The language that saves tradition: Identity negotiation, religion, and the performative survival of East Javanese Coastal Ludruk
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study examines how East Javanese Coastal Ludruk negotiates identity, religion, and cultural continuity through language and performance. Using community-based participatory research, the study involved Ludruk communities in Surabaya, Gresik, and Lamongan through interviews, open questionnaires, observation, documentation, and thematic analysis. The findings show that Ludruk Pesisir survives not by preserving tradition as a fixed form, but by reorganizing its linguistic and cultural resources. Performers use colloquial registers, code-mixing, humor, religious narratives, visual symbols, musical recomposition, and intergenerational training to sustain audience intimacy, moral resonance, and social legitimacy. Islamic stories, Walisongo narratives, modest costumes, and pesantren-compatible performances demonstrate how religion becomes a cultural language for negotiating acceptance. Meanwhile, musical innovation, shortened performance duration, and collaboration with schools and local art groups expand Ludruk’s relevance across generations. The study argues that Ludruk Pesisir embodies performative survival: tradition remains alive through repeated acts of speaking, sounding, moving, teaching, collaborating, and being socially recognized.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
This open-access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license.
You are free to: Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format. Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms: Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
No additional restrictions You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
How to Cite
Share
References
Alenizi, A. S. (2023). Understanding the subjective realties of social proof and usability for mobile banking adoption: using triangulation of qualitative methods. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 14(8), 2027–2044. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-03-2022-0096
Bhabha, H. K. (1994). The Postcolonial and the Postmodern: Questions of Agency. The Location of Culture, 171–197.
Bourdieu, P. (1991). Language & Symbolic Power. Harvard University Press.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Butler, J. (2021). Excitable speech: A politics of the performative. In Excitable Speech: A Politics of the Performative. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003146759
Cerquetti, M., Ferrara, C., Romagnoli, A., & Vagnarelli, G. (2022). Enhancing Intangible Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Tourism Development in Rural Areas: The Case of the “Marche Food and Wine Memories” Project (Italy). Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(24), 16893. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416893
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (5th (ed.)). Sage Publications.
D’Agostino, E. M., Piepenbrink, R., Bateman, L. B., Mast, D. K., Windsor, L., Oto-Kent, D., Wells, A., Goldman, J., Schuster, J., Kaufmann, R., Gurarie, R., & Nuño, M. (2026). Strategies for high-quality community-based participatory research partnerships in public health research. Public Health in Practice, 11, 100787. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhip.2026.100787
Dai, M. (2026). Intangible Cultural Heritage Communication and Green Sustainability in the Digital Media Era: Pathways and Strategies. International Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Information Systems, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.4018/IJAEIS.398860
Fahmi, Z. (2026). The cultural politics of curriculum discourse: Cultural representations in Arabic as a foreign language (AFL) textbooks. Linguistics and Education, 92, 101518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2026.101518
Fettahoğlu, E., & Aydıntan, E. (2026). Digital experience in physical space: The design process of hybrid spaces. Displays, 93, 103375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.displa.2026.103375
Fitzgerald, C. M. (2021). Language revitalization and documentation a framework for language revitalization and documentation. Language, 97(1), e1–e11. https://doi.org/10.1353/lan.2021.0006
Gans, N., Logan, M. W., & Alexander, P. A. (2025). Exploring the presence of culturally sustaining and active learning teaching practices in college classrooms. Teaching and Teacher Education, 162, 105055. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2025.105055
Guo, Y., Cao, Z., & Zhu, Z. (2022). The influence of ICH-narrator/self-congruity on tourist’s purchase intention of intangible cultural heritage products in a narrative context. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 52, 151–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2022.06.011
Hall, S. (2003). Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices (S. Hall, J. Evans, & S. Nixon (eds.)). SAGE Publications.
