THE ETHNIC MANDAILING TRADITION OF COURTSHIP (MARKUSIP) AND REVITALIZATION EFFORTS IN THE FORMATION OF THE CHARACTER YOUTH

This paper is part of Unimed Social Anthropology research thesis that aims to: (1) describe the tradition courtship of the Mandailing Ethnic (Markusip); (2) to find the revitalization model of the Markusip tradition that has local wisdom in the effort to shape the character of adolescents today. The research uses qualitative method with ethnography approach. The research techniques include conducting indepth interviews, participant observation and life history method to informants who have been and still live the tradition of Markusip. Based on the results of field research found that this tradition is a tradition that is almost extinct due to technological developments and modernization so that most teenagers Mandailing no longer run this tradition. This tradition of Markusip is a tradition that contains the values of local wisdom that seeks to regulate youth and girl relationships by recognizing the personality of each partner without violating or violating the norms prevailing in the Mandailing customs. This tradition is also a source of life guidelines that have the function to maintain reciprocal relationships in order not to do bad deeds and maintain decency and politeness in behaving. In the performance of this tradition use the expressions of Mandailing poetry or pantun which is full of values of reciprocal love, respect and responsibility. Revitalization of this tradition can be done because the value and function of a lost tradition can be preserved and transformed to the young generation through documentation, conservation and education efforts