PERSEPSI GENERASI MUDA TERHADAP TRADISI SEME’ SEBAGAI IDENTITAS BUDAYA WANITA SUMBAWA: KAJIAN SOSIOLOGIS DI DUSUN PAMULUNG

Abstract

The Seme' tradition is a traditional skincare practice that has been inherited by women as part of Sumbawanese cultural identity. However, the continuity of this tradition faces serious challenges, particularly in relation to the shifting perspectives of the younger generation toward cultural values. This study aims to explore the perceptions of the younger generation in Pamulung Hamlet, Karang Dima Village, regarding the Seme' tradition as a symbol of women's cultural identity, and to examine the social factors influencing the formation of these perceptions. This study used a qualitative approach using George Herbert Mead's Symbolic Interactionism theory as its theoretical perspective. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis was conducted using the Miles and Huberman model, which consists of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The results indicate that the younger generation in Pamulung Hamlet perceives the Seme' tradition as a representation of cultural identity embedded in Sumbawanese women. They demonstrate reflective and active attitudes in negotiating the meaning of the Seme' tradition amid the pressures of modernity. Three main factors influence the younger generation's perceptions: (1) family influence, particularly the role of mothers and grandmothers as the most dominant significant others in the process of cultural value transmission; (2) the influence of the social environment and peers, which play a dual role as both a source of modern pressures and a reinforcement of cultural identity; and (3) the influence of media and modernity, which function as both challenges and opportunities for the revitalization of local culture.