THE ORIGIN OF BEGAWE IN SASAK CULTURE

Ainu Miftahul Jannah, Fatimatuzzahrah

State Islamic University of Mataram west Nusa Tenggara

E-mail: 200107025.mhs@uinmataram.ac.id,200107015.mhs@uinmataram.ac.id

Abstract

The begawe tradition, which has become the popular culture of Sasaknese,. The new
ethnography in this case study becomes the basis for examining the commodification practice
in the begawe tradition, which switches to catering services and traditional equipment and
replaces by modern equipment. The author, who is part of the Sasak community, also takes a
participatory approach in begawe events held by the community. This shows that the
alienation of popular culture in society cannot be contained by massive mass culture, so that
people, which were initially established with high social values, began to form individualist
societies that competed to show their social status. The consumption of signs/symbols has
formed a society trapped in a pseudo-need that is unwittingly oppressive. Awareness to be
critical and filter the mass culture needs a sphere for negotiation to return the spirit of the
social community based on kinship interaction. The research was carried out using a qualitative
approach in the type of ethnographic research, this method is appropriate for analyzing the
origins of begawe in Sasak culture. The ethnographic method is a research technique that
focuses on observing culture and human behavior, as well as the interaction between humans
and their environment the researcher is directly involved with the people being studied to
understand the values, beliefs, and cultural practices being carried out. coupled with the fact
that the researcher is a Sasak person who of course absorbs and feels himself being a Sasak
person.

Keywords : Begawe, Sasaq culture, community, etnographic,

A. INTRODUCTION

Culture is the result of ancestral heritage from generation to generation. Culture

is one of the country's assets that need to be considered and preserved because culture

can reflect the identity of a tribe, the identity of a region, and the identity of a nation,

each region has its own culture which is certainly different from other regions, one of

which in this case is the culture that located in the Lombok area. Lombok is one of the

areas in Nusa Tenggara Barat Province with a Muslim majority, so it is often called the

Thousand Mosques Island (Kholidi, 2014).

Culture and religion in the life of the people of Lombok sometimes cannot run in

balance, so many cultures are on the verge of extinction because people in certain areas

in Lombok highly uphold Islamic values which are full of values of faith and decency.

Conditions like this are a big job for all people so that religious and cultural life can run

in balance without having to be hindered by rules and customs, both in carrying out

nature as religious people by obeying all commands and avoiding all His prohibitions, as

well as human beings who born with a culture that should be preserved.

Begawe is a tradition that is still being preserved by the people of Lombok.

Begawe is an event that is held on certain big days. Begawe is also held for special days

such as begawe nyongkolan at the nyongkolan event. Begawe nyiwaq for the 9th

anniversary of someone's death to begawe on several other days for other

commemorations. A tradition usually has symbols that reflect a meaning. Begawe itself

is a symbol of close cooperation between residents. Mutual cooperation and mutual

assistance are the things that are most reflected in this begawe ceremony. One of the

most famous begawe is begawe merariq. Merariq.

This Begawe was born in the midst of Sasak culture based on something that has

become a habit for Lombok community groups and is felt to have a positive value so it

should be maintained and preserved so that in the future it will continue to be carried

on by the next generat (Sanusi & Sari, 2020). Sometimes, a habit created by previous

ancestors that has been passed down from generation to generation is not accepted by

the current generation, which looks more at the modern world without looking at the

future effects whether it is good or bad for the system of social life.

The influence of the modern world today is quite apprehensive, authentic value

of begawe is also slowly disappearing because it is suppressed by the creative creativity

of the capitas who see opportunities in every begawe event (Rahim & Halimatuzzahro,

2021) so it's not surprising that many of the several areas in Indonesia that have

maintained culture have begun to erode for quite a long time and are barely being

revived. One of them is the Lombok region which is located in NTB, Lombok is known as

the Thousand Mosques Island the majority of the population is Muslim, of course, has a

culture that has been carried out and is difficult to change because it is ingrained in

everyone.

One of them is the begawe custom which, according to the Muslim community

in Lombok, has positive effects that are directly related to obligations as a Muslim, for

example, maintaining friendship, helping one another, and so on. This is what makes the

people of Lombok in general always maintain and preserve the. Begawe custom
 (Saprudin, 2019). However, due to the influence of the modern world which always

provides convenience for the current generation, this culture is slowly not being carried

out.

Culture as one of the assets of this State cannot stop from just one generation,

but must continue until the next generation. By continuing to carry out the begawe

traditions and customs, it indicates that the Sasak people really care about and respect

the heritage from their ancestors in ancient times. Regardless of the increasingly

modern developments, the Sasak tribe continues to preserve the culture that exists in

their own area, so that the traditions and customs attached to their territory are well

preserved and will not be constrained by history. In the Begawe tradition, Sasak people

have moral values, as well as social values, solidarity values and cultural values

(Julmulyani, 2021).

