Communicative action in fishermen’s coffee shops West Aceh, Indonesia

This study explores the communicative dynamics in fishermen's coffee shops in West Aceh, Indonesia. These informal spaces serve as hubs for interaction and decision-making among fishermen, whose traditions are rooted in oral and collective practices. The research examines whether these coffee shops provide an ideal speech situation an environment fostering open dialogue and free from dominance. The findings highlight significant power imbalances, with merchants dominating discussions and decision-making, often prioritizing their business interests. Laborer fishermen, constrained by dependency and physical labor, tend to accept decisions imposed by others. While these coffee shops promote social interaction and community bonding, they fail to dismantle hierarchical structures or enable egalitarian communication. This study concludes that the lifeworld and social hierarchy of fishermen in West Aceh restrict the realization of inclusive dialogue. Despite their communal role, coffee shops reflect and perpetuate existing power disparities, limiting their potential as spaces of equitable discourse.