Tahlilan as a Space For Emotional Education and Social Solidarity Among the Javanese-Malay Community in Binjai Hulu, Sintang

Abstract

Tahlilan is a religious ritual that continues to be widely practiced by the Javanese–Malay community in Binjai Hulu, Sintang Regency, West Kalimantan. Beyond serving as a collective prayer for the deceased, tahlilan functions as a social institution that fosters empathy, provides emotional support to bereaved families, and strengthens community solidarity. This study aims to analyze the role of tahlilan as a space for emotional education and social solidarity within the Javanese–Malay community. The study employed a qualitative approach using ritual ethnography through participant observation, in-depth interviews with five purposively selected informants, and document analysis as supporting data. Data were analyzed thematically using Emile Durkheim's perspectives on social solidarity and collective consciousness, Clifford Geertz's concept of religion as a cultural system, George Herbert Mead's symbolic interactionism, and the concept of emotion regulation, which explains how individuals recognize, manage, and express emotions through social interaction. The findings reveal that tahlilan functions not only as a religious ritual but also as a space for emotional learning by facilitating acceptance of loss, fostering empathy, regulating expressions of grief in accordance with social and religious norms, and providing collective emotional support. The interactions occurring during tahlilan reinforce collective consciousness, strengthen social relationships, and enhance social solidarity through the values of togetherness, mutual care, and cooperation. These findings demonstrate that tahlilan serves a broader role than merely a prayer ritual, functioning as a social mechanism that contributes to the development of emotional resilience and social cohesion within the Javanese–Malay community in Binjai Hulu.