The Mediating Role of Communication in Fostering Religious Tolerance within a Diverse Society
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15575/rjsalb.v8i1.25543Keywords:
Communication behaviour, local wisdom, religious tolerance, social piety.Abstract
This study aims to examine the influence of social prejudice, local wisdom, social piety, religious identity, and communication behaviour on religious tolerance in Sidoarjo Regency. It focuses on the mediating role of communication behaviour in strengthening or weakening the impact of these variables on religious tolerance. A quantitative research approach was adopted, using a structured questionnaire to collect data from respondents in the Sidoarjo Regency. The data was analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to test the relationships between the variables and the mediating role of communication behaviour. The results show that communication behaviour plays a crucial role in mediating the influence of social prejudice, local wisdom, social piety, and religious identity on religious tolerance. While social prejudice, local wisdom, and religious identity do not have direct significant effects on tolerance, their impact is enhanced through effective communication. Communication behaviour, characterised by openness, empathy, and support, positively influences religious tolerance, whereas ineffective communication diminishes the positive effects of other variables. The findings suggest that strategies to improve religious tolerance should prioritise communication behaviour. Policymakers, educators, and community leaders are encouraged to implement programmes that foster open dialogue, empathy, and respect among diverse religious groups to strengthen social harmony. This study provides new insights into the role of communication behaviour as a mediating variable in the relationship between social factors and religious tolerance, offering practical implications for enhancing tolerance in multicultural societies.References
Aarøe, L. (2012). Does Tolerance of Religion in the Public Space Depend on the Salience of the Manifestation of Religious Group Membership? Political Behavior, 34(4), 585–606. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-011-9179-4
Aini, N. (2017). Ini Alasan GP Ansor Tolak Ceramah Ustaz Basalamah.
Azmi, F. (2023). Jatim Tuan Rumah Dialog Kebangsaan, Khofifah Beber Resep Kerukunan Antar Umat.
Casram, C., & Dadah, D. (2019). Posisi Kearifan Lokal Dalam Pemahaman Keagamaan Islam Pluralis. Religious: Jurnal Studi Agama-Agama Dan Lintas Budaya, 3(2), 161–187. https://doi.org/10.15575/rjsalb.v3i2.4739
Dharma Atmaja, I. M. (2020). Membangun Toleransi Melalui Pendidikan Multikultural. Jurnal Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan Undiksha, 8(1), 113–121.
Guthridge, M., Penovic, T., Kirkman, M., & Giummarra, M. J. (2023). The Role of Affective Empathy in Eliminating Discrimination Against Women: a Conceptual Proposition. Human Rights Review, 24(3), 433–456. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12142-023-00692-6
Hayati, F., & Dewi, L. (2023). Religious tolerance in multiculturalism perspective: A study in Indonesia. Qudus International Journal of Islamic Studies (QIJIS), 11(1), 53–76. https://doi.org/10.21043/qijis.v11i1.9238
Hernawan, W. (2017). Prasangka Sosial Dalam Pluralitas Keberagamaan Di Kecamatan Cigugur Kabupaten Kuningan Jawa Barat. Sosiohumaniora, 19(1), 77–85. https://doi.org/10.24198/sosiohumaniora.v19i1.9543
Junaedi, M., Hasanah, S., & Hassan, Z. (2023). Learning Patterns in Influencing Attitudes of Religious Tolerance in Indonesian Universities. Education Sciences, 13(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13030285
Kominfo. (2023). Tingkatkan Kerukunan Umat Beragama Di Jawa Timur.
Lan, S.-C. M. (2016). Taiwanese in China and their multiple identities, 1895-1945. In Multicultural Challenges and Redefining Identity in East Asia (pp. 97–122). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315596228-9
Lubis, S. I., & Sianipar, A. (2022). How religious tolerance can emerge among religious people: An investigation on the roles of intellectual humility, cognitive flexibility, and trait aggressiveness. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 25(2), 276–287. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajsp.12493
Muhajir, A., Naim, N., Fitri, A. Z., & Safi’i, A. (2020). Approach to the development of multicultural education curriculum in darul hikmah modern Islamic boarding school Tulungagung, Indonesia. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(5), 1842–1847. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.080520
Muhibbin, Z., Safawi Ahmad, I., & Ika Sari, N. (2022). Social Piety Index for Character Building in Indonesia: A Case Study of The Society of Mojokerto City. Jurnal Sosial Humaniora (JSH) 2022, 15(2), 129–145.
Nugroho, F. J. (2019). Perayaan keberagaman di tengah Perbedaan. SINOV: Media Informasi Penelitian Kabupaten Semarang, 2(1), 33–42.
Nurjaya, I. N. (2015). Is The Constitutional And Legal Recognition Of Traditional Community Laws Within The Multicultural Country Of Indonesia A Genuine Or Pseudo Recognition? Constitutional Review, 1(2), 49–68. https://doi.org/10.31078/consrev123
Rinanda, H. M. (2023). Duduk Perkara Ustaz Hanan Attaki Ditolak Ceramah di 7 Daerah Jatim.
Sugiyono. (2022). Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif, Kualitatif dan R&B. Bandung: Alfabeta.
Sutton, M. (2006). Toleransi: Nilai dalam Pelaksanaan Demokrasi. Jurnal Demokrasi, 5(1).
Ulum, R., Sugiyarto, W., Wahab, A. J., & Muntafa, F. (2019). Indeks Kesalehan Sosial. In Litbangdiklat Press. Jakarta.
Velthuis, E., Verkuyten, M., & Smeekes, A. (2021). The Different Faces of Social Tolerance: Conceptualizing and Measuring Respect and Coexistence Tolerance. Social Indicators Research, 158(3), 1105–1125. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-021-02724-5
Verkuyten, M., Yogeeswaran, K., & Adelman, L. (2020). Toleration and prejudice-reduction: Two ways of improving intergroup relations. European Journal of Social Psychology, 50(2), 239–255. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2624
Yantos, Y., & Putriana, P. (2021). Kearifan Lokal Dalam Membangun Kerukunan Islam Dan Hindu Di Desa Adat Kuta Badung. Jurnal Dakwah Risalah, 31(2), 237. https://doi.org/10.24014/jdr.v31i2.10398