The Bēqēn Ritual as a Mechanism for Community Formation and Social Integration in the Pene Lando Indigenous Community on Lombok Island

Abstrak

This study aims to examine how the Bēqēn ritual can become a mechanism for community formation and a medium for social integration in the Pene Lando indigenous community on Lombok Island. The focus of this study is to see how the Bēqēn ritual creates a space that allows for the suspension of social structures and differentiation, thereby encouraging the formation of egalitarian relations and strengthening solidarity and social cohesion among community members. This study uses qualitative methods with ethnographic and sociological approaches. Data collection techniques in this study use interview, observation, and document techniques. The data obtained are then analyzed using Victor Turner's theoretical framework, particularly the concepts of liminality and community, as well as Emile Durkheim's collective consciousness. Theoretically, this study emphasizes the relevance of ritual as a mechanism for community formation and social integration. The results show that the Bēqēn ritual functions as an arena for the reproduction of collective values that strengthen the social bonds of the community. Practically, this study has implications for efforts to maintain resilience and strengthen social harmony through local traditions. The originality of this research lies in its comprehensive analysis of the Bēqēn ritual as a local traditional practice positioned not only as a religious expression but also as an active social mechanism in shaping community and social integration. The value of this research lies in its function, namely enriching academic discourse on the existence of ritual in maintaining sustainable relations and social cohesion for local communities.

Kata kunci

• beqen ritual
• community formation
• pene lando indigenous community
• social integration