Pesantren at the Crossroads of Time: The Anthropology of Islamic Education in the Negotiation of Local Identity and Global Citizenship in Indonesia
Keywords:
Parenting, Reading interest, Elementary school students, Literacy development.Abstract
This study examines how pesantren negotiate the tension between preserving local religious identity and cultivating global citizenship among their students, and identifies the cultural and institutional mechanisms that allow this negotiation to appear successful despite theoretical expectations of inherent contestation. Employing a qualitative ethnographic approach, data were collected through prolonged participant observation, in-depth interviews with kiai, ustadz, santri, and alumni, and document analysis, then analyzed inductively with triangulation and member-checking to ensure credibility. Findings reveal that local identity is preserved through non-negotiable core practices, while global citizenship values are absorbed gradually through religiously reframed idioms rather than imposed as external impositions. The apparent harmony observed does not indicate an absence of tension but reflects a distinctive anthropological strategy involving symbolic translation, kiai-centered legitimacy, and relational mediation that internalizes and diffuses contestation. These findings contribute to a more grounded understanding of Islamic educational transformation and offer pesantren as a viable model for reconciling cultural preservation with global integration, directly supporting Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education and Sustainable Development Goal 16 on peaceful, just, and strong institutions.
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