Preman Piety

Masculinity and Religious Practice in Minangkabau

Abstract

This study examines the deviations from Islamic norms by Muslim men from the masculinities perspective, particularly focusing on young men, known as preman in a coastal village in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Preman refers to young men who tend to oppose public norms and is the unofficial life stage in which young men learn how to earn for themselves. During this process, the preman becomes an adult and acquires various experiences with their homosocial preman friends. Although they commit acts considered sinful from Islamic perspective, many preman praise the truthfulness of Islam. This study attempts to understand this contradiction by describing the world of the preman and its relationship with other types of masculinity and Islamic norms.