Reproduction of gender-based symbolic violence in the traditional craft industry: A study of Ikat Weaving in Kediri

The reproduction of gender-based symbolic violence in the Kediri ikat weaving industry occurs through seniority hierarchies, cultural norms, and gendered division of labor, which normalize obedience, limit women's creative autonomy, and restrict their access to training, innovation, and decision-making. This study aims to analyze how interactions among female actors in the Kediri ikat weaving industry reproduce gender-based symbolic violence through intergenerational mechanisms, skill transmission, cultural norms, and pedagogical practices that reinforce power hierarchies. This study uses a qualitative-critical approach with an intrinsic case study design in three weaving houses in Kediri. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and documentation, analyzed thematically to explore the reproduction of gender-based symbolic violence through habitus, doxa, and symbolic capital. This study shows that symbolic violence in the Kediri ikat weaving industry is reproduced through relational mechanisms, social surveillance, and the internalization of cultural norms. Habitus, doxa, and intergenerational authority reinforce seniority while limiting the creativity and autonomy of junior artisans. Javanese social norms and economic vulnerability moderate these processes, resulting in the internalization of domination, hierarchical stability, and a cycle of intergenerational power reproduction. The findings highlight the need for community-based interventions, such as participatory training, cross-generational mentoring, and transparent wage schemes, to challenge symbolic domination while preserving artisans’ creativity, autonomy, and the sustainability of ikat weaving traditions.