Marriage Administration Brokers: The Rational Action in the Practice of Delegating Marriage Administration in Central Lampung

Abstract

The Indonesian law rules marriages to be registered, and the registration should be proposed by the couples to the state officials, in which cases for Muslims are recorded at the Office of Religious Affairs and for non-Muslims at the Civil Registration Office. However, some couples wittingly employ third parties—called: marriage administration brokers—to carry out all the processes. This article investigates the practice of delegating marriage administration to brokers and the underlying reasons for those delegations. This research is a field study employing a socio-legal approach, guided by rational action theory. Data were obtained through interviews and documentation. The study reveals that the practice of delegating marriage administration was carried out by the former assistant marriage registrar (P3N) and the former village head. The practice of delegating marriage administration is caused by several factors, such as the low understanding of marriage registration procedures, the assumption of complicated marriage administration, and the economic option. In this practice, the most dominant factor is the economic reason. This practice happens on ground of rational awareness in the community regarding the simplest process available, considering the benefits that are intended by both parties. The brokers (delegatees) benefit from service fees, while the couples (delegators) feel helped because they do not leave/lose their jobs should they register their marriage directly by themselves.