Negotiating Girls’ Higher Education In Desa Petuaran Hulu: Family Strategies and Cultural Dynamics

Abstract

This study examines the factors influencing Batak Toba girls’ participation in higher education in Desa Petuaran Hulu, focusing on the interplay between cultural values, family decision-making, and socio-economic conditions. Previous studies on patriarchal societies have largely emphasized structural barriers, such as economic limitations and restrictive cultural norms, while paying less attention to how families actively negotiate these constraints. This research employs a qualitative descriptive approach using in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation involving female students, graduates, and parents. The findings show that girls’ educational participation is shaped by a dynamic interaction of internal and external factors. Internal drivers, including aspirations, agency, and self-development, play a central role in motivating girls to pursue higher education. External factors such as family support, socio-economic adaptation, and evolving gender expectations provide enabling conditions that sustain their educational trajectories. Despite limited economic resources, families prioritize daughters’ education through adaptive strategies, indicating that financial constraints do not function as absolute barriers. A gendered pattern is also observed, where girls are more likely than boys to continue to higher education, reflecting a reconfiguration of roles within the household. This study demonstrates that educational participation in a patriarchal context is a negotiated process shaped by individual agency, family strategies, and ongoing cultural adaptation.