Page 76 - IJPS-10-4

International Journal of
Population Studies Migrant traders, social capital, and politics

Table 6. Origin of merchandise at Warung Madura in Jakarta participants in reciting and understanding the Quranic
verses. These various activities within the organizational
Respondent’s answers Number (n) Percentage network serve to strengthen ethnic-based cooperation
Center market 2 1 among Madura grocery stall owners. In this context, the
Wholesaler market 2 1 owners can assist each other, such as by providing support
st
Agent/distributor 196 98 when opening a stall for the 1 time, sharing the latest
Supermarket/minimarket 0 0 price information, or even lending money or merchandise
Madura store network 0 0 to each other. Madurese small grocery stalls have grown
Other 0 0 rapidly to the present day with the support of social capital
resources from this kind of organization and activity.
Total (N) 200 100
Source: Field study questionnaire data (2023). The concept of reciprocity is useful for analyzing how
the socio-economic relationships of these Madurese
migrant traders endure. Anthropologically, the concept
extensive interview, Mrs. Zahroh, one of the informants, of reciprocity refers to the practice of exchanging goods,
stated that the establishment of trust in their relationships services, or favors between individuals or groups within
with these agents facilitates the procurement of goods to a society (Chan et al., 2019; Phillimore et al., 2018).
receive preferential treatment (such as complimentary Reciprocity is not only seen as a way to organize economic
delivery) and extend payment terms over several days. exchange but also as an important mechanism for building
These minor conveniences prove to be of great assistance and maintaining social relationships (Chan et al., 2019;
to owners in expanding their limited resources and capital. Kadir et al., 2019). This practice of mutual exchange is one
The development of Warung Madura may face significant of the main ways in which traditional societies organize
challenges without easy access to merchandise, which is their socioeconomic relationships. In the context of
made possible by good relationships and trust with agents Madurese migrant traders, the practice of reciprocity
and distributors. can be seen in several patterns of relationships, namely,
In addition to the distribution network through agents, between stall owners and stall employees, between stall
the migrant owners of Warung Madura in Jakarta possess owners and agents or distributors of goods, and between
another crucial source of social capital, namely, the fellow Madurese stall owners.
owners’ network organization. In the Greater Jakarta area The practice of reciprocity between stall owners and stall
(Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi), there are employees occurs in a relatively loose form of reciprocity.
more than 1000 Madurese small grocery stalls. To facilitate This reciprocal relationship based on ethnic similarity and
communication among traders, several Madura grocery family ties does not expect a strict exchange in return. The
stall organizations have been established in Greater stall owner’s intention to provide an initial bailout that does
Jakarta, such as the Paguyuban Warung Madura Sumenep not have to be paid immediately and provide free housing
(Sumenep Madura Small Grocery Stall Association), and food to stall employees is expected to be rewarded
consisting of owners and employees from the Sumenep with loyalty, obedience, and long-term good relations from
Regency. This organization holds regular monthly meetings stall employees.
as an opportunity for members to socialize, taking turns
hosting meetings in their stalls. Moreover, some grocery Meanwhile, the practice of reciprocity between stall
stalls regularly organize arisan (social fund) and majelis owners and agents or distributors of goods occurs when
pengajian (Al-Qur’an recitation gatherings). “Arisan,” or stall owners are willing to become long-term regular
in Madurese, is referred to as to’-oto’, remo, or sandur, is customers of certain agents or distributors, and in return,
a term that refers to a social gathering where a group of the agents or distributors will provide extra services
people come together periodically, often monthly. The and cheaper prices. In addition to this seemingly purely
main purpose of arisan is for participants to contribute economic exchange, reciprocity between stall owners and
a certain amount of money at each gathering, and one agents or distributors is also a mechanism to maintain
member of the group receives the total collection of money social relations because many agents and distributors are
during that meeting. also from Madura.
Meanwhile, a majelis pengajian is a gathering where The last reciprocity practice between fellow Madurese
people come together to read and study the Qur’an. stall owners occurs in the form of mutual assistance when
These gatherings can take place in mosques, community someone wants to open a new stall or help when a stall
centers, or even in private homes. They may be led by owner is experiencing difficulties. Among fellow Madurese
knowledgeable individuals, such as kiai, who guide the stall owners, they are also accustomed to giving each other

Volume 10 Issue 4 (2024) 70 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.2637