Christianity, Colonization, and Gender Relations in North Sumatra: A Patrilineal Society in Flux, by Sita T. van Bemmelen

Abstract

This book tells the story of how kinship and marriage have influenced the lives of Toba Batak men and women during the colonial period in North Tapanuli, on the island of North Sumatra, Indonesia. The selection of this subject was based on historical treasures found in several archives which resonated with my fascination with gender studies in the domestic sphere and my personal experiences in a Dutch-Indonesian marriage.