The existence of Mak Panggong in Belitong Island can be analyzed as a form of multidimensional socio-ecological practice, in which women play strategic roles in food management, social ethics, and ritual symbolism. Mak Panggong is responsible for the availability of food ingredients, oversight of distribution, hygiene, and the integrity of rituals in the Maras Taun and Makan Bedulang ceremonies. Based on the perspective of the Anthropology of Food, these actions are not merely culinary techniques, but a medium for transmitting social values, ethics, and ecological knowledge. Mak Panggong asserts the relationship between humans, nature, and the community through systematic gastronomic practices.
The role of Mak Panggong demonstrates how women can manifest agency within socio-ecological systems in a context of gender philosophy. Based on Acker’s theory of gendered organizations, women are often situated within structures that appear subordinate; however, Mak Panggong practices affirm ethical and symbolic legitimacy, in which women become decision-makers regarding distribution, ingredient selection, and the maintenance of ecological balance. This reflects the interaction between social structure, gender, and ecology, where women serve as guardians of community sustainability.
In the ecofeminist perspective, Mak Panggong can be understood as figures expressing a harmonious relationship between women and nature, where ecological sustainability is articulated through food ritual practices. Their involvement in food production, family care, and the transmission of local knowledge underscores that Mak Panggong are not only cultural symbols but also agents of socio-ecological conservation.
Gendered gastronomy studies show that women’s practices in meal preparation function as a medium to manifest aesthetics, ethics, and morality. According to the theory of Food and Social Identity, food not only meets biological needs but also serves as a symbolic object that affirms social identity, values, and moral hierarchy. The arrangement of dishes by the tukang berage—the person responsible for organizing and placing food on trays—and supervision by the tukang perikse dulang—the person who checks and ensures the completeness and correctness of dishes during traditional ceremonies—under the coordination of Mak Panggong, illustrates the principle of socially-mediated culinary labor, women reinforce both aesthetic and ethical norms.
The role of Mak Panggong in managing food ingredients and equitable distribution can be analyzed using Bourdieu’s social systems theory, particularly the concepts of habitus and symbolic capital. Women’s practices reflect a habitus inherited across generations, in which decisions about ingredient selection and meal presentation generate symbolic capital in the form of moral and social legitimacy, positioning women as ethical-ecological managers within the community. Food rituals involving Mak Panggong, the tukang berage, and tukang perikse dulang emphasize cultural meanings that go beyond mere culinary techniques. Carefully arranged dishes reflect local moral structures and cosmology, where food becomes a medium to communicate social values, distribution ethics, and respect for nature and ancestors.
Food sociology emphasizes that food functions as a system of social communication. Mak Panggong ensures that food is presented fairly, hygienically, and harmoniously, making every action within the ritual an expression of social morality and ecological sustainability. The arrangement of food and oversight of distribution by women highlight how culinary practice can serve as an instrument of social and ecological learning, shaping sustainable collective behavior. The gender aspect of Mak Panggong’s practice shows that women act as agents of social-ecological change, leveraging symbolic and moral capacity to manage traditional food systems. Women are not merely technical actors but managers of socio-ecological complexity, ensuring that traditional food rituals remain relevant and sustainable while transmitting moral and ecological knowledge to future generations.
In conclusion, Mak Panggong affirm that women play a strategic role in maintaining food sustainability, social ethics, and ritual integrity in Belitong Island. Mak Panggong are socio-ecological and symbolic architects mediating the relationship between humans, nature, and culture, ensuring ecological continuity, morality, and community identity simultaneously.
Corresponding Author: Arry Aditsya Yoga | Researcher in International Law, Ecopolitology, and Anthropology.