Revisiting Classical Literary Texts in the Tembang Macapat: Strong Locality Values as Social Control

Abstract

A great nation, besides having a large number of people, also consists of people who can maintain their traditions and evaluate the values of their ancestral heritage to be developed and conserved over time. Those heritage values serve as a cultural identity for the next generation to maintain and defend their existence and uphold the dignity of the nation. Alongside dealing with the existing national moral crisis in the country, seen in the form of radicalism, corruption, etc., Indonesia needs to socially control values. This study aims to revive the country’s ancestral heritage with its high moral values as a promising solution to contemporary issues, seen from ideal perspectives. By employing qualitative phenomenology and four informants, this research explores the Tembang Macapat text which is comprised of Tembang Sinom and Tembang Pangkur. The result of this analysis revealed moral values viewed through three perspectives, namely a cross-cultural perspective, a social perspective, and a social change perspective. The implications of how these three perspectives of seeing the moral values contained in the Tembang Macapat could help cope with the problems of radicalism and corruption are also discussed.