Communal Activities as Intercultural Communication Strategies of Social Actors in Developing Social Cohesion in Sudiroprajan

Buddy Riyanto, Andrik Purwasito, Andre Rahmanto, Sri Hastjarjo

Universitas Sebelas Maret (Indonesia), Universitas Slamet Riyadi (Indonesia)

This article examines communal activities as intercultural communication strategies used by local social actors to develop social cohesion in Sudiroprajan, Surakarta, Indonesia. Sudiroprajan is a multicultural urban neighborhood in which Javanese residents, Chinese Indonesians, Javanese-Chinese descendants, and communities with diverse religious, generational, occupational, and socio-economic backgrounds interact in everyday life. Using a qualitative approach within a constructivist paradigm and a grounded theory strategy, this study draws on observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation of community practices. The findings show that Grebeg Sudiro, Barongsai Macan Putih, neighborhood collective work, Kampung Pelangi, the Harapan Kita Waste Bank, the Suka Maju Women Farmers Group, and the Sinar Mentari Climate Village Program operate as communicative arenas where residents encounter difference, negotiate meanings, coordinate roles, reproduce local values, and create shared experiences. Social actors, including community leaders, neighborhood administrators, religious figures, women’s groups, youth, cultural activists, and environmental organizers, act as initiators, mobilizers, facilitators, mediators, and interpreters of meaning. The article argues that communal activities are not merely socio-cultural or environmental programs; they constitute an infrastructure of intercultural communication that transforms diversity into social capital, strengthens trust, and supports inclusive community identity.

Article link: https://www.asianinstituteofresearch.org/JSParchives/communal-activities-as-intercultural-communication-strategies-of-social-actors-in-developing-social-cohesion-in-sudiroprajan