This study explores indigenous problem-solving practices within Javanese gamelan ensembles, focusing on how musicians navigate interpersonal and musical challenges through culturally embedded, non-hierarchical strategies. In contrast to dominant Western paradigms that often emphasize individual assertion or verbal negotiation, gamelan ensembles offer a distinct model rooted in mutual listening, emotional attunement, and collective responsibility. These practices embody a form of cultural intelligence that remains largely underacknowledged in global discourses on leadership and conflict resolution. The central objective of this research is to investigate how problem-solving occurs in Javanese gamelan ensembles and how such practices reflect indigenous modes of maintaining social harmony and shared purpose. The guiding question is: How do members of Javanese gamelan ensembles engage in problem-solving, and what culturally embedded values shape these processes? The study employs a qualitative ethnophenomenological approach, using in-depth interviews with eight participants: three kendhang players, three pengrawit, and two expert informants in Javanese music and culture. Triangulation across these perspectives enables a comprehensive understanding of the lived experience of conflict resolution in gamelan practice. The analysis will use interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to identify meaning structures and cultural logics embedded in participants' responses. Rather than proposing generalized outcomes, this research posits that traditional gamelan practices may represent an alternative model of collaborative problem-solving—one grounded in silence, listening, adaptation, and collective intuition. These insights are positioned to contribute to the development of culturally rooted frameworks for peace education and global citizenship, where indigenous knowledge systems remain vital yet underutilized in leadership and conflict transformation discourses.

Authors:
Afriza Animawan Arifin, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, Indonesia
Heni Kusumawati, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia

About the Presenter(s)
Afriza Animawan Arifin, M.A., Assistant Professor of Psychology at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta. His interests include music psychology and cultural psychology. He is currently researching leadership behavior in music.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/afriza-animawan-arifin-b76687a5/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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