This research was conducted the sustainability of Begawe and preserve local

culture. By studying the origins of begawe in Sasak culture, this research can help

promote and maintain the sustainability of local culture for future generations. This

research can also help preserve the cultural heritage of Sasak. Begawe is part of the

traditions and legends that belong to the Sasak people, and investigating its origins can

help reveal the history and traditional cultural values.

B. LITERATURE REVIEW

According to H. Kistanto, (2011) Indonesia is widely known as a nation with a

highly diverse social and cultural reality. The social-cultural relations between
communities in Indonesia have been shaped by a long history of introductions and

interactions with various nations, religions, and cultures around the world. Similarly,

Indonesian nationalism and the sense of national identity have also been formed,

developed, and tested through a long history of interactions between the "Indonesian

people" and various nations, religions, and cultures around the world. These

experiences have shaped both old and new values within Indonesian society.

Culture is the power of the mind in the form of creativity, intention and taste,

while culture is the result of creativity, intention and taste (Jamal Munawir, 2020). Some

old values are to be abandoned or updated, while new values that are appropriate to

the needs and development of the nation's civilization in present and future times must

be continually understood, realized, and tested through social and cultural interactions.

Initially, Indonesia had many cultural legacies from our ancestors that should be proud

of by the Indonesian people themselves, but nowadays Indonesian culture has

decreased in national socialization, so many people now forget and do not know what

Indonesian culture is. The more advanced globalization, the less love for culture, and

this has a significant impact on the existence of local culture and for indigenous

Indonesian communities.

Culture and religion in the life of the people of Lombok sometimes cannot run in

balance, so many cultures are almost extinct because people in certain areas in Lombok

highly uphold Islamic values which are full of values of faith and decency (Kholidi,

2014).Culture is defined as the entirety of human ideas and works that must be

accustomed to learning, along with all the products of his or her creativity and work
 (Koentjaraningrat as cited in Nahak, 2019). Defines preservation as continuous, directed,

and integrated activities aimed at achieving a certain goal that reflects something

permanent and eternal, dynamic, flexible, and selective ( Widjaja as cited in Nahak,

2019).

According to (Agger as cited in Rahim & Halimatuzzahro, 2021) the above can be

seen as popular culture traditionally changes culture in society. Tradition of Begawe

with the concept Begibung and Betulung have migrated their concept of catering and

buffet service. The last two things are capitalist tools for postponing it. Aura of begawe.

The initial concept contains a spirit of solidarity. In other words, the concept of eating

together in a container. Meanwhile, begawe communities are working together to help

those who are celebrating in energy or material form. In organizing a Begawe ceremony.

This spirit of Gotong royong and the cohesion between catering and buffet

concept has been lost rental service. Forms of cooperation replace costs Money by

hiring catering services. what does this correspond to Commodity fetishism is what

Marxy called the fact that it is embedded in every commodity. The relationship in which

workers exchange labor for wages. The relationship between kinship and gotong royong

was replaced in the form of money.

C. Methodologhy

1. Research approach

The research was carried out using a qualitative approach in the type of

ethnographic research, this method is appropriate for analyzing the origins of

begawe in Sasak culture. The ethnographic method is a research technique that

 focuses on observing culture and human behavior, as well as the interaction

between humans and their environment (Ii & Teori, 1997). In this method, the

researcher is directly involved with the people being studied to understand the

values, beliefs, and cultural practices being carried out. coupled with the fact that

the researcher is a Sasak person who of course absorbs and feels himself being a

Sasak person. Therefore, in this study will use more in-depth interviews on primary

sources.

In addition, researchers will also use direct participatory observation as a way of

understanding the phenomenon under study. This research is focused on the Sasak

people in the Nusa Tenggara Barat region. Process and meaning (subject

perspective) are emphasized in qualitative research. Research is something that aims

to find the consequences and the truth of a social realization expressed as an object.

The theoretical basis is used as a guide so that the research focus is on accordance

with the facts on the ground or social and historical phenomena carried out by the

community. In addition, this theoretical basis is also useful for providing

observations on an area within a certain period of time, an overview of the research

background and as material for discussing research results.

2. data collection technique.

a. Observation: The researcher directly observed cultural practices related to

begawe in Sasak culture. Observations can be made through visual observations,

interviews, or participant observations.

 b. Interview: The researchers conducted interviews with informants who were

considered to have sufficient knowledge about the origins of begawe in Sasak

culture. Interviews were conducted to obtain more detailed and in-depth

information about the observed cultural practices.

c. Data analysis: The data obtained from observations and interviews were

processed and analyzed to understand the origins of begawe in Sasak culture.

