Culture and Religion in Community Relations: A case study on mining community in Belitung Island, Indonesia
Pelita Harapan University, Indonesia
ABSTRACT
Culture and religion, embedded and growing in a community, guide the behaviour and life of every member of the community. They also guide behaviours in the relations with other members of the community. Islam is the majority religion of Belitung, whose main livelihood is mining, which has been done for generations. As one of the youngest provinces of Indonesia, Belitung is different and unique for having a low level of conflict than most other mineral rich regions, especially in the context of the relations between companies and the surrounding communities.This study tries to describe the influence of culture and religion in shaping the character and behaviour of the Badau village community in Belitung, and also analyse the relationship between the community and the mining companies that exist in the village. A qualitative approach was used in this study by conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews to eight participants/informants who represent the community and the mining companies. This study finds that culture and religion greatly influence the character, and also determine the low level of conflict, between the community and the mining companies. In addition, this study emphasises the importance of the mining companies’ ability to manage and maintain relations with community leaders in maintaining community relations.
KEYWORDS
culture, religion, community leaders, community relations.