Hammine, M., & Tsutsui Billins, M. (2022). Collaborative Ryukyuan Language Documentation and Reclamation. Languages, 7(3), 192. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages7030192
Honda, Y., Kohno, A., Habu, H., Honda, S., Noguchi, T., Koga, C., Hiramatsu, M., Okuzono, S. S., Sakurai, H., Ohsuga, M., Lunar, F. R., Tun, T., Luo, Y., & Kondo, N. (2026). Traditional arts and events for mental and social well-being: a scoping review framed by intangible cultural heritage. The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific, 67, 101789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanwpc.2025.101789
Hou, Y., Kenderdine, S., Picca, D., Egloff, M., & Adamou, A. (2022). Digitizing Intangible Cultural Heritage Embodied: State of the Art. Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage, 15(3), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1145/3494837
Hymes, D. (2013). Foundations in Sociolinguistics: An ethnographic approach. In Foundations in Sociolinguistics: An ethnographic approach. University of Pennsylvania Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315888835
Jing, B., Zaremohzzabieh, Z., Abdullah, H., Ahrari, S., Gill, S. S., Rosnon, M. R., & Ma’rof, A. A. (2025). Why communities withdraw: A multilevel analysis of participation barriers in climate governance and sustainable development in rural China. Sustainable Futures, 10, 101501. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2025.101501
Li, Y. (2025). Digital financial inclusion and intangible cultural heritage. Finance Research Letters, 77, 107017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2025.107017
Majadly, H., & Amara, M. (2025). Cultural identity in the arabic language textbooks of arab elementary schools in Israel. International Journal of Educational Research, 130, 102550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2025.102550
Mistrean, L., & Sharma, B. (2026). Artificial intelligence for cultural preservation: using advanced technology to sustain heritage sites. In S. Taneja, E. Özen, & J. B. T.-S. D. U. Paulo Davim (Eds.), Sustainable Development Unveiled: Engaging Reviews and Inspiring Case Studies (pp. 205–227). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-41628-6.00019-8
Mosch, L., Sümer, M., Flint, A. R., Feufel, M., Balzer, F., Mörike, F., & Poncette, A. S. (2024). Alarm Management in Intensive Care: Qualitative Triangulation Study. JMIR Human Factors, 11. https://doi.org/10.2196/55571
Palimaru, A. I., Malika, N., Brown, R. A., Holmes, P., Dickerson, D. L., Johnson, C. L., Sanchez, V. A., Schweigman, K., & D’Amico, E. J. (2026). Bridging traditions and prevention: Insights into implementing and sustaining substance use programs for urban AI/AN communities. Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, 183, 209892. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.josat.2026.209892
Phillip, E., Walsh, A., Jewitt, S., Conroy, R. M., & Stanistreet, D. (2025). Impact of community-based participatory research on capacity building: Findings from a household and ambient air project. Sustainable Futures, 10, 101139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2025.101139
Qiu, Q., Zuo, Y., & Zhang, M. (2022). Intangible Cultural Heritage in Tourism: Research Review and Investigation of Future Agenda. Land, 11(1), 139. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11010139
Rizkita, M. A., Winarno, A., Suwono, H., & Malek, N. A. N. N. (2025). Integrating cultural adaptation in digital marketing strategies: Enhancing competitiveness and sustainability in MSMEs of Java, Indonesia. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 11(3), 100609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2025.100609
Street, B. V., & Bauman, R. (1988). Story, Performance and Event: Contextual Studies of Oral Nartive. In Man (Vol. 23, Issue 1). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/2803076
Tamim, Z. H., Akter, B., Rahman, M. S., Kaiser, M. S., Rahman, M. A., Ogliari, E., & Tanasiev, V. (2025). Exploring equitable opportunities and cultural preservation in smart tourism through sustainable and accessible Virtual Reality. Sustainable Cities and Society: Advances, 1(1), 100007. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scsadv.2025.100007
Terkourafi, M. (2026). The meanings of social meaning. Journal of Pragmatics, 253, 16–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2025.12.005
Türker, A. (2026). A bibliometric analysis of research on intangible cultural heritage in the field of tourism. Social Sciences and Humanities Open, 13, 102405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.102405
Van Ninh, N., & Van Tam, T. (2026). The role of social capital in enhancing community participation for sustainable agricultural tourism. Sustainable Futures, 11, 101612. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2025.101612
von Bosse, A., Thum, A., Mahler, S., Schulz, H., Weuthen, P., & Kunze, C. (2025). Evaluating the Feasibility of a Dyadic, Touch-Based Multimedia Tablet Intervention and Its Effects on the Caregiver-Patient Relationship Among Individuals With Mild Cognitive Impairment: Qualitative Triangulation Study. JMIR Aging, 8. https://doi.org/10.2196/75189
Wehrle, A. J., Bakhtin, M. M., Emerson, C., & Holquist, M. (1982). The Dialogic Imagination. Four Essays by M. M. Bakhtin. In M. Holquist & C. Emerson (Eds.), The Slavic and East European Journal (Vol. 26, Issue 1). University of Texas Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/307132
Wuster, T. (2020). Reader in Comedy: An Anthology of Theory and Criticism. Studies in American Humor, 6(1), 205–207. https://doi.org/10.5325/studamerhumor.6.1.0205
Yan, Q., Shen James, H., Xin, W., & Ye Ben, H. (2024). Examining the ritualized experiences of intangible cultural heritage tourism. Journal of Destination Marketing and Management, 31, 100843. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2023.100843
Yau, J. H. Y., Wong, E. L. Y., Kanagawa, H. S., Liu, T., Wong, G. H. Y., & Lum, T. Y. S. (2024). Effectiveness of community-based participatory research (CBPR) interventions on mental health outcomes: A systematic review. Social Science and Medicine, 363, 117491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117491
Yu, J. (2026). Digital Transformation of Intangible Cultural Heritage Art Driven by Intelligent Algorithms: Taking Traditional Pattern Generation and Interactive Design as Examples. Procedia Computer Science, 281, 1005–1013. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2026.04.297