Kepemimpinan Bobot dalam Masyarakat Maybrat Modern

This article focuses on the "bobot" leadership model in modern Mybrat society. The themes and key questions are elaborated in a mixed method of direct living experience with the related community and analysis of literature related to rae bobot and melanesian leadership of Marshall Salins. One prominent aspect of Maybrat culture is the bobot leadership system, closely intertwined with the practice of kain timur exchange. It is found that this leadership structure revolves around individuals possessing a unique set of qualities, including wealth, generosity, knowledge, and authority. The characteristics inherent to the bobot leadership system appear to align with what Marshall Sahlins refers to as the "big-man system." To sum up, in this system, prominence is centered around a mature male whose influence is acknowledged both within their community and in inter-community relations. However, a pressing question arises regarding the sustainability and relevance of this leadership system in contemporary Maybrat society. In the face of rapid globalization, modernization, and social changes, can the bobot leadership system endure? What role does this system still play in the dynamics of present-day Maybrat society?