SOCIALISATION AND INSTITUTIONALISATION PROCESS OF THE MODERATE RELIGIOUS CULTURE IN INDONESIAN MADRASAHS

Abstract

The potential for being intolerant, radical, or even extreme is more common in public schools than in madrasahs (Islamic schools). However, religious moderation practices in madrasahs have not been able to dominate public space. This study aims to analyse and disclose the process of socialisation and institutionalisation of moderate religious culture in Indonesian madrasahs. This paper is an ethnographic study of the madrasahs (Islamic senior high schools) in Solo, Central Java, with an interpretive-constructivist approach. The data were collected from in-depth interviews and field observations with 105 respondents, including madrasah principals, teaching staff, and students who were selected purposively. Three processes of reduction, interpretation, and conclusion are applied for data analysis. The results revealed that the socialisation and institutionalisation process in madrasahs had succeeded in instilling moderate religious culture among students. Students understood the concept of religious moderation very well, i.e. being in the middle position, meaning not too extreme whether left or right. However, it is understood only in terms of social relations, not faith (‘aqīdah). Besides, the results show that the process has not been oriented towards interreligious and digital literacy and has not led them to make religious moderation a collective action. Students are not actively involved in responding to religious and social diversity issues around them. Moreover, Solo is often accused of being an intolerant city. It is because of students’ lack of literacy or comprehensive knowledge regarding the understanding and practice of religious moderation. Then, moderate groups, which are basically dominant, remain silent, so they prefer to act permissively toward intolerant behaviours. Again, the history of religious conflicts in the past has made identity politics increasingly intense in Solo. Lastly, there is an absence of public figures who are supposed to be catalysts for moderate movements. So, the findings suggest massive campaigns against moderate action among students and made them consider its necessity in public spaces, including on social media.