Abstract
This study aims to understand the background of the Opu title in Tanete Village, Bontona, Selayar Islands Regency; how the process of inheriting the Opu title influences the construction of identity and individual social status within the community; and the symbolic meaning and function of the Opu title regarding customary practices and local power dynamics in Tanete Village, Bontona, Selayar Islands Regency. This research employs a qualitative approach. Data were collected from informants through observation, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis utilized the Miles and Huberman interactive model,comprising data reduction, data display, and verification,to understand identity construction and the meaning of the Opu title within the community. The study concludes that the Opu title is a social institution formed through a long historical process predating colonial intervention; the inheritance of the Opu title in Tanete Village occurs genealogically and reflects a lineage-based social stratification system; and the Opu title in Tanete Village is the product of a dynamic social construction that is not only rooted in history and tradition but also undergoes continuous reinterpretation in response to social changes within the community.
