the practices associated with becoming a mafefa. This study contributes to the development of local cultural studies and serves as a reference for efforts to preserve traditions and transmit customary values amid the challenges of modernization.