Conditional Belonging: Identity, Power, and Social Recognition in Waywaya through Postcolonial and Sociocultural Perspectives

Abstract

Aims: This study examines identity formation in Waywaya by F. Sionil Jose, focusing on how identity is imposed, negotiated, and socially recognised within a precolonial social order shaped by unequal power relations, internal hierarchy, and patriarchal authority. Study Design: The study employs qualitative content analysis to examine narrative passages, dialogues, and descriptive episodes that depict Waywaya's identity construction, social positioning, and experiences of belonging within the Taga-Daya community. Methodology: Grounded in Social Conflict Theory and supported by Postcolonial and Feminist Theories, the study analyses identity as a socially regulated process shaped by coercion, internal colonialism, patriarchal domination, and communal judgement. The analysis is organised around three themes: Forced Identity Construction and Constrained Agency, Survival Performance and Identity Negotiation under Patriarchal Control, and Power-Regulated Social Recognition, leading to the outcome of Conditional Belonging. Results: Findings reveal that Waywaya's identity is initially imposed through abduction, domestic enslavement, and unequal power relations. Although she negotiates her identity through adaptation, domestic labour, and survival-oriented conduct, these responses remain constrained by patriarchal authority. Her negotiated identity is subsequently mediated by Power-Regulated Social Recognition, which operates through community judgement, patriarchal and social hierarchy, and controlled acceptance. Consequently, her identity culminates in Conditional Belonging, characterised by partial inclusion, persistent outsider status, and incomplete recognition despite her contributions to the community. Conclusion: The study concludes that Waywaya portrays identity as a process shaped by domination, negotiation, and socially regulated recognition rather than individual choice alone. By applying the concept of Conditional Belonging to the literary analysis of Waywaya, the study demonstrates how identity transformation may enable limited participation without securing full social recognition or equality, thereby contributing to postcolonial literary criticism and studies of identity, power, and marginalisation.