This research explores the contested cultural space that emerges from the use of the traditional Javanese art performance, ‘Jathilan’, as a medium for anti-drug campaigns in Bantul Regency, Indonesia. Jathilan, deeply embedded with ritualistic and symbolic cultural meanings, is utilized by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the Tourism Office not by integrating prevention messages into the performance narrative itself but by leveraging the event’s large public attendance to disseminate anti-drug messages through banners, speeches and side activities. Using a qualitative case study approach, this research combines field observations and interviews with performers, campaign organizers, and local audiences. The findings reveal that the cultural space of Jathilan becomes a site of contestation between traditional cultural values and the objectives of modern public health campaigns. A communicative dissonance emerges, as the anti-drug messages conflict with local perceptions and practices associated with jathilan, such as possession rituals and alcohol consumption. This study highlights the importance of cultural context sensitivity in designing effective public communication strategies that accommodate local values to foster acceptance and reduce resistance. The findings contribute to critical discourse on the intersection of traditional culture and modern communication and open avenues for discussing cultural politics within public health campaigns.

Authors:
Siti Muflihah, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia

About the Presenter(s)
I am Siti Muflihah, a Master's student in Communication Studies at Gadjah Mada University and a graduate of UIN Sunan Kalijaga. Since 2019, I work at the National Narcotics Agency of Indonesia. My work focuses on communication strategies and public outreach for drug prevention. Academically, I am interested in public communication, media and digital communication, and strategic communication in government.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/siti-muflihah-6a0765aa/

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