Reframing Javanese Femininity: Implications For Woman And Midwife Partnership
Keywords:
culturally responsive care, , Javanese women, masak macak manak, midwifery partnership, reproductive health.Abstract
In patriarchal settings, women’s reproductive health is often shaped by cultural norms that
influence decision-making and access to care. In Javanese culture, the values of “Masak, Macak,
Manak” continue to frame expectations of womanhood, yet their potential role in supporting
women-centered and partnership-based midwifery care remains underutilized. This study
explored how Javanese women reinterpret the cultural values of “Masak, Macak, Manak” in their
reproductive and household lives and examined how these reinterpretations can inform culturally
sensitive women-midwife partnerships. A qualitative ethnographic design was employed. Data
were collected through focus group discussions with Javanese women and in-depth interviews with
midwives, then analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The finding revealed four main themes:
(1) “Masak, Macak, Manak” as a positive and evolving representation of the ideal woman, (2) limited recognition of “Masak, Macak, Manak” in relation to reproductive health, (3 It is essential to integrate the 3M tasks within midwifery services, and (4) Midwives Recognize the Need for Greater Understanding of Javanese Culture and Its Relevance to Reproductive Health. Integrating negotiated meanings of local cultural values such as Masak, Macak, Manak into culturally responsive midwifery care may strengthen women’s agency and foster partnership-oriented care, while highlighting the need to enhance midwives’ understanding of their relevance to reproductive health within patriarchal cultural contexts.
