Navigating nobility and cosmopolitanism : Shara'if's engagement in Jakarta's public sphere

Abstract

Religious identity and women's empowerment models have transformed in the rapidly changing industrial era. Women's Hadhrami, especially Sharai'f (female descendants of the prophet), have moved beyond relying solely on traditional teachings within the Yemeni community to contribute to society. Instead, they negotiate their emancipation in the public sphere by embracing women's leadership, political engagement, and social media entertainment as expressions of their Yemeni identity. This thesis addresses four key questions: How does Shara'if negotiate their identity to play roles in the public sphere? Are they attempting to expand their power or disregarding their social capital? How do they interpret their identity and maintain it amidst their nobility as descendants of the prophet? To what extent do they still embrace their Yemeni label when fulfilling their roles in the public sphere? This study adopts a qualitative data analysis approach, encompassing the systematic organization and interpretation of descriptive data collected through interviews, surveys, and observations. In-depth interviews with three shara'if were conducted to understand their aspirations regarding social empowerment in Jakarta's public sphere. The findings of this study reveal that, on the one hand, the identity of Jakartan shara'if grants special privileges to cosmopolitan shara'if, empowering them with prestige and attractiveness in the public sphere. On the other hand, these negotiations have also overshadowed the Women's Hadhrami's identity, leading to the discovery that their nobility can shape their authenticity as shara'if. This study argues that shara'if holds power in advocating for women's empowerment ideologies, which may not be readily apparent to some Shara'if communities in Indonesia.