Description of the Acculturation Process of Tuak Consumption in North Toraja
Abstract
Rambu Solo’ and Rambu Tuka’ are traditional parties in Toraja, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. At these traditional parties, hosts typically provide alcoholic beverages, such as tuak. Lembang Embatau village has a plantation that produces nira, the main ingredient in tuak. Not only is drinking tuak part of Torajan life; moreover, other
tribes living there have adopted this practice. This ethnographic study was aimed at exploring the acculturation process of tuak consumption in North Toraja. Interviews were conducted with 12 informants selected purposively based on their experience with tuak. The informants consisted of residents of Embatau Village who drank tuak, as well as migrants, community leaders, and health providers. Source and technique triangulation were used to ensure the validity of the data. The results show that tuak is an absolute requirement at traditional parties because it is considered to be associated with honor, is believed to enliven the atmosphere, and is used by hosts to express gratitude to guests attending parties. Consumption of Torajan alcoholic beverages has undergone an acculturation process as traditional parties also feature other alcoholic beverages (beer). As well, particular kinds of alcoholic beverages are associated with the socio-economic identity of the hosts of traditional parties. Hosts with high socio-economic status usually provide beer at parties. If tuak and beer are
served at traditional parties, people tend to mix them. In conclusion, cultures from other areas have influenced and shaped this local community’s culture of alcoholic beverage consumption.
Keywords: acculturation, tuak, ethnographic, Toraja
References
[1] Caba, Justin. 2014. “Alcohol’s Effect on the Body: 5 Major Organs That Are Being Destroyed by Your Alcohol Consumption.”Medical Daily. Available at http://www.medicaldaily.com/alcohols-effect-body-5-majors- organs-are-being destroyed-your-alcohol-consumption-291440.
[2] Dhital, Rupa., Subedi, Govind., Gurung, Yogendra B., Hamal, Prabha. 2002. Alcohol and Drug Use among Street Children in Nepal, a Study in Six Urban Centers. Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Centre.Available at http://forut.custompublish. com/get file.php/949575.994.fsvvvpxvae/Alcohol+and+Drug+Use+in+Nepal% 3B+with+reference+to+children.pdf
[3] Duli.,Akin. 2003. Torajaduludankini. Makassar: PustakaRefleksi.
[4] Freud, Sigmund. 2002. Psikoana lisis Sigmund Freud. Jakarta: Ikon Teralitera.
[5] Goal, N. L., and Husin, S. 2013. “Dilema Pemberantasan Minuman Keras terhadap Pelestarian Budaya Masyarakat Batak Toba (Studi Kasus di Desa Ria-Ria Kecamatan Pollung Kabupaten Humbang Hasundutan).”Citizenship, 1, no. 2: 101–121.
[6] Green, J., and Thorogood, N. 2009.Qualitative Methods for Health Research, Second Edition.United Kingdom : Sage.
[7] Guo, Rui, and Ren, Jun. 2010. “Alcohol and Acetaldehyde in Public Health: From Marvel to Menace.”International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 7, no. 4: 1285–1301. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2872347/.
[8] Health Ministry of Indonesia. 2007. Basic health research in South Sulawesi. Jakarta: Research Council and Development of Health Care.
[9] Koentjaraningrat. 2009. Ilmuantropologi. Jakarta: RinekaCipta.
[10] Lee, C. S., Lopez, S. R., Colby, S. M., Tejada, M., Coll, C. G., and Smith, M. 2010. “Social Process Underlying Acculturation: A StudyofDrinking Behavior among Immigrant Latinos in the Northeast United States.”PMC 33: 585–609.