Javanese Identity in Today’s Society : Exploring the Influence of Javanese Language on Javanese Identity

Javanese Identity in Today’s Society : Exploring the Influence of Javanese Language on Javanese Identity

Language and society are closely intertwined and can influence each other. Indonesia is a unitary country with a diverse culture and local languages. Despite this linguistic diversity, Indonesian has served as a unifying language. This article discusses the current attitudes of Javanese people towards the Javanese language within the context of societal changes. The research involved questionnaires, interviews, and recordings of several Javanese conversations. The study findings indicate that while most participants believe they uphold a solid preservation of the Javanese people’s identity, signs are pointing to the potential erosion of the Javanese people’s identity, particularly in the quality of language usage among the participants. The preservation of Javanese people’s identity is closely tied to the Javanese language skills and attitudes, emphasizing the need to take action to protect it. The findings of this research can inform policies related to language education, cultural identity, and the development of language preservation and promotion strategies.

Creators Said Dewi Pangestu