THE CHALLENGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: COMMUNICATION ACTION OF CITOREK'S YOUNG GENERATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37231/apj.2025.8.SI1.808Abstract
Efforts toward environmental sustainability in geopark development often encounter tensions between traditional wisdom and modern policy, particularly within indigenous communities. This study investigates how the youth of Citorek, Indonesia, navigate these challenges by integrating ancestral customs with government-driven Bayah Dome Geopark initiatives. Using a descriptive qualitative method, data were gathered through in-depth interviews with 11 key informants, six months of participant observation at 15 cultural-environmental events, and critical discourse analysis of 22 documents, including customary laws and UNESCO guidelines. The findings reveal that Citorek youth act as mediators between tradition and modernity through hybrid communication strategies. They sustain cultural rituals like Seren Taun while resisting environmental threats such as mining through digital campaigns on platforms like Instagram and local websites. They also bridge intergenerational and institutional gaps by promoting customary land management (ngamit lembur) within formal geopark frameworks and use traditional forums (musyawarah adat) alongside social media to support sustainable tourism. However, fragmented stakeholder collaboration and limited policy awareness persist. This study concludes that Citorek youth exemplify how hybrid, culturally rooted communication supported by social capital and Habermasian communicative action can enhance environmental governance. Their model aligns with SDGs 11 and 13, demonstrating that youth can be vital agents in culturally grounded sustainability. Recommendations include institutionalizing youth led digital platforms, scaling the Citorek model to other indigenous settings, and formalizing intergenerational knowledge transfer through mentorship programs.
Keywords: Environmental Communication; Social Capital; Youth Generation; Geopark Sustainability; Traditional-Modern Hybridity; Kasepuhan Citorek
Usaha ke arah kelestarian alam sekitar dalam pembangunan geopark sering berdepan cabaran untuk mengimbangi kearifan tempatan dengan dasar moden, khususnya dalam komuniti masyarakat pribumi. Kajian ini meneliti bagaimana generasi muda di Citorek, Indonesia, menangani kerumitan ini dengan mengintegrasikan adat warisan leluhur bersama inisiatif Geopark Bayah Dome yang digerakkan oleh kerajaan. Menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif, data dikumpulkan melalui temu bual mendalam dengan 11 orang informan utama, pemerhatian berpartisipasi selama enam bulan di 15 acara budaya dan alam sekitar, serta analisis wacana kritikal terhadap 22 dokumen termasuk undang-undang adat dan garis panduan UNESCO. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa golongan muda Citorek memainkan peranan sebagai perantara antara tradisi dan modenisasi melalui strategi komunikasi hibrid. Mereka mengekalkan ritual budaya seperti Seren Taun sambil menentang aktiviti perlombongan melalui kempen digital di Instagram dan laman web komuniti seperti Lebak Unique. Selain itu, mereka menghubungkan jurang antara generasi dan pihak berkepentingan dengan mengangkat pengurusan tanah adat (ngamit lembur) ke dalam kerangka geopark kebangsaan serta menggabungkan forum tradisional (musyawarah adat) dengan media sosial untuk menyokong pelancongan lestari. Walau bagaimanapun, kerjasama pihak berkepentingan yang terpecah dan kurangnya kesedaran dasar kekal sebagai cabaran. Kajian ini menyimpulkan bahawa komunikasi hibrid berasaskan modal sosial dan tindakan komunikatif (Habermas) yang diamalkan oleh belia Citorek berupaya mengukuhkan tadbir urus alam sekitar. Model ini sejajar dengan Matlamat Pembangunan Mampan (SDG) 11 dan 13. Cadangan termasuk memperkukuh platform digital yang diketuai belia, memperluas model Citorek ke komuniti pribumi lain, dan memformalkan pemindahan ilmu antara generasi melalui program mentor.
Kata kunci: Komunikasi Alam Sekitar; Modal Sosial; Generasi Belia; Kelestarian Geopark; Hibrid Tradisi-Moderni; Kasepuhan Citorek
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