Data analysis can be done using a qualitative approach, such as content analysis,

narrative analysis, and thematic analysis.

d. Data validation: Data validation is carried out to ensure that the data obtained is

reliable and accurate. Data validation can be done through data triangulation,

namely by comparing the results of observations and interviews with data

obtained from other sources.

In conducting research using the ethnographic method, researchers need to pay attention

to research ethics, such as asking permission from the people being studied, maintaining the

confidentiality of informants, and not harming the people being studied.

D. Results and Discussion

1. The Meaning of Begawe Cultural Values for the Lombok Sasak Tribe

Begawe is a tradition, which is a medium or means for the community to build social

relations. This tradition is not only carried out by the upper middle class. But also lower

middle class. Begawe in Sasak terms is defined as work. Begawe itself, is a series of

thanksgiving events. Usually, people will Begawe to celebrate weddings, circumcisions

and so on. The meaning in this tradition is to increase mutual cooperation or mutual
 help and mutual respect. Begawe too, can be said to be media for people to stay in

touch with each other and maintain solidarity. During begawe, people flock to the gawe

owner's house bringing the necessary tools. As well as knives, machetes, plates and

others. Other people lend the tools needed to work owners.

That, as a form of strong brotherhood in the Sasak tribe. The level of Begawe

festivities is of course different. Depends on the owner of the work. Sometimes

there are also, who Begawe by inviting entertainment. The goal is to entertain

people who are working at night so they don't get sleepy.

2. The existence of begawe in the modern era

E. Conclusion
F. REFRENCES

Ii, B. A. B., & Teori, K. (1997). Bab 2 Kajian Teori Etnografi. 9–15.

Jamal Munawir, M. C. (2020). Nilai Edukatif Dalam Budaya Lombok Nyongkolan. Imaji, 18(1),

42–50. https://doi.org/10.21831/imaji.v18i1.31643

Julmulyani. (2021). Jurnal Pendidikan Sosial Keberagaman. Pendidikan Sosial Keberagaman,

8(2), 106–116. https://juridiksiam.unram.ac.id/index.php/juridiksiam%0A

Kholidi, A. K. (2014). Tradisi Merariq Masyarakat Bangsawan dan Masyarakat Biasa Suku Sasak

di Lombok: Studi Kasus di Desa Banyu Urip Kecamatan Praya Kabupaten Lombok Tengah

Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Barat. 1–123. https://digilib.uin-suka.ac.id/id/eprint/24188/

Nahak, H. M. . (2019). Upaya Melestarikan Budaya Indonesia Di Era Globalisasi. Jurnal Sosiologi

Nusantara, 5(1), 65–76. https://doi.org/10.33369/jsn.5.1.65-76

Nurdien H. Kistanto. (2011). SISTEM SOSIAL-BUDAYA DI INDONESIA Nurdien H . Kistanto

Fakultas Sastra Universitas Diponegoro. Fakultas Sastra Universitas Diponegoro, Hal. 5-6.

https://ejournal.undip.ac.id/index.php/sabda/article/download/13221/10006

Rahim, A., & Halimatuzzahro. (2021). Commodification Practices in the Begawe Sasak’s Lombok

Tradition. KARSA: Journal of Social and Islamic Culture, 29(1), 179–198.

https://doi.org/10.19105/karsa.v29i1.4455
Sanusi, A., & Sari, B. (2020). Internalization of Social Values through Begawe Tradition to

Improve Early Childhood Social Skills in the Sasak Tribe. PAUDIA : Jurnal Penelitian Dalam

Bidang Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 9(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.26877/paudia.v9i1.5778

Saprudin, S. (2019). Dampak Tradisi Begawe Merarik Terhadap Sosial Ekonomi Masyarakat

Islam Sasak Di Kota Mataram. Nurani: Jurnal Kajian Syari’ah Dan Masyarakat, 19(1), 119–

126. https://doi.org/10.19109/nurani.v19i1.2778

Syakur, A. A. (2002). Islam dan Kebudayaan Sasak (Studi tentang Akulturasi Nilai-nilai Islam

Kedalam Kebudayaan Sasak). Disertasi, X, 1–548.

Wahyudin, D. (2018). Identitas Orang Sasak: Studi Epistemologis terhadap Mekanisme Produksi

Pengetahuan Masyarakat Suku Sasak. Jurnal Penelitian Keislaman, 14(1), 52–63.

https://doi.org/10.20414/jpk.v14i1.493

Zuhdi, M. H. (2018). Abstrak Kearifan lokal sebagai suatu kekayaan budaya yang mengandung

nilai pandangan, kebijakan, dan kearifan hidup masyarakat dalam banyak ragam variannya,

seperti tercermin dalam konsep. Mabasan, 12, 64–85.