Year: 2025 | Month: December | Volume: 12 | Issue: 12 | Pages: 870-878
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20251287
Shifts the Symbolic Meaning of Jaran Kepang Dance Art in Social Science (IPS) Learning at SMP Negeri 03 Sukorejo Kendal
Khumaeroh1, Thriwaty Arsal2
1Master's Program in Social Science Education, 2Sociology and Anthropology Program, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia
Corresponding Author: Khumaeroh
ABSTRACT
Local culture is a vital asset in forming national identity and serves as a contextual learning medium. Indonesia, a country rich in culture, encourages education to collaborate with culture and the curriculum to create contextual learning. This study aims to analyze the shift in the symbolic meaning, function, and form of the jaran kepang dance art from a communal (traditional) context to a school institution (new creation) context, as well as its relevance as a medium for Social Science (IPS) learning. This research employs a qualitative approach with a descriptive method. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews with the school principal, extracurricular advisors, and students, and document analysis. The results show that the setting shift of jaran kepang to the school environment triggers institutional intervention, causing a shift in the symbolic meaning and the dance's form. This shift is divided into three fundamental changes: (1) a functional shift from a spiritual ritual to an aesthetic-educational purpose, where the dance is instrumentalized to pragmatically achieve character education and cultural preservation goals; (2) De-symbolization of magical elements, characterized by the total elimination of trance (possession) and ritual-triggering symbols, changing the ontological status of the dancer from a passive subject to a willing (active) and rational actor ; and (3) Formalization and structural standardization, which transforms the dance from spontaneous to programmed and instrumental. This is realized through duration reduction (20-30 minutes), standardized choreography, and costume standardization to emphasize the values of discipline and teamwork. Pedagogically, the new creation of jaran kepang serves as an effective socio-cultural laboratory for contextualizing abstract IPS curriculum concepts, such as social change, group interaction, and team solidarity, resulting in a more concrete and applicable understanding for students.
Keywords: jaran kepang, symbolic meaning, Social Science learning, ritual
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