Abstrak
One of the ethnicities most commonly found as a trader, merchant, or other seller at
\r\nmarkets all over Indonesia, starting from Sabang to Merauke, was the Minangkabau
\r\npeople. Minangkabau people engaged in various activities of commerce or trade all
\r\ngoods needs. In addition Minangkabau people known for their culinary efforts, in
\r\nparticularly Padang buffet. An interesting question about it is how the Minangkabau
\r\npeople can present almost in all markets that exist in the archipelago? How social and
\r\ncultural structures of the Minangkabau society form the market? As well as how the
\r\neconomic behavior of the Minangkabau people in relation to the market? To answer
\r\nthe above questions done field research with qualitative approach. Research data
\r\nobtained from various sources such as in-depth interviews on various market actors
\r\nand indigenous experts Minangkabau, observation of reality and literature on sociocultural structures of the Minangkabau. The results showed that there is a qualitative
\r\nrelationship between socio-cultural structures of the Minangkabau, migration out (
\r\nmerantau ) and markets. The market, culturally, is not separate from space
\r\nMinangkabau people, because he was part of the prerequisites of the existence of a
\r\nnagari. Migration out of the nagari or merantau is a cultural encouragement to become
\r\na useful person. One of the main roads traveled to become a useful person is to
\r\nbecome entrepreneur, where the market is a place suitable for those options