Reproducing and negotiating gender norms: A critical ethnographic study of curriculum and institutional constraints in Indonesian pesantren

In the pesantren studied, the reproduction of gender norms in the curriculum and institutional constraints raise concerns about restrictions on women’s participation and opportunities for negotiation toward gender-responsive education. This study examines the reproduction of gender inequality, internal resistance, and barriers to the development of gender-responsive curricula. This qualitative study employed an instrumental case study design informed by a critical ethnographic perspective at Pesantren Nurul Huda Situbondo. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven purposively selected informants. Thematic analysis was supported by source triangulation and critical reflexivity. Three findings emerged. First, the reproduction of gender inequality was evident in the naturalization of women’s domestic roles, the normative legitimation of wives’ obedience, and the dominance of male authority in pesantren governance. Second, internal resistance and the negotiation of gender relations emerged through alternative religious interpretations, female students’ classroom discussions, and informal study groups, alongside administrators’ initial openness to dialogue and the reconsideration of teaching materials. Third, gender-responsive curriculum development faced challenges, including limited representation of women in teaching materials, difficulties adapting content, unequal authority in curriculum decision-making, and limited training in gender-responsive teaching. The study concludes that women’s agency emerges through the negotiation of meaning within restrictive structures. Openness to dialogue suggests opportunities for reform but does not establish changes in curriculum policy or institutional structures. The study advances a conceptual proposition linking gender norm negotiation to institutional conditions and provides a basis for reviewing teaching materials, strengthening women’s representation, training educators, and expanding women’s participation in curriculum decision-making.