Keywords
Social Identity
Urban Muslim Communities
Abstract
This qualitative phenomenological study examines the role of SD Ulul Albab as an Islamic school in shaping the social identity of urban Muslim communities in Jember. Data were collected through participant observation, semi-structured, and curriculum document analysis. Using Miles' interactive analysis model and triangulation validation, the findings reveal three key aspects: First, Strengthening collective identity through structured programs (Qur’an memorisation, congregational prayers, family-based activities) that foster social cohesion, consistent with Tajfel & Turner's social identity theory regarding the cognitive-evaluative-affective functions of groups; Second, the dialectic between strong religious identity preservation and adaptation challenges in pluralistic societies, demonstrating the complexity of value internalisation according to Ellemers; Third, the potential for exclusivity as a logical consequence of intensive group identity formation, as anticipated in Tajfel's concept of ingroup favouritism. While providing theoretical contributions to understanding Islamic education as a medium for urban identity construction, the single-case study limitation necessitates follow-up comparative and longitudinal research. Practically, these findings recommend an integrative educational model that maintains Islamic distinctiveness while developing multicultural competencies as a response to the challenges of Indonesia's increasingly pluralistic urban society.
References
Ahmed, G. (2013). Muslim Parents at Crossroads: Choosing the Right School for their Children. Comparative and International Education, 42(2). https://doi.org/10.5206/cie-eci.v42i2.9229
Algesheimer, R., Dholakia, U. M., & Herrmann, A. (2005). The Social Influence of Brand Community: Evidence from European Car Clubs. Journal of Marketing, 69(3), 19–34. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.69.3.19.66363
Amal, M. K. (2021). The Role of Islamic Religious Higher Education in the Revitalization of Religious Moderation in Indonesia. Dialogia: Islamic Studies and Social Journal, 19(2), 293–325. https://doi.org/10.21154/dialogia.v19i2.3327
Asad, T. (2003). Formations of the Secular: Christianity, Islam, Modernity. Stanford University Press.
Azra, A. (1999). The Rise of Muslim Elite Schools: a New Pattern of “Santrinization.” Al-Jami’ah: Journal of Islamic Studies, 37(64), 63–78. https://doi.org/10.14421/ajis.1999.3764.63-78
Bagozzi, R. P., & Dholakia, U. M. (2006). Antecedents and Purchase Consequences of Customer Participation in Small Group Brand Communities. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 23(1), 45–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2006.01.005
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. USA: Sage publications.
Du, S., Bhattacharya, C. B., & Sen, S. (2007). Reaping Relational Rewards From Corporate Social Responsibility: The Role of Competitive Positioning. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 24(3), 224–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2007.01.001
Ellemers, N., Kortekaas, P., & Ouwerkerk, J. W. (1999). Self-Categorisation, Commitment to the Group and Group Self-Esteem as Related but Distinct Aspects of Social Identity. European Journal of Social Psychology, 29(2–3), 371–389. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-0992(199903/05)29:2/3<371::AID-EJSP932>3.0.CO;2-U
Emawati. (2020). Integrated Islamic Schools: Emergent Property, Branding, and Expectations of Urban Communities in Lombok. 408(ICONIST 2019). https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.200220.030
Fadli, M. R. (2021). Memahami desain metode penelitian kualitatif. Humanika, 21(1), 33–54. https://doi.org/10.21831/hum.v21i1.38075
Halstead, M. (2004). An Islamic concept of education. Comparative Education, 40(4), 517–529. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305006042000284510
Hefner, R. W. (2008). Islamic Schools, Social Movements, and Democracy in Indonesia. Making Modern Muslims: The Politics of Islamic Education in Southeast Asia, 55-105. https://doi.org/10.21313/hawaii/9780824832803.003.0002
Hornsey, M. J. (2008). Social Identity Theory and Self‐categorization Theory: A Historical Review. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2(1), 204–222. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2007.00066.x
Lipka, M., 2017. Muslims and Islam: Key Global and U.S. Findings, Pew Research Center: United States of America.
Menatti, L., Subiza-Pérez, M., Villalpando-Flores, A., Vozmediano, L., & San Juan, C. (2019). Place Attachment and Identification as Predictors of Expected Landscape Restorativeness. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 63(3), 36–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.03.005
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative Data Analysis: a Methods Sourcebook (Third). USA: SAGE Publications.
Parker, L., & Raihani, R. (2011). Democratizing Indonesia through Education? Islamic Schools and Social Cohesion. Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia, 26(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143211416389
Pribadi, Y. (2022). Sekolah Islam (Islamic Schools) as Symbols of Indonesia’s Urban Muslim Identity. TRaNS: Trans-Regional and -National Studies of Southeast Asia, 10(2), 203. https://doi.org/10.1017/trn.2021.15
Rissanen, I. (2014). Negotiating Identity and Tradition in Finnish Islamic Schools. Journal of Religious Education, 62(1–2), 17–28. http://hdl.handle.net/10138/45013
Rofhani, R. (2015). Budaya Urban Muslim Kelas Menengah. Teosofi: Jurnal Tasawuf dan Pemikiran Islam, 3(1), 181. https://doi.org/10.15642/teosofi.2013.3.1.181-210
Saprillah, S., Juhannis, H., Said, N., & Harun Al-Rasyid, H. (2020). Kontestasi Keagamaan dalam Masyarakat Muslim Urban. Al-Qalam, 26(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.31969/alq.v26i1.844
Spradley, J. P. (2016). Participant Observation. Waveland Press.
Tajfel, H. E. (1978). Differentiation Between Social Groups: Studies in the Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations. Academic press.
Tan, C. (2014). Educative Tradition and Islamic Schools in Indonesia. Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies, 14, 47–62. https://doi.org/10.5617/jais.4638
Tisdell, E. J., Merriam, S. B., & Stuckey-Peyrot, H. L. (2025). Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation. John Wiley & Sons.
Tubaka, A. M., & Kamala, R. (2016). Budaya Layar Dan Politik Identitas Muslim Urban: Studi pada Kelompok Muda Muslim Kota Ambon. Jurnal Fikratuna, 8 (1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.33477/fkt.v8i1.346
Turner, J. C., Brown, R. J., & Tajfel, H. (1979). Social Comparison and Group Interest in Ingroup Favouritism. European Journal of Social Psychology, 9(2), 187–204. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2420090207
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.