The connection that women have with the family

In this article, the writer, Evelyn Blackwood, draws pertinent conclusions from a study of matrilineal societies in Minangkabau, West Sumatra. The house is naturally connected as an element of the family because of the particular connection that women have with the family in our minds. In Minangkabau, women have long been regarded as the core of society, as well as of the family and the continuation of the family. So the structure of The Big Houses (also called Lineage Houses) was also composed of the shape of the matriarchal society. The Big House, such as these usually consist of a mother and daughter (married and unmarried), which we call them “Matrihouses.” As a symbol of Minangkabau, the Big House embodies the central role of women in the family and society. It’s not just a matter of reproducing for women but adds the ideology and kinship of matriarchal society to the formation of The Big House.