SOCIAL POWER DYNAMICS IN PROMOTING AND REVITALIZING LOCAL TRADITIONS OF THE TAPI RIVER BASIN

Abstract

This article examines the processes of mobilizing social power to preserve and revitalize local traditions in the Tapi River Basin. Amidst urbanization and globalization, traditional customs face the challenges of "cultural invention" and a generational disconnect. The literature review reveals that sustaining cultural identity requires a transition from top-down reliance on government budgeting toward the mobilization of "social power." This power comprises both bonding and bridging social capital, operating through three key driving mechanisms: the individual level (focusing on consciousness-raising), the group and organizational level (utilizing social norms for governance), and the spatial network level (integrating the "Bovorn" alliance: Home, Temple, School, and Government). Current driving dynamics involve adaptation through five core sectors: community, government, civil society, religious institutions, and the private sector. These groups engage in cultural re-interpretation to balance traditional roots with modern innovation, transforming cultural capital into development-oriented resources that generate income for local communities. However, the process faces challenges from cultural tensions between traditionalism and modernity, as well as the risk of losing authenticity due to the commodification of culture for tourism. The article offers three policy recommendations: 1) the establishment of a People’s Tapi River Basin Cultural Council to build bargaining power and community charters; 2) the development of a Digital Cultural Heritage Bank to archive traditional wisdom using modern technology; and 3) the elevation of the area into a Cultural Creative District to transition from temporary events into a self-reliant and valuable cultural economy in contemporary society