THE GENDERED TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE FISH CAGE INDUSTRY: A CASE STUDY OF KAMPUNG TARITIPAN, KOTA MARUDU, SABAH

Abstract

Traditional knowledge has been thought by scholars in the recent past as consisting of cultural beliefs and traditions in a given community that has developed over time and has been passed from generation to generation. The development of knowledge has the potential to change the nature of gender relations within the community. Nevertheless, traditional knowledge has become more encompassing since it has been restructured by new forms of knowledge, from informal education to governance. There are also hesitations and critique that these changes made a realization that traditional knowledge is gendered. This paper provides an overview of the gendered traditional knowledge in the fish cage industry, especially the more well-known product of hybrid grouper fish (Epinephelus sp). In this context, the gendered knowledge was evident through the views men held about womens fisher knowledge. The major methods used in this study were in-depth interviews, focus-group discussion and participant observation at the fish cage culture in Kampung Taritipan, Kota Marudu.