Cultural Fraternity ('Pela Gandong') as a Conflict Resolution Mechanism

Why It Matters

Understanding and leveraging existing cultural frameworks is crucial for designing interventions that are not only effective but also resonate with and are adopted by the target communities. This approach prioritizes the 'users' (in this case, communities) and their existing social capital.

Key Finding

The study found that a cultural practice called 'Pela Gandong' acted as a vital social mechanism that prevented violence and fostered unity between communities during times of conflict, highlighting its role in maintaining peace and humanity.

Key Findings

• Pela Gandong served to prevent violence and maintain humanity during communal conflicts.
• The practice functioned as a cultural fraternity that integrated three villages despite religious differences.
• Pela Gandong facilitated reciprocal humanitarian activities that united communities and contributed to conflict cessation.
• The preservation of Pela Gandong is important post-conflict.

Research Evidence

Aim: How does the cultural practice of 'Pela Gandong' function as a mechanism for conflict prevention and resolution within and between communities?

Method: Qualitative research, historical research methods, and interviews.

Procedure: The research involved a literature study and interviews with community figures. Data was analyzed using historical research stages: heuristic (gathering information), criticism (evaluating sources), interpretation (understanding meaning), and presentation (reporting findings).

Context: Inter-community relations during periods of conflict in Maluku, Indonesia.

Design Principle

Design solutions that are culturally resonant and build upon existing social capital.

How to Apply

Before implementing any community intervention, conduct thorough ethnographic research to understand local customs, social hierarchies, and existing conflict resolution practices.

Limitations

The study focuses on a specific cultural context and historical period, which may limit generalizability to other settings or contemporary issues.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: Sometimes, old traditions are the best way to solve modern problems because people already trust and understand them.

Why This Matters: It shows that understanding the 'users' means understanding their culture and social systems, which are key to successful design.

Critical Thinking: To what extent can external design interventions truly support or enhance traditional conflict resolution mechanisms without inadvertently disrupting them?

IA-Ready Paragraph: The research on 'Pela Gandong' demonstrates that deeply embedded cultural practices can serve as effective, user-defined mechanisms for conflict resolution and social cohesion. This highlights the critical need for designers to investigate and integrate existing cultural frameworks into their design processes, ensuring that solutions are not only functional but also culturally resonant and sustainable within their target communities.

Project Tips

• When researching a problem, look for existing community practices that already address it.
• Consider how your design can work with or enhance these existing practices rather than replacing them.

How to Use in IA

• Reference this study to justify the importance of understanding cultural context in your design project's user research phase.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate an awareness of how cultural context influences user needs and the adoption of design solutions.

Independent Variable: The existence and practice of 'Pela Gandong'.

Dependent Variable: Prevention of violence, maintenance of humanity, community integration, cessation of conflict.

Strengths

• Provides a deep dive into a specific cultural practice and its functional role.
• Utilizes a rigorous historical research methodology.

Critical Questions

• How might the effectiveness of 'Pela Gandong' change in the face of external pressures or modernization?
• What are the potential downsides or limitations of relying solely on cultural practices for conflict resolution?

Extended Essay Application

• Investigate a local tradition or social practice in your community that addresses a specific social issue (e.g., environmental stewardship, community support). Analyze its effectiveness and propose a design intervention that could enhance or support it, drawing parallels to the 'Pela Gandong' example.

Source

Pela Gandong Among the Communities of Hatu, Haya, and Tehua in 1999-2000 · ISLAM TRANSFORMATIF Journal of Islamic Studies · 2023 · 10.30983/it.v7i2.7568