Tau-Tau in the narrative of spatial awareness of the Toraja community: A sociological review
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the symbolic meaning of Tau-Tau (wooden statues depicting the deceased) in the narrative of spatial awareness among the Toraja people. Using a sociological approach, this study explores the existence of Tau-tau, which not only serves as a physical representation of the deceased, but also acts as a symbolic marker that actively shapes the collective understanding of space. In this context, the spaces referred to are sacred spaces (the spirit world), social spaces (settlements and ceremonial sites), and cosmological spaces. The research method used is qualitative, with data collection techniques involving participant observation and in-depth interviews with traditional elders, families who own Tau-Tau, and the general public in Tana Toraja. The results of the study reveal that the presence of Tau-Tau on the cliffs of burial grounds in the hills creates a cultural landscape that connects the world of the living with the world of the ancestors. Tau-tau become silent but powerful narrators that affirm social hierarchy, family status, and the continuity of the relationship between the living and the dead. In the context of Toraja community spatial awareness, this is a complex socio-cultural construction, in which tau-tau function as key elements in interpreting, regulating, and animating that space. The main contribution of this research is to provide a deeper understanding of the socio-cultural dynamics of local communities, particularly regarding the interrelationship between symbols, space, and social structures
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Wunn, I., & Grojnowski, D. (2016b). The Village, the Ritual, and Death. In Ancestors, Territoriality, and Gods: A Natural History of Religion (pp. 153–172). Springer.
Ahmadin, M. (2022). Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Jurnal Kajian Sosial Dan Budaya: Tebar Science, 6(1), 104–113.
Ahmadin, M. (2025). What is Sociology of Space? Definition and Scope of Study. Jurnal Kajian Sosial Dan Budaya: Tebar Science, 9(1), 27–32.
Barrantes, F. (2022). The Role of Conflict in the Production of Green Public Spaces in an Informal Settlement: The Case of Los Cipreses De Barrio México, San José, Costa Rica. University of Georgia.
Connolly, J. (2019). Generational conflict and the sociology of generations: Mannheim and Elias reconsidered. Theory, Culture & Society, 36(7–8), 153–172.
Coville, E. (2020). Remembering our dead: the care of the ancestors in Tana Toraja. In The Potent Dead (pp. 69–87). Routledge.
de Jong, E. B. P. (2008). Living with the dead. The economics of culture in the Torajan Highlands, Indonesia. Kontrast: Oosterbeek.
Edensor, T. (2019). The haunting presence of commemorative statues. Ephemera, 19(1), 53–76.
Girik Allo, M. D. (2024a). Exploring the impact of MBKM program to the learners academic quality. Jurnal Onoma: Pendidikan Bahasa, Dan Sastra, 10(2), 1407–1421.
Girik Allo, M. D. (2024b). The corpse in the grave: A theological-ethical study of the ma’nene tradition in the Torajan context. Jurnal Jaffray, 22(1), 1–21.
Gottschalk, S. (2010). The presentation of avatars in second life: Self and interaction in social virtual spaces. Symbolic Interaction, 33(4), 501–525.
Haffner, J. (2013). The view from above: The science of social space. mit Press.
Hodge, C. J., & Kreps, C. F. (2024). Pragmatic Imagination and the New Museum Anthropology. Routledge.
Jayadi, K. (2018a). Arts as entrepreneurship and economic capital in Tana Toraja, Indonesia. Journal of Entrepreneurship Education, 21(3), 1–10.
Jayadi, K. (2018b). Social Identities and Statue in Torajan Communities Indonesia.
Knigge, L., & Cope, M. (2006). Grounded visualization: Integrating the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data through grounded theory and visualization.
Environment and Planning A, 38(11), 2021–2037.
Krmpotich, C. (2010). Remembering and repatriation: The production of kinship, memory and respect. Journal of Material Culture, 15(2), 157–179.
Lange, C. P. (2020). The Indigenous as Orthodox: Religious Evolution in Tana Toraja.
Lefebvre, H. (2012). From the production of space. In Theatre and performance design (pp. 81–84). Routledge.
Luckhurst, R. (2025). Graveyards: a history of living with the dead. Princeton University Press.
