A Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) student team under the Student Creativity Program for Social Sciences and Humanities Research (PKM-RSH) conducted a study on cultural vulnerability in the Osing Traditional Village of Kemiren, Banyuwangi Regency, East Java Province. In addition to field observations, the research also involved a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with local assessors and stakeholders.
The team was led by Alfi Turni Aji Sulistyaningrum from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB UGM) with members Ferdian Dwi Saputra (FIB UGM), Fernanda Tri Antono (FIB UGM), Ayu Farryla Wira Susanto (FIB UGM), and Wildan Rafi Fadlilah from the Faculty of Engineering (FT UGM).
They were supervised by Fahmi Prihantoro, a lecturer at FIB UGM.
Sulistyaningrum explained that the study was motivated by the gradual fading of Osing traditions amid modernization and tourism pressures.
Signs of this include the declining use of the Osing mother tongue among younger generations, the limited regeneration of cultural practitioners, as well as the influence of technology and bureaucracy, which often alter the meaning and implementation of traditions.
“The Osing culture, which has long been the identity of the Kemiren community, is facing serious challenges. If these vulnerabilities are not mapped and mitigated soon, there is a risk that cultural transmission to the next generation will be disrupted,” said Sulistyaningrum at UGM on Thursday (Sep. 18).
Sulistyaningrum further explained that the FGD engaged cultural actors, community organizations, customary institutions, and local government. The forum provided a comprehensive picture of the current state of Osing culture and identified the strategic measures needed.
The study produced three key outcomes.
First, a cultural mapping of Kemiren Village, covering language, arts, customary rituals, and active cultural spaces.
Second, the identification of forms of cultural vulnerability, ranging from the decline in the use of the mother tongue to the weakening of traditional leaders’ capacity.
Third, the formulation of cultural preservation strategies, including strengthening the regeneration of cultural actors, documenting traditions, and developing spatial and thematic mapping to mitigate vulnerabilities.
“With this approach, the team hopes that the Osing Traditional Village of Kemiren will not only preserve its cultural identity but also serve as a model of community-based cultural preservation that adapts to the changing times,” Sulistyanigrum concluded.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya