The Relation between Gender and Economic Space in Traditional Market at Pasar Gang Baru Semarang

Abstract

Traditional market is a social-economic site describing egalitarian social relation, anti-domination between sellers and buyers. Traditional markets still leave “substantial values” as a democratic model of trade where there is a haggling mechanism. Traditional markets become social space that describes facts about gender equality. At this area, there is fair and equal gender relation where stereotypes are neglected because the ones who are in this area are contra positional subjects having economic interest such as sellers-buyers, traders-suppliers, and sellers-sellers. This research, focusing on the relation between gender and economic space in traditional market, discusses a traditional market in Semarang called Pasar Gang Baru which is located at an alley in the middle of the Chinatown. The location of this market is at one of the alleys in Chinatown that can be reached through Jalan Sebandaran or Gang Warung. There is also another way to the market via the path used by pedestrians or two-wheeled vehicles through Gang Cilik dan Gang Pasar baru. This market, only active in the morning until in the afternoon, provides various goods for daily needs like food ingredients, traditional medicines, clothes, and all things needed for Chinese ritual ceremony, and traders from many areas around Semarang come and offer a variety of products in this market. This research used rationalistic qualitative approach with qualitative paradigm. This rationalistic qualitative research is compatible with the research’s characteristic that focuses on investigating and understanding the relation between gender of female and economic space in traditional market in order to discover the fact of female gender equality; and furthermore, in the traditional market, there is gender relation that fair and equal in distribution and in the use of functional space that has economic value.