ADAPTIVE MULTICULTURALISM IN THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF CIREUNDEU

Abstract

This study examines adaptive multiculturalism among the indigenous people of Cireundeu in Cimahi, West Java, and how it is cultivated through cross-cultural education to strengthen social harmony. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews with traditional elders who also serve as community secretaries (girang serat), then analyzed thematically through data reduction, categorization, data display, and a conclusion drawn, supported by triangulation of sources to ensure credibility. These findings reveal four interrelated themes. First, the community upholds the adaptive philosophy of “indung ka tiempo, mibapa ka zaman”, which embraces modernization while preserving ancestral values. Second, Bale Atikan functions as an intergenerational learning space that fosters Sahakuring, a form of self-awareness and culture, alongside formal schools. Third, the tradition of rasi (cassava rice), which is rooted in the 1918 Food Independence Movement against the colonial government, continues to strengthen food security and communal solidarity. Fourth, the community shows openness to external collaboration, as reflected in its recognition as a pilot of the National Food Security and its involvement in the government’s Free Nutritious Food program. These findings suggest that adaptive multiculturalism functions as a collective value system sustained through community-based informal cross-cultural education rather than merely individual tolerance, offering an alternative model that enriches conventional multicultural education and strengthens social harmony amid modernization.