The Role Of Indigenous Chiefs In Local Political Communication: An Analysis Of Reality Construction Ahead Of The 2024 General Elections

Abstract

Political elites are individuals who have the power to influence the decision-making process of traditional leaders. In taking advantage of their influence, especially ahead of the 2024 elections, they visited Sundanese traditional villages with the aim of gaining the sympathy of indigenous people by staying in touch with their traditional leaders. This study aims to explain the construction of the meaning of the arrival of political elites, the process of reality construction, and the actions of Sundanese Buhun Traditional Leaders in West Java through moments of externalization, objectification, and internalization of the presence of political elites ahead of the 2024 elections. The method used in research is descriptive with the nature of the data qualitative. The data collection technique uses interviews, observation, and literature studies. Data analysis techniques through data reduction, data display, finding conclusions, and verification. The results showed that the arrival of political elites was interpreted by traditional heads as friendship, sympathy, and pragmatism. Externalization carried out by traditional heads is carried out paying attention to the dynamics of indigenous peoples. Objectification is carried out through interaction with the sociocultural world in order to form the meaning of the arrival of political elites, actions against the arrival of political elites, and habituation to the arrival of political elites. Internalization is carried out by displaying the self-identification of traditional leaders in the family environment, and indigenous people. The conclusion of the study shows that the arrival of political elites to Sundanese traditional villages in West Java is interpreted by traditional chiefs as a gathering to introduce themselves and their parties, sympathy, and pragmatism with the aim of gaining votes.