Performing Selfhood: Gender and Identity in Folk Narrative and Practice

Communication is a process driven by cultural dialectics. Folk media, a complex system of oral tradition, customs, and rituals, has served as a primary vehicle for propagating messages precisely because it is rooted in the cultural framework that deciphers meaning. For tribal communities such as the Khasis of Meghalaya, folk media is more than communication; it is a repository of ethnic knowledge and a manifestation of cultural ideology. Even as modern media pervades the public sphere, indigenous media retains its significance. This study delves into Khasi folk forms to explore how they conceptualise gender and identity. The unique matrilineal structure of Khasi society makes it a critical case study. Through an analysis of narratives, rituals, and performances, this paper investigates the construction of gender roles and tribal identity, particularly as they confront forces of globalisation and new media hegemony.