The Hegemony of Catur Warna in Balinese Marriage Practices: The Subordination of Caste-Based Women within Balinese Social Structure

Abstract

Catur Warna is often regarded as the cosmological foundation of Balinese society, emphasizing harmony and social order. However, in practice, this system acts as a hegemonic mechanism that shapes women’s life choices, especially for caste-based Balinese women in terms of marriage and family relations. Drawing on Antonio Gramsci’s concept of hegemony, this study examines how Catur Warna is reproduced through social consent and constructed through customary norms, family socialization, and the community’s symbolic legitimation. This research employs a literature-based approach, analyzing scholarly books, journal articles, previous studies, customary texts, and academic publications related to Catur Warna, the Balinese social structure, and gender relations. The findings indicate that hegemony functions through the regulation of marriage, post-marital identity transformation, and stricter moral standards imposed on caste-based women, particularly in inter-caste marriages. These mechanisms are not sustained through coercion but through the internalization of obedience and the normalization of women’s downward social mobility following Nyerod marriage practices. Such patterns constrain women’s autonomy and reinforce gender inequality in Balinese societies. The novelty of this study lies in its use of Gramscian hegemony to interpret Catur Warna as cultural power reproduced through social consent rather than merely as a tradition. This study contributes to gender studies in Bali by demonstrating that female inequality is perpetuated by both customary law and social consciousness.