Mada, C., Weni, I. M., & Djatmikowati, S. H. (2025). The Socio-Cultural Meaning of Toraja Traditional Houses: Phenomenological Study of Socio-Cultural Values in the
Construction of Tongkonan Traditional Houses in the Toraja Tribe in Kanaan Village, West Bontang District, Bontang City, East Kalimantan. International Journal of
Research in Social Science and Humanities (IJRSS) ISSN: 2582-6220, DOI: 10.47505/IJRSS, 6(6), 176–202.
Marontate, J. (2005). Museums and the Constitution of Culture. The Blackwell Companion to the Sociology of Culture, 286–301.
Mawardi, D. (2025). 32 Authentic and Amazing Traditions of Indonesia. Pena Kreativa.
McKim, C. (2023). Meaningful member-checking: A structured approach to member-checking. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 7(2), 41–52.
McManus, J. H. (2009). The commercialization of news. In The handbook of journalism studies (pp. 238–254). Routledge.
O’reilly, K. (2012). Ethnographic methods. Routledge.
Onwuegbuzie, A. J., Dickinson, W. B., Leech, N. L., & Zoran, A. G. (2009). A qualitative framework for collecting and analyzing data in focus group research.
International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 8(3), 1–21.
Pallasmaa, J. (2013). Space, place, memory, and imagination: The temporal dimension of existential space. In Spatial Recall (pp. 16–41). Routledge.
Raby, R. (2005). What is resistance? Journal of Youth Studies, 8(2), 151–171.
Rahman, A., Wirastika Sari, N. M., Fitriani, Sugiarto, M., Sattar, Abidin, Z., Irwanto, Nugroho, A. P., Indriana, Ladjin, N., Haryanto, E., Ode Amane, A. P., Ahmadin, &
Alaslan, A. (2022). Metode Penelitian Ilmu Sosial. In Metode Pengumpulan Data (Klasifikasi, Metode Dan Etika). CV WIDINA MEDIA UTAMA.
Serres, M. (2014). Statues.
Shepherd, K. D. (2012). Nature as sacred space: beyond Eliade’s the sacred and the profane.
Sumiaty, M. H., Randalele, C. E., Iye, R., & Nur Abida, F. I. (2023). The value of Tallu Lolona and its influence to the life of Toraja people. Cogent Social Sciences, 9(2),
2262775.
Sylaiou, S., Mania, K., Karoulis, A., & White, M. (2010). Exploring the relationship between presence and enjoyment in a virtual museum. International Journal of
Human-Computer Studies, 68(5), 243–253.
Tahir, M. D., Hunaeni, H., & Poetra, S. T. (2020). Learning local wisdom through the symbols of Ma’nene’rituals in North Toraja: A semiotic perspective. Utamax:
Journal of Ultimate Research and Trends in Education, 2(3), 108–120.
Topinka, R. J. (2010). Foucault, Borges, heterotopia: Producing knowledge in other spaces. Foucault Studies, 54–70.
Usman, S. F. (2024). Pakui Sayang Park: A History of Public Space Development in Makassar City. Jurnal Ekonomi Dan Riset Pembangunan, 2(4), 9–15.
Wunn, I., & Grojnowski, D. (2016a). Ancestors, territoriality, and gods. Springer.
Wunn, I., & Grojnowski, D. (2016b). The Village, the Ritual, and Death. In Ancestors, Territoriality, and Gods: A Natural History of Religion (pp. 153–172). Springer.
Published
2025-10-22
How to Cite
AHMADIN, Mr.; USMAN, Sahrah Fadillah.
Tau-Tau in the narrative of spatial awareness of the Toraja community: A sociological review.
Jurnal Kajian Sosial dan Budaya: Tebar Science, [S.l.], v. 9, n. 3, p. 8-15, oct. 2025.
ISSN 2597-4114.
Available at: <http://ejournal.tebarscience.com/index.php/JKSB/article/view/214>. Date accessed: 23 oct. 2025.
doi: https://doi.org/10.36653/jksb.v9i3.214.
Section
Artikel Vol 9 No. 3 September-Desember 2025
