JAVANIZATION OVERSEAS: SOCIAL DYNAMICS OF TRANSMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN HARAPAN JAYA VILLAGE, SUNGAI WIN SUB-DISTRICT, OGAN KOMERING ILIR DISTRICT 1985-1987

Abstrak

This research explores the social dynamics of the Javanese transmigrant community in Harapan Jaya Village, Sungai Menang Sub-district, Ogan Komering Ilir Regency, in the period 1985-1987. The New Order transmigration program was not only aimed at reducing Java's population density, but also became a political tool to expand state hegemony in remote areas. Through a qualitative approach and historical research methods, this study combines analysis of government archives, narrative interviews with former transmigrants, as well as ethnographic data. The results show that transmigrant communities developed self-reliant strategies, such as the establishment of Javanese kinship-based cooperatives, in response to limited infrastructure and inadequate state policies. Cultural acculturation processes occur through interactions between migrants and local communities, accompanied by structural inequalities such as disparities in land access and marginalization of indigenous groups. The conversion of peatlands into agricultural areas also causes ecological impacts that are ignored in development policies. The findings reflect a critique of the New Order approach that prioritized economic growth without considering environmental sustainability and socio-local dynamics. This research contributes to academic discussions by emphasizing the agency of transmigrant communities in dealing with structural pressures and the complexity of human-environment relations in transmigration programs.

Kata kunci

• Javanization
• Ogan Komering Ilir
• Political Ecology
• Transmigration
• acculturation