Anthropolinguistic Insights Into Gender Representation in Minahasan Folk Narrative Keke Panagian

This paper examines the Minahasan folktale Keke Panagian using an anthropolinguistic lens to explore representations of tradition, gender identity, and family conflict within a patriarchal society. It highlights the neglect of girls’ rights and needs, particularly through the dynamic between Keke Panagian and her parents. The study illustrates how family conflicts mirror broader struggles with societal norms and gender expectations, revealing how restrictive parenting practices shape identity and resistance. By analyzing narratives and dialogues in the story, the research uncovers how Keke’s defiance of tradition challenges limiting gender norms. Employing critical discourse analysis and Judith Butler’s gender performativity theory, this study presents a novel perspective by linking the oral tradition of “Keke Panagian” to Minahasan cosmology, which places women in significant roles. The findings demonstrate that the folktale reflects unequal power dynamics between parents and children and perpetuates patriarchal norms that constrain girls' autonomy and self-expression. Despite societal pressures, Minahasan young women, as depicted in the story, exhibit the courage to assert personal agency, even at the risk of familial and social rejection. Through the connecting anthropolinguistics and gender studies, this paper offers insights into the interplay between language, culture, family, and gender construction in Minahasa, advocating the protection of girls’ rights.