The Role of Indonesian Language in Building National Civilization and Cultural Identity
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the role of the Indonesian language in shaping social behavior and constructing national civilization within both national and international contexts. The research focuses on understanding language as a symbolic system that constructs values, norms, and collective meanings in social life. Key concepts include language as cultural capital, social behavior as a product of symbolic interaction, and civilization as an institutionalized value system. The study employs a qualitative approach through content analysis of contemporary literature in sociology, anthropology, and sociolinguistics. The scope of analysis covers the functions of the Indonesian language in social, cultural, educational, and cultural diplomacy domains. The main findings reveal that the Indonesian language serves as an integrative mechanism that strengthens social cohesion, shapes collective ethics, and acts as an instrument of soft power in international relations. The primary challenges identified include the marginal position of Indonesian in global discourse and the erosion of symbolic meaning due to digital culture. The study recommends strengthening language policies based on cultural values and promoting Indonesian as a medium for knowledge production and cultural diplomacy.
Article Details
The Authors submitting a manuscript do so on the understanding that if accepted for publication, copyright of the article shall be assigned to International Journal of Nusantara Islam, Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University.
The copyright encompasses exclusive rights to reproduce and disseminate articles in all forms and media, including reprints, photographs, microfilm, and similar reproductions, as well as translations. Some or all of the contents of this journal can be stored in databases and transmitted in any form and media without the need for written permission from the International Journal of Nusantara Islam, Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University.
The Editors and the Advisory International Editorial Board make every effort to ensure that no wrong or misleading data, opinions or statements be published in the journal. In any way, the contents of the articles and advertisements published in the International Journal of Nusantara Islam (IJNI) are sole and exclusive responsibility of their respective authors and advertisers.
References
Abdullah, A., Huynh, I., Emery, C. R., & Jordan, L. P. (2022). Social Norms and Family Child Labor: A Systematic Literature Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(7), 4082. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074082
Al Sharoufi, H., & Al-Kandari, A. A. (2025). Sense of global connectedness: testing knowledge gap and social capital theories, with a focus on English as a Lingua Franca. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2025.2497028
Albarracín, D., Johnson, B. T., & Zanna, M. P. (2005). The Handbook of Attitude. Routledge.
Alwasilah, A. C. (2020). Filsafat Bahasa dan Pendidikan [Philosophy of Language and Education]. Remaja Rosdakarya.
Alzate, T., & Eugenio, O. (2025). Critical Thinking and Epistemic Sophistication in Science Education. Journal of Intelligence, 13(8), 93. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence13080093
Anderson, B. (2020). Imagined communities: Reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism. In The new social theory reader (pp. 282–288). Routledge.
Appadurai, A. (2020). The Future as Cultural Fact. Verso.
Ashraf, H. (2023). The ambivalent role of Urdu and English in multilingual Pakistan: a Bourdieusian study. Language Policy, 22(1), 25–48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10993-022-09623-6
Avalle, M., Di Marco, N., Etta, G., Sangiorgio, E., Alipour, S., Bonetti, A., Alvisi, L., Scala, A., Baronchelli, A., Cinelli, M., & Quattrociocchi, W. (2024). Persistent interaction patterns across social media platforms and over time. Nature, 628(8008), 582–589. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07229-y
Bauman, Z. (2020). Liquid Modernity. Polity Press.
Bennett, J. (2021). Making Art in Early Modern Java (16th-19th C.): A New Reading.
Berger, P. L., & Luckmann, T. (2021). The Social Construction of Reality. Penguin.
Bourdieu, P. (n.d.). Language and Symbolic Power. Polity Press.
Brass, P. R. (2024). Elite Groups, Symbol Manipulation and Ethnic Identity among the Muslims of South Asia. In Political Identity in South Asia (pp. 35–77). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032715575-2
Brata, N. T. (2010). Bahasa dan Integrasi Bangsa Dalam Kajian Antropologi- Fungsional [Language and National Integration in Functional Anthropology Studies]. Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Kebudayaan, 16(4), 469–476. https://doi.org/10.24832/jpnk.v16i4.478 [In Indonesian]
Brüns, J. D., & Meißner, M. (2024). Do you create your content yourself? Using generative artificial intelligence for social media content creation diminishes perceived brand authenticity. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 79, 103790. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.103790
Castells, M. (2009). Mobile communication and society: a global perspective. Mit Press.
Castells, M. (2020). The Rise of the Network Society. Wiley-Blackwell.
Chambers, R. (2020). Can We Know Better? Reflections for Development. Practical Action.
