BUTONESE WEDDING CUSTOMS IN SALATI VILLAGE, TALIABU

Abstract

This study aims to describe the stages of traditional marriage among the Buton community in Salati Village, Taliabu, along with their symbolic meanings and changes in practice. It employs a qualitative approach grounded in the perspective of symbolic interactionism. Conducted between March and April 2025, the study involved informants selected through purposive sampling—specifically married couples, traditional leaders, religious figures, community leaders, and the village head. Data were gathered via observation, interviews, and documentation, with validity reinforced through source and technique triangulation. Analysis involved data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing and verification. The findings reveal eight primary stages: *Sori-sori*, *Sampee*, *Mowawa Katangka*, *Joa*, seclusion (*pingitan*), *Mo’ato*, *Membaso*, and *Totoro Kumawi*. Elements such as rings, betrothal items, white cloth, foot-washing rituals, and *badamara* embody meanings of bonding, readiness, purity, safety, patience, and responsibility. Social identities—*Kaomu*, *Walaka*, and *Papara*—remain factors in marital unions. Simultaneously, informants described shifts in practice, including a decline in polygamy among the nobility since the 1980s and the incorporation of local entertainment elements. These findings demonstrate that the continuity of traditional symbols and stages coexists with sociocultural adaptations.