Ethnopedagogy and the Transmission of Historical Memory in the Chinese Diaspora Community in Pupuan, Bali

Abstract

This study addresses the importance of understanding how minority communities preserve identity and transmit values within dominant socio-cultural contexts. It focuses on the Chinese diaspora community in Pupuan, Bali, examining the transmission of historical and cultural values through an ethnopedagogical approach and collective memory. The Chinese community in Pupuan, a minority established since the colonial period, maintains its identity through oral traditions, ritual practices, and historical symbols while engaging dynamically with Balinese society. The research employed a qualitative interdisciplinary method combining interpretative ethnography and historical analysis. Data were collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, document studies, and cultural artifact analysis. Pupuan Village, Tabanan Regency, served as the primary research site. Thematic interpretation and historical reconstruction were used to analyze cross-generational processes of memory transmission. The findings reveal that ethnopedagogical practices, such as family-based education, ritual continuity, and storytelling, function as key mechanisms for sustaining cultural identity and resilience. These processes are reinforced by collective memory (Halbwachs) and highlight the community’s negotiation of marginalization, as explained by subaltern and postcolonial perspectives. The study concludes that the Chinese community in Pupuan demonstrates how local wisdom and memory can act as powerful tools of cultural sustainability. The implications suggest the need to integrate minority histories into local history education and to promote multicultural learning that acknowledges plural identities in Indonesia. This research contributes theoretically to studies on ethnopedagogy and collective memory, and practically to policies on cultural preservation and inclusive education.