Modernity and Cultural Dislocation: A Study on the Loss of Local Wisdom Practices in Asmat Society
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60011/jumpa.v13i1.194Keywords:
Modernity, Cultural dislocation, Local wisdom, In-depth interviews, FGD, Asmat people, Cultural preservationAbstract
This article analyzes the impact of modernity on cultural dislocation in Asmat society, focusing on the loss of local wisdom practices that have long been central to their cultural identity. This research uses two main techniques, namely in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), to explore the Asmat people's perspectives on the social and cultural changes they are experiencing. The findings show that modernity, triggered by globalization, technological development, and information flow, has caused a shift in traditional values, changed life patterns, and threatened the preservation of local wisdom. This cultural dislocation not only impacts on social aspects, but also on Asmat cultural identity and sustainability. This research provides insights into the challenges communities face in maintaining their traditions amidst modernity, and offers strategic recommendations to safeguard an almost forgotten cultural heritage. The findings are expected to make an important contribution to the development of cultural studies and the preservation of local wisdom.
References
Anggraheni, W. S. N., & Prasodjo, T. (2023). Evolusi budaya artefaktual suku Asmat dalam pendekatan ekoteologi. Jambura History and Culture Journal, 5(1). https://ejurnal.ung.ac.id/index.php/jhcj/article/view/26520/0
Andi, S., & Rahman, M. T. (2019). Cultural shifts in indigenous food systems of Papua: Between heritage and modernity. Indigenous Knowledge and Development, 4(2), 89–105.
Appadurai, A. (1996). Modernity at large: Cultural dimensions of globalization. University of Minnesota Press.
Asmuruf, F., Wanma, J. F., & Rumatora, A. (2020). Budidaya dan pemanfaatan sagu (Metroxylon sp.) oleh sub-etnis Ayamaru di Kampung Semabro Distrik Ayamaru Selatan. Research Gate. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342234360
Ayatrohaedi. (1986). Kepribadian Budaya Bangsa. Jakarta: Pustaka Jaya
Bala, K. B. (2023). Globalisasi dan kastrasi kearifan lokal sagu masyarakat Papua Selatan. Jurnal Masyarakat Papua (JUMPA), 4(2), 112–120. https://ojs.stkyakobus.ac.id/index.php/jumpa/article/view/140
Baransano, R., Windia, I. W., & Suardi, I. D. P. O. (2019). The impact of changes in local food consumption of sweet potato and sago into rice food, in Kampung Makimi, Makimi District, Nabire Regency, Papua Province. Jurnal Agribisnis dan Agrowisata, 8(2), 267–274. https://doi.org/10.24843/JAA.2019.v08.i02.p14
Bollas, C. (2008). Indigenous cultural shifts in Papua: A study of displacement and modernization in the Asmat community. Journal of Cultural Studies, 12(3), 129-145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2008.03.002
Bauman, Z. (2000). Liquid modernity. Polity Press. Living in an age of uncertainty. Polity Press.
Bauman, Z. (2001). Community: Seeking safety in an insecure world. Polity Press.
Bauman, Z. (2007). Liquid times: Living in an age of uncertainty. Polity Press.
Charters, C. (2022). Revitalizing Indigenous Knowledge in Urban Settings: Cultural Resilience through Modern Interpretation. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 25(4), 563–580. https://doi.org/10.1177/13678779221085641
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Creswell, John W. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, And Mixed Methods Approaches. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Damanik, S. (2021). Modernitas dan kehidupan masyarakat adat: Studi kasus Papua. Jurnal Antropologi, 14(3), 29-42.
Diani, M. (2017). Pelatihan dan pendidikan budaya di masyarakat Papua. Jurnal Kebudayaan Papua, 5(2), 42-55.
Ellen W. Blackwood. 2015. Myths And Legends Of The Asmat People. Sydney: Oceania Publications
Flassy, M. (2023). Lestarikan kearifan lokal Papua melalui sagu. Antara News Papua Barat. Retrieved from https://papuabarat.antaranews.com/berita/60353/akademisi-uncen-lestarikan-kearifan-lokal-papua-melalui-sagu
Gade, A. M. (2021). Muslim environmentalists: Religious and social foundations of sustainability. Columbia University Press.
Geertz, C. (1983). Local knowledge: Further essays in interpretive anthropology. Basic Books.
Gietzelt, D. (2021). Sago versus rice and the reorganisation of ritual spacetime in Asmat, Papua. Oceania, 91(3), 313–329. https://doi.org/10.1002/ocea.5306
Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and self-identity: Self and society in the late modern age. Stanford University Press.
Guest, G., Namey, E. E., & Mitchell, M. L. (2017). Collecting qualitative data: A field manual for applied research. SAGE Publications.
Hannerz, U. (1996). Transnational connections: Culture, people, places. Routledge.
Harahap, D., & Santiago, P. V. da S. (2024). Agroforestry based on local wisdom: Strengthening community resilience and carbon sequestration in the context of climate change in Indonesia. Assyfa Journal of Farming and Agriculture, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.61650/ajfa.v1i2.191
Haryono. (2018). Perubahan Sosial Dan Budaya Di Masyarakat Adat Papua. Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Hidayat. (2015). Transformasi Pangan Lokal Di Indonesia. Jakarta: Yayasan Pangan Nusantara
Inglehart, R., & Baker, W. E. (2000). Modernization, cultural change, and the persistence of traditional values. American Sociological Review, 65(1), 19–51. https://doi.org/10.2307/2657288
James C. Scott. (1998). Like A State. New Haven: Yale University Press
Jan Boelaars. (1986). Sagu Dalam Konteks Kearifan Lokal Masyarakat Suku Asmat. Jakarta: Gramedia.