Chong, A. (2024). Singapore’s Diplomatic Strategies: Prioritizing Rationality, Encountering Slippages. In Diplomatic Strategies of Rising Nations in the Global South (pp. 367–402). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-52629-9_13
Colling, L., & Ceulemans, K. (2023). A holistic view on the opportunities and threats of normative control: a literature review. Journal of Management Control, 34(3), 275–316. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00187-023-00358-x
Connell, R. (2021). Southern Theory. Polity Press.
Couldry, N., & Mejias, U. (2019). The Costs of Connection. Stanford University Press.
Darwin, D., Rafli, Z., & Lustyantie, N. (2023). Theory-Based Mandarin Learning Anthropolinguistics in Indonesia. International Journal of Language Education and Cultural Review, 9(1), 11–21. https://doi.org/10.21009/ijlecr.v9i1.32933
Dijck, J. van. (2020). The Culture of Connectivity. Oxford University Press.
Duranti, A. (2020). Linguistic Anthropology. Cambridge University Press.
Fairclough, N. (2020). Language and Power. Routledge.
Floridi, L. (2020). The Philosophy of Information. Oxford University Press.
Förster, S., & Skop, Y. (2026). Between fact and fairy: tracing the hallucination metaphor in AI discourse. AI & SOCIETY, 41(3), 1685–1698. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-025-02392-w
Geertz, C. (2020). The Interpretation of Cultures. Basic Books.
Giddens, A. (2020). The Constitution of Society. Polity Press.
Goldberg, Z. J. (2022). What is Social Appropriateness? In Soziale Angemessenheit (pp. 85–98). Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-35800-6_5
Gonzalez-Moreno, M., Monfort-Vinuesa, C., Piñas-Mesa, A., & Rincon, E. (2023). Digital Technologies to Provide Humanization in the Education of the Healthcare Workforce: A Systematic Review. Technologies, 11(4), 88. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies11040088
Gunadi, G., Prasetyo, T., Kurniasari, D., & Muhdiyati, I. (2023). Peningkatan Keterampilan Menulis Puisi Bebas dengan Metode Experiential Learning pada Siswa Sekolah Dasar [Improving Free Poetry Writing Skills Using the Experiential Learning Method in Elementary School Students]. Jurnal Studi Guru Dan Pembelajaran, 6(1), 35–43. https://doi.org/10.30605/jsgp.6.1.2023.2351 [In Indonesian]
Guo, P., Sun, H., Xing, S., & Li, J. (2025). A study on the visual rhetorical differences in national image representation of China and the United States by generative artificial intelligence:An empirical analysis based on large multimodal models. Journal of Information Technology & Politics, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/19331681.2025.2566181
Habermas, J. (2021). The Theory of Communicative Action. Beacon Press.
Hall, E. T. (2020). Beyond Culture. Anchor Books.
Harrop, E., Barawi, K., Mazzaschi, F., Torrens-Burton, A., Sutton, E., Gilbert, E., Wakefield, D., Goss, S., Seddon, K., Longo, M., & Selman, L. E. (2025). “The grief exists in a bubble that the rest of the world doesn’t see”: Exploring biographical disruption and meaning-making amongst people bereaved during the Covid-19 pandemic. Social Science & Medicine, 384, 118518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118518
Hefner, R. W. (2020). Routledge handbook of contemporary Indonesia. Routledge.
Herusatoto, B. (2003). Simbolisme dalam Budaya Jawa [Symbolism in Javanese Culture]. Hanindita.
Heryanto, A. (2020a). Identity and Pleasure: The Politics of Indonesian Screen Culture. NUS Press.
Heryanto, A. (2020b). Identity and Pleasure. NUS Press.
Hutabarat, F. (2023). Navigating Diversity: Exploring Religious Pluralism and Social Harmony in Indonesian Society. European Journal of Theology and Philosophy, 3(6), 6–13. https://doi.org/10.24018/theology.2023.3.6.125
Kirkpatrick, A. (2020). The Routledge Handbook of World Englishes. Routledge.
Kleden, I. (2021). Sosiologi Pengetahuan [Sociology of Knowledge]. Kompas.
Koentjaraningrat. (2009). Kebudayaan, Mentalitas, dan Pembangunan [Culture, Mentality, and Development]. Gramedia Pustaka Utama.
Kong, G., Kong, T. D., Qin, N., & Yu, L. (2023). Ethnic Diversity, Trust and Corporate Social Responsibility: The Moderating Effects of Marketization and Language. Journal of Business Ethics, 187(3), 449–471. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05236-5
Kroskrity, P. V. