Between reciprocity and agrarian transformation: Challenges to land tenancy and labor relations among rice-farming communities in Lahat Regency, South Sumatra Province, Indonesia
Land tenancy and labor relations are two agrarian institutions that shape the organization of agricultural activities at the production level and often influence production performance. This study explores the patterns of land tenancy and labor relations among rice-farming communiti...
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Department of Sociology, State University of Gorontalo.
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Dynamics of Rural Society Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://drsj.fis.ung.ac.id/index.php/DRSJ/article/view/107/36 |
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| author | Septri Widiono Jheni Juwita Sari Melia Ketut Sukiyono Bembi Akbar Serawai |
| author_facet | Septri Widiono Jheni Juwita Sari Melia Ketut Sukiyono Bembi Akbar Serawai |
| author_sort | Septri Widiono |
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| description | Land tenancy and labor relations are two agrarian institutions that shape the organization of agricultural activities at the production level and often influence production performance. This study explores the patterns of land tenancy and labor relations among rice-farming communities in Lahat Regency, South Sumatra,through the lens of the reciprocity economic perspective. Employinga qualitative case study approach, the research was conducted in four villages across the sub-districts of Tanjung Sakti Pumiand Lahat Selatan. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with the tenant farmers, landowners, extension officers, and community leaders. Findings reveal two dominant sharecropping systems: an equal 1:1 distribution and a sasehsystem with a 2:1 share. These informal and unwritten arrangements are based on kinship ties, mutual trust, and local norms. They provide stable land access for landless farmers and maintain production continuity, despite limited institutional support. Labor relations are equally embedded in cultural practices such as gotong royong(mutual aid), where families and neighbors contribute unpaid or semi-paid labor during peak agricultural periods. Compensation may include food, rice, or low wages, depending on the relationship and labor type.However, they reveal underlying tensions between tradition and social transformation, in which evolving reciprocity practices may increasingly function as mechanisms of surplus accumulationunder market penetration.Theoretically, this studycontributes to rural sociology by demonstrating how informal systems of tenancy and labor persist as rational and adaptive responses to socio-economic constraints, while also highlighting their potential vulnerability to erosion under agrarian pressures.Thefindings suggest that development policies should aim to reinforce these community-based systems to improve agricultural sustainability and social equity in rural Indonesia. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0c0c94ecaff1467daea62b8b008d9288 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2987-0844 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Department of Sociology, State University of Gorontalo. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Dynamics of Rural Society Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-0c0c94ecaff1467daea62b8b008d92882025-08-22T08:13:06ZengDepartment of Sociology, State University of Gorontalo.Dynamics of Rural Society Journal2987-08442025-08-0132159170https://doi.org/10.37905/drsj.v3i2.107Between reciprocity and agrarian transformation: Challenges to land tenancy and labor relations among rice-farming communities in Lahat Regency, South Sumatra Province, IndonesiaSeptri Widiono0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6130-7693Jheni Juwita Sari Melia1Ketut Sukiyono2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8512-2848Bembi Akbar Serawai3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2929-8413Department of Agricultural Socio-economics, University of Bengkulu, Bengkulu, IndonesiaDepartment of Agricultural Socio-economics, University of Bengkulu, Bengkulu, IndonesiaDepartment of Agricultural Socio-economics, University of Bengkulu, Bengkulu, IndonesiaDepartment of Agricultural Socio-economics, University of Bengkulu, Bengkulu, IndonesiaLand tenancy and labor relations are two agrarian institutions that shape the organization of agricultural activities at the production level and often influence production performance. This study explores the patterns of land tenancy and labor relations among rice-farming communities in Lahat Regency, South Sumatra,through the lens of the reciprocity economic perspective. Employinga qualitative case study approach, the research was conducted in four villages across the sub-districts of Tanjung Sakti Pumiand Lahat Selatan. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with the tenant farmers, landowners, extension officers, and community leaders. Findings reveal two dominant sharecropping systems: an equal 1:1 distribution and a sasehsystem with a 2:1 share. These informal and unwritten arrangements are based on kinship ties, mutual trust, and local norms. They provide stable land access for landless farmers and maintain production continuity, despite limited institutional support. Labor relations are equally embedded in cultural practices such as gotong royong(mutual aid), where families and neighbors contribute unpaid or semi-paid labor during peak agricultural periods. Compensation may include food, rice, or low wages, depending on the relationship and labor type.However, they reveal underlying tensions between tradition and social transformation, in which evolving reciprocity practices may increasingly function as mechanisms of surplus accumulationunder market penetration.Theoretically, this studycontributes to rural sociology by demonstrating how informal systems of tenancy and labor persist as rational and adaptive responses to socio-economic constraints, while also highlighting their potential vulnerability to erosion under agrarian pressures.Thefindings suggest that development policies should aim to reinforce these community-based systems to improve agricultural sustainability and social equity in rural Indonesia.https://drsj.fis.ung.ac.id/index.php/DRSJ/article/view/107/36agrarian transformationlabor relationsland tenancyreciprocitysharecropping |
| spellingShingle | Septri Widiono Jheni Juwita Sari Melia Ketut Sukiyono Bembi Akbar Serawai Between reciprocity and agrarian transformation: Challenges to land tenancy and labor relations among rice-farming communities in Lahat Regency, South Sumatra Province, Indonesia Dynamics of Rural Society Journal agrarian transformation labor relations land tenancy reciprocity sharecropping |
| title | Between reciprocity and agrarian transformation: Challenges to land tenancy and labor relations among rice-farming communities in Lahat Regency, South Sumatra Province, Indonesia |
| title_full | Between reciprocity and agrarian transformation: Challenges to land tenancy and labor relations among rice-farming communities in Lahat Regency, South Sumatra Province, Indonesia |
| title_fullStr | Between reciprocity and agrarian transformation: Challenges to land tenancy and labor relations among rice-farming communities in Lahat Regency, South Sumatra Province, Indonesia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Between reciprocity and agrarian transformation: Challenges to land tenancy and labor relations among rice-farming communities in Lahat Regency, South Sumatra Province, Indonesia |
| title_short | Between reciprocity and agrarian transformation: Challenges to land tenancy and labor relations among rice-farming communities in Lahat Regency, South Sumatra Province, Indonesia |
| title_sort | between reciprocity and agrarian transformation challenges to land tenancy and labor relations among rice farming communities in lahat regency south sumatra province indonesia |
| topic | agrarian transformation labor relations land tenancy reciprocity sharecropping |
| url | https://drsj.fis.ung.ac.id/index.php/DRSJ/article/view/107/36 |
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