HEGEMONY AND RESISTANCE: Case Study of Religious Traditions Socialization in Supporting the Identity of Rural Santri Community

Abstract

This research used a qualitative approach. The research focus was on daily cultural life, in this case the tradition of respecting the deceased spirits. This research also considers the use of local history in data collection process. The local history showed that the village builds a cultural identity as a ”santri village”. The community strengthen this identity by relies on Islamic religious traditions as a support. The ”tahlilan”tradition was a tradition to pray for deceased spirits. At that time, some villagers developed a tradition of honoring spirits in another form, namely ”nyepaki”. Therefore, village religious leaders actively socialized the tradition of ”tahlilan” and Islamic teaching in order the residents would abandon the ”nyepaki” tradition. There were a number of residents who took action to resist the hegemonization of this cultural ”tradition”, in the end all residents accepted ”tahlilan” as the main tradition to pray for spirits, and ”nyepaki” tradition has really been abandoned. This confirms that hegemony was closer to a cultural and social approach. Influencing it culturally and ideologically will gradually agree with everything that comes from the group it imitates. The process of enculturation of the tradition can take place sustainably. The cultural identity of community was maintained.

Key words : hegemony, local history, nyepaki, tahlilan, resistance.

DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/15-1-02

Publication date: January 30th 2025