Actor-Network Dynamics in Cultural Development: Indigenous and Religious Leaders as Relational Nodes in Penginyongan Cultural Sustainability

Local cultures in Indonesia face growing pressure from globalization, modernization, and shifting orientations among younger generations, yet little is known about how relations among cultural actors keep these cultures alive. This study analyzes how networks of traditional (adat) and religious leaders develop and sustain Penginyongan culture in the Banyumas Raya region of Central Java, using Actor-Network Theory (ANT). This study conducted a qualitative critical ethnography from March to October 2023 in Banyumas, Cilacap, Kebumen, Banjarnegara, Purbalingga, and Brebes, focusing on the Bonokeling, Lemah Wangi, Anak Putu Kalikudi, Ayah, and Jalawastu communities. Data from participant observation of rituals, semi-structured in-depth interviews with customary leaders, religious leaders, village officials, and ritual actors, and documentation were analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis combined with ANT-based relational coding and verified through triangulation and member checking. The findings show that Penginyongan culture is sustained by a heterogeneous network rather than a single authority. Traditional leaders act as obligatory passage points that translate ancestral values into contemporary practice; religious leaders legitimize rituals insofar as they do not contradict Islamic law; and village governments provide institutional stabilization. Non-human actants—the egalitarian cablaka language, slametan and sedekah rituals, tumpeng, sacred spaces, and the ritual calendar—bind these actors and allow even migrants to join the network. Cultural sustainability therefore emerges from a continuous translation–stabilization loop. The study proposes the concept of networked cultural resilience. It implies that culture-based Islamic education and local cultural policy should strengthen collaboration among customary leaders, religious leaders, schools, and village institutions.