Jebb, M. (2022). Heritage and identity in West Papua: Commodifying tradition for tourism. Anthropology Today, 38(1), 17–21. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8322.12727
Kambuaya, Y., & Anggraeni, D. (2023). Modernization and cultural adaptation in coastal Papua. Asian Journal of Social Science Studies, 8(2), 33–41. https://doi.org/10.20849/ajsss.v8i2.1120
Koentjaraningrat. (2009). Pengantar ilmu antropologi. Rineka Cipta.
La Hisa, Mahuze, A., & Arka, I. W. (2019). Dokumentasi etnobotani-linguistik tumbuhan sagu: Laporan awal dari etnis Marori di Taman Nasional Wasur Merauke. Linguistik Indonesia, 37(1), 1–15. https://ojs2.linguistik-indonesia.org/index.php/linguistik_indonesia/article/view/69
Marlina Mampioper. (2018). Sagu Dalam Budaya Papua. Jayapura: Cenderawasih University Press
Miles, Matthew B., Huberman, A. Michael, & Saldaña, Johnny. (2014). Qualitative Data Analysis. Sage Publications, Los Angeles: A Methods Sourcebook 3rd Ed.
Nugroho, P. (2019). Revitalisasi tradisi dalam globalisasi: Studi kasus Papua. Jurnal Antropologi Indonesia, 11(1), 34-50.
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Paino, H. (2023). Traditional sago worm-based food item preferences among children aged 1–5 years in Asmat, Papua. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 19(1), 45. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-023-00587-1
Pamungkas, C. (2018). Building social resilience on Asmat people: Social and cultural perspective. Kapata Arkeologi, 14(1), 111–122. https://kapata-arkeologi.kemdikbud.go.id/index.php/kapata/article/view/489
Prasetyo, H. (2020). Pendekatan pembangunan berkelanjutan dan pelestarian budaya. Jurnal Pembangunan dan Kebijakan, 8(2), 101-112.
Rahmad H. (2020). Dampak Modernisasi Terhadap Pola Konsumsi Masyarakat Papua. Yogyakarta: Gadjah Mada University Press
Rifai, A. (2018). Pembangunan ekonomi dan dampaknya pada kebudayaan lokal. Jurnal Ekonomi dan Masyarakat, 6(1), 77-91.
Sachs, J. (2015). The age of sustainable development. Columbia University Press.
Schneider, M., & Craddock, J. (2020). Cultural transformation and social change in the Asmat region of Papua: The impact of modernization on traditional practices. Journal of Social Anthropology, 45(2), 203–221. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042905520906615
Schneebaum, T. (1985). Where the spirits dwell: An odyssey in the jungle of New Guinea. Grove Press.
Schneebaum, T. (1990). Where the spirits dwell: An odyssey in the jungle of New Guinea. Grove Press.
Sillitoe, P. (2003). Managing animals the Papua New Guinea way: Indigenous knowledge and development. Berghahn Books.
Siregar, R. (2021). Dinamika kearifan lokal di tengah arus modernitas. Jurnal Kajian Budaya, 8(3), 85-96.
Suryadi, R. (2019). Perubahan ekonomi dan dampaknya terhadap kebudayaan masyarakat adat Papua. Jurnal Ekonomi dan Sosial Papua, 4(1), 23-36.
Suroto, H., Maryone, R., & Salhuteru, M. (2023). Budaya Sagu di Papua dari Masa Prasejarah Hingga Masa Kini. Research Gate. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375928847
Suroto, H. (2023). Jadi bagian budaya orang Papua, konsumsi sagu sejak 50 ribu tahun lalu. Mongabay Indonesia. Retrieved from https://www.mongabay.co.id/2023/07/11/jadi-bagian-budaya-orang-papua-konsumsi-sagu-sejak-50-ribu-tahun-lalu
Timuay, B. (2017). Sagu dan kehidupan orang Asmat: Kajian etnobotani dan budaya. Yayasan Obor Indonesia.
Timu, F. (2023). Tradisi sagu dalam perspektif ekologi budaya masyarakat pesisir Papua. Jurnal Kajian Budaya dan Lingkungan, 3(1), 55–72.
Umanailo, J. (2020). Pengolahan sagu dan transisi ekonomi masyarakat adat Asmat. Jurnal Kebudayaan Papua, 11(2), 45-60.
UNESCO. (2019). Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems. Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org
Soekamto, M. H., et al. (2023). Diseminasi budidaya tanaman sagu (Metroxylon sp.) pada suku Moi di Kampung Jeflio Distrik Mayamuk Kabupaten Sorong. JPMITTC, 6(1), 34–42. https://jurnal.minartis.com/index.php/jpmittc/article/view/1945
Wambrauw, K., Sumule, A., & Marthen, R. (2020). Sago for food security and cultural identity in Papua. Food Security Journal, 12(4), 945–958. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-020-01041-z
Wahyudi. (2019). Modernisasi Dan Pangan. Surabaya: Airlangga University Press
Wijaya, M. (2018). Dinamika sosial dan ekonomi masyarakat adat di Papua: Sebuah tinjauan empiris. Jurnal Kajian Masyarakat dan Budaya, 5(1), 98-110
Yuliana Wambrauw. (2020). Kearifan Lokal Dalam Masyarakat Asmat. Yogyakarta: Gadjah Mada University Press
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Rikardus Kristian Sarang, Abel Jiaripits

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.