Cultivating Gen-Z As Cultural Heirs In The Indigenous Community Of Cireundeu

Authors

• Sardin Sardin, Community Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, IndonesiaFollow
• Ade Romi Rosmia, Community Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, IndonesiaFollow
• Mohamad Hadi Ali Mutamam, Community Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, IndonesiaFollow

Abstract

How do Indigenous leaders teach digital-native youth to value centuries-old traditions? This six-month ethnographic study examined cultural transmission in Cireundeu, an Indigenous Sundanese community in West Java, Indonesia. Existing studies often address Indigenous education and digital youth culture separately, with limited attention to leaders’ perspectives. Conducted from June to November 2024, the study drew on participant observation, interviews with 25 community members, six focus group discussions, and digital artifact analysis. Reflexive thematic analysis identified three interconnected patterns. First, leaders fostered cultural learning through graduated ceremonial participation. Second, elders practiced leader-orchestrated digital bricolage by adapting Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for cultural transmission while maintaining authority over cultural meanings. Third, distributed guardianship networks extended cultural teaching beyond parents to the wider community. Most youth reported that digital engagement increased their cultural interest. The findings challenge technological determinism and deficit narratives that portray Indigenous youth as detached from tradition. They show that Gen Z youth can become both cultural heirs and digital innovators when communities strategically govern technology use.

Keywords

Indigenous education, Generation Z, ethnography, ethnopedagogy, digital bricolage, cultural transmission, embodied learning, Indonesia

Author Bio(s)

Sardin is an academic who has been a lecturer in the Community Education Study Program at the Faculty of Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UI) since 1998. He currently holds the functional position of Associate Lecturer. Throughout his career, he has developed his expertise in studies in the fields of Family Education, Community Empowerment, and Childhood Education. As an academic, he is open-minded, adaptable to change, and creative in developing ideas to generate new ideas for Community Development. He also holds licenses from Microsoft Cooperation as a Microsoft Certified Educator, an Assessor for the National Accreditation Board for Higher Education, an Assessor for the Education Accreditation Institute, and a Master Mentor in Entrepreneurship from the Ministry of Communication and Informatics. Community Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia. Please direct correspondence to [email protected]

Ade Romi Rosmia, Community Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia

Mohamad Hadi Ali Mutamam, Community Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express sincere gratitude to Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia for the financial support provided in conducting this research. This funding played a crucial role in facilitating the research process, from data collection to the final report preparation. This support reflects the university’s commitment to advancing knowledge and fostering high-quality academic research.

Publication Date

10-31-2026

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

Recommended APA Citation

Sardin, Rosmia, A. R., & Mutamam, M. H. A. (2026). Cultivating gen-Z as cultural heirs in the Indigenous community of Cireundeu. The Qualitative Report, 31(10), 6898-6928.

ORCID ID

0000-0002-2775-9936

ResearcherID

Sardin@upi