REPRESENTASI TOKOH PEREMPUAN DALAM TIGA CERITA ANAK BERBAHASA SUNDA: KAJIAN FEMINISME KULTURAL DAN IMPLIKASI PENDIDIKAN KARAKTER

Abstract

Children's literature is an important medium for instilling values and shaping young readers' understanding of gender roles, including the representation of women. This study aims to describe and analyze the representation of female characters in three Sundanese-language children's stories, namely Rusdi jeung Misnem (A.C. Deenik & Rd. Djajadiredja, 1911), Carita Budak Teuneung (Samsoedi, 2011), and Catetan Poéan Réré (Ai Koraliati, 2019), through the perspective of cultural feminism and Stuart Hall's representation theory, as well as examining its relevance to character education. This study uses a qualitative descriptive approach with a content analysis technique applied to literary texts as the primary data source, selected purposively, supported by secondary data sources in the form of relevant theoretical studies. The results show that female characters are represented through domestic and public roles, feminine traits (gentleness, affection, patience) combined with non-stereotypical traits (independence, courage, critical thinking), as well as social relations that develop from the family sphere toward the wider community. Comparative analysis reveals a diachronic shift in the representation of women, from their position as objects of family education in Rusdi jeung Misnem, to moral authority as educators in Budak Teuneung, and finally to reflective subjects with full agency in Catetan Poéan Réré. The feminine character values identified are relevant to the Eight Dimensions of the Graduate Profile, making them potentially usable as teaching materials for Sundanese literature at the junior high school (SMP) level. This study affirms that Sundanese culture and cultural feminism are not two contradictory concepts, but can complement one another in constructing representations of women that are humanistic, dignified, and relevant to the development of contemporary society.