The Reorganization of Muslim Family Functions in Gorontalo amid Social and Digital Change

Abstract

Muslim family life in Gorontalo is shaped by the simultaneous influences of Islamic norms, customary traditions, economic changes, marriage regulations, and digital communication. This study examines how these forces have reorganized marriage practices, marital intimacy, religious socialization, and everyday family relationships. The qualitative field-based research design was reconstructed from documented observations conducted on May 25–30, 2022, in Gorontalo City and Gorontalo Regency, interviews with Muslim family members, divorce applicants, customary and religious leaders, and historical comparisons of marriage practices. The findings reveal a process of selective rather than total transformation. Traditional marriage customs comprise 21 stages, but families increasingly shorten or omit certain procedures due to considerations of cost, time, administrative requirements, education, employment, and changes in partner selection. Historical records also indicate that changes in the age at marriage have not followed a linear pattern, as delayed marriage coexists with marriages involving adolescents. Marital intimacy faces challenges arising from separate living arrangements, infidelity, mobile phone secrecy, and digitally mediated communication, while religious education is increasingly transferred from parents to schools, mosques, Quranic education centers, madrasahs, and Islamic boarding schools. Social media simultaneously facilitates connectivity and creates new avenues for neglect, the disclosure of private matters, and distrust between spouses. These patterns indicate a reorganization of where family functions are performed and who performs them, rather than the disappearance of Islamic or customary identity.