Negotiating Identity Through The Weh-wehan Tradition: Cultural Values And Local Wisdom In Kaliwungu, Kendal

Abstract

This study examines the transformation of the weh-wehan tradition in Kaliwungu, Kendal, as a cultural practice rooted in communal life yet confronted with the pressures of modernization. Using Talcott Parsons’s functionalist framework and Anthony Giddens’s theory of modernity, this research explores how weh-wehan continues to maintain its social functions while adapting to contemporary changes. The analysis shows that weh-wehan fulfills integrative and pattern-maintenance functions, reinforcing social solidarity and transmitting values of togetherness across generations. At the same time, modernization has altered its forms, shifting from agricultural products to modern commodities and from face-to-face invitations to digital communication. Urbanization and the dominance of nuclear families have reduced the intensity of the practice, but reflective adaptations, such as more structured organization and digital mediation, have preserved its relevance. In Giddens’s terms, weh-wehan has undergone processes of disembedding and reembedding, illustrating that tradition can survive by being recontextualized rather than abandoned. These findings highlight weh-wehan as an example of cultural resilience and a dynamic institution that negotiates between tradition and modernity, showing that local heritage can endure by adapting to changing social conditions while retaining its core functions.