The Meaning Making of an Environmental Movement: A Perspective on Sedulur Sikep's Narrative in Anti-Cement Movement

Abstract

This article discusses the narratives of Sedulur Sikep on their recent movement in rejecting cement companies in Central Java. Sedulur Sikep with their culturally-district traits through their spirituality, human-nature relationship, as well as to the authority, has strongly permeated on the contemporary anti-cement movement. This study then perceives Sedulur Sikep as peasant community that treat land and resources as their medium in expressing spirituality as well as in perpetuating their resistance to the authority. Therefore, the respective Kendeng Mountains plays important role in building the narratives of anti-cement movement that is strongly influenced by Sikep doctrines, and conversely building the meaning behind Sedulur Sikep’s environmental movement that is actually struggling for free access to and utilization of common resources.

Keywords

• Sedulur Sikep
• peasant
• anti-cement movement
• Kendeng mountains