This study has conducted to investigate the meaning of cooperative cooking of Javanese women, rewang at the accession of traditional rituals through anthropological pinto view. The field research has done in a kampung near city of Surakarta for 21 months. There exist some former studies that have investigated slametan ritual but most of them did not pay attention to the aspect of kitchen, cooperative cooking for the events a ritual. The cooperative cooking that is called rewang mainly taken place for the occasion of baby birth, marriage and ritual after death. In those occasions the food cannot be lacked and who prepare the food is neighbor and relative women.
They cook in the host home, sometimes the neighbors home is also used for the preparation. Rewang is important for the communication and relation of Javanese women since it is often take place and it takes time and they cook while talking. Women also meet monthly at the arisan association but it is more formal and it takes only an hour.
The author has selected this topic to shed light on the division of that has laked in the former studies. I have chosen my study site kampung since it is interesting to sees the situation of the border of city area and collage. The inhabitants also often taled to me that the kampung is existed in pinggir kota the border of city or pinggir desa, the border of village. This kampung is consisted of pendatang or newcomers. Some of them have advised me to study in the more village site since there are more traditions or rituals there, but II have chosen this pinggir kota site to see the situation and the change of rewang as well.
Presented by Momo shioya
Tokyo university of foreign studies
Graduate school of and cultural studies