From Ritual Conflict to Cultural Cohesion: Tracing the Historical, Typological, and Peacebuilding Transformations of Ndempa in Bima, Indonesia

Adam Adam

doi:10.66815/ejecs/2686

Authors

Adam Adam Universitas Islam Negeri Datokarama Palu https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6427-0554

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.66815/ejecs/2686

Keywords:

Ndempa, ritualized conflict transformation, indigenous peacebuilding, social cohesion, cultural practices

Abstract

This study explores the historical transformation and cultural significance of Ndempa, a ritualized inter-village conflict tradition in Bima, Indonesia. Drawing on phenomenological qualitative methods, the research investigates how Ndempa evolved from colonial-era aggression into a symbolic performance of bravery, solidarity, and emotional restraint. Through interviews, observations, and archival analysis involving elders, youth, and cultural stakeholders from Ngali and Renda villages, three typologies of Ndempa were identified: Tapagala (marital rite), Kampo (youth training), and Panen (post-harvest celebration). The findings reveal how these forms function as dynamic scripts that integrate local values of dignity (maja labo dahu) with emerging ethical, religious, and civic norms. The study advances conflict theory by illustrating how symbolic aggression can reinforce social cohesion, and it extends Schutz’s phenomenology by showing how collective memory and intersubjectivity shape ritual meaning. Theoretically, it contributes to cultural peacebuilding discourse by highlighting hybrid, community-rooted reconciliation models in postcolonial contexts. Practically, it underscores the pedagogical and peace-promoting potential of indigenous rituals for civic education and youth character development.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

👁 Abstract Views: 487📥 PDF Downloads: 48

Author Biography

Adam Adam, Universitas Islam Negeri Datokarama Palu

is a lecturer and researcher in Sociology at UIN Datokarama Palu, Indonesia. His research interests include sociology of religion, social conflict, indigenous conflict resolution, and community-based peacebuilding, with a focus on local wisdom and Islamic social perspectives in Indonesia. He has contributed to several national journal articles and conference proceedings addressing education, social dynamics, and conflict studies in local contexts.

References

Aditya, R., Wulandari, S., & Fajar, N. (2023). Reviving local wisdom in conflict resolution: The role of indigenous rituals. Indonesian Journal of Anthropology, 44(1), 25–40. https://doi.org/10.7454/ijai.v44i1.19837 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21347

Altarriba, J., & Basnight-brown, D. (2022). The psychology of communication: The interplay between language and culture through time. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 53(7), 860– 874. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221221114046 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221221114046

Barrow, S. (2026). Meridians: Feminism, race, transnationalism (special issue, indigenous feminisms across the world, part 1). Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics, 10(1), Article 15. https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/17936 DOI: https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/17936

Bourhrous, Amal, & O’Driscoll, Dylan. (2023). Everyday peace in the Ninewa Plains, Iraq: Culture, rituals, and community interactions. Cooperation and Conflict, 58(4), 542–560. https://doi.org/10.1177/00108367231177797 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00108367231177797

Brigg, M., & Walker, P. O. (2020). Indigenous approaches to peace. In The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Peace and Conflict Studies (pp. 1–6). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11795-5_201-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11795-5_201-1

Cain, C. L., & Scrivner, B. (2022). Everyday ritual and ethnographic practice: Two cases showing the importance of embodiment and reflexivity. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 51(4), 490–515. https://doi.org/10.1177/08912416211060663 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/08912416211060663

Campos-Moreira, L. D., Cummings, M. I., Grumbach, G., Williams, H. E., & Hooks, K. (2020). Making a case for culturally humble leadership practices through a culturally responsive leadership framework. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 44(5), 407–414. https://doi.org/10.1080/23303131.2020.1822974 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23303131.2020.1822974

Chakma, S. (2026). Education or religious conversion. Asia Pacific Journal of Education and Society, 14(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.20897/apjes/17904 DOI: https://doi.org/10.20897/apjes/17904

Coser, L. A. (1956). The functions of social conflict. Routledge Classics.

Dahrendorf, R. (2007). Toward a theory of social conflict. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 2(2), 170–183. https://doi.org/10.1177/002200276100500204 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/002200275800200204

Delgado, E., Espinoza, M. del C., García-Rabines, D., & Berrocal, G. (2025). Becoming a woman or a man: subjective theories among Shipibo-Konibo adults and youth. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 12(4), 132–151. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2141 DOI: https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2141

Diprose, R. (2020). Conflict and peaceful change in Indonesia: Themes and conceptual approaches. Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 51(2), 292–310. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022463420000245

Edler, H., Krause, U., & Segadlo, N. (2026). Making sense of peace in exile? Displaced people’s intersectional perceptions of peace. Peacebuilding, 14(2), 107–124. https://doi.org/10.1080/21647259.2024.2418690 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21647259.2024.2418690

El-Soussi, A. (2025). Teacher identity continuum: A framework for teacher identity shifts online. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 8(1), 100–118. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2024.100411 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2024.100411

Etzrodt, C. (2020). A phenomenological approach towards the analysis of politics. Schutzian Research, 12, 103–123. https://doi.org/10.5840/schutz2020126 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5840/schutz2020126

Fontana, G. (2025). Making sense of the cultural dimension in conflict-affected societies. Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, 31(2), 163–176. https://doi.org/10.1080/13537113.2025.2457782 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13537113.2025.2457782

Gena, A. M., & Jarra, K. I. (2023). An appraisal of the practice of indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms in building a culture of peace in Bale zones, Oromia National Regional State, Ethiopia. Heliyon, 9(4), e14970. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14970 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14970

Grooms, A. A., Peters, A. L., Lopez, E., Ogden, K., Childs, J., Martinez, E., & Duran, S. (2025). When the past is present and future: How contextualizing a community’s historical context can shape the development of equity-focused principal pipelines. The Urban Review, 57(5), 1245–1269. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-025-00738-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-025-00738-8

Heersmink, R. (2023). Materialized identities: Cultural identity, collective memory, and artifacts. Review of Philosophy and Psychology, 14(1), 249–265. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13164-021-00570-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13164-021-00570-5

Idrus, N. (2016). Rituals of conflict and cohesion: An ethnographic study of Ndempa in Bima. Journal of Indonesian Culture, 28(2), 102–119.

Israel, M., & Hay, I. (2006). Research ethics for social scientists. SAGE Publications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781849209779

Lee, H., & Nasrullah, A. (2024). Indigenous conflict resolution models in Southeast Asia: Between ritual and reconciliation. Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology, 25(1), 12–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/14442213.2024.1125409

McNamara, R. A. (2024). Cultural evolution of religion, spirituality, and ritual: Impacts on human cooperation. KZfSS Kölner Zeitschrift Für Soziologie Und Sozialpsychologie, 76(3), 769–788. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11577-024-00937-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11577-024-00937-3

McWhorter, M. (2025). Yang’s cultural-ecological psychology: A perspective for interpreting cultural change. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 12(4), 188–208. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2315 DOI: https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2315

Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. SAGE Publications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412995658

Newman, P. A., Guta, A., & Black, T. (2021). Ethical Considerations for Qualitative Research Methods During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Other Emergency Situations : Navigating the Virtual Field. 20, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069211047823 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069211047823

Oviedo-Berrocal, L., Ortiz-Padilla, M., Zwierewicz, M., Vargas-Arteaga, J., & Gómez-García, M. (2026). STEM+intercultural: Integrating STEM education with indigenous ancestral knowledge, traditional knowledge, and intercultural contexts. A systematic literature review. European Journal of STEM Education, 11(1), Article 25. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/18476 DOI: https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/18476

Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., & Hoagwood, K. (2015). Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health, 42(5), 533–544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y

Phan, T. N. Le. (2025). From classroom to community: enhancing cultural competence of Vietnamese students through service learning projects. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 12(4), 48–66. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2126 DOI: https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2126

Rakhmani, I., & Subkhan, A. (2021). Local dynamics of peace in post-authoritarian Indonesia. Contemporary Southeast Asia, 43(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1355/cs43-1a DOI: https://doi.org/10.1355/cs43-1a

Rincón-unigarro, C., Costa-dutra, S., Díaz-fuentes, L., & Vargas-lópez, M. (2025). Ritual’s collective effervescence, awe, and social identity: psychosocial effects of the Pasto carnival. Frontiers in Psychology, 11(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1566499 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1566499

Schutz, A. (1967). The phenomenology of the social world. Northwestern University Press.

Sukma, R., & Panggabean, R. M. (2021). Cultural dimensions of peacebuilding in post-conflict Indonesia. Asian Journal of Peacebuilding, 9(1), 57–75. https://doi.org/10.2307/26921045

Syarifudin, & Muslimin, A. I. (2019). Politeness principles in traditional market interactions. ELITE Journal: Journal of Linguistic, Literature, and Education, 1(2), 123–132.

Tadjoeddin, M. Z., & Chowdhury, A. (2022). Decolonizing peacebuilding: Local agency and tradition in conflict resolution. Global Peace Review, 3(1), 5–23. https://doi.org/10.24197/gpr.v3i1.228

Whitehouse, H. (2024). Rethinking ritual: How rituals made our world and how they could save it. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 30(1), 115–132. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9655.14048 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9655.14048

Wiryono, A., & Susanto, J. (2022). Ritual aggression and social harmony: The paradox of symbolic violence in NTT. International Journal of Conflict Studies, 10(3), 66–82. https://doi.org/10.31769/ijcs.v10i3.212

Zabadi, F., Wahyudi, Fatmahwati, A., Sidik, U., Lestariningsih, D. N., Suryatin, E., Fitrina, Y., Fahmi, R. N., Aritonang, B., Kurnianto, E. A., Kurniawati, W., & Tama, I. W. (2025). Strengthening national identity through the value and preservation of Tidung tribe culture in the Indonesia-Malaysia border area. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 12(4), 209–229. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2602 DOI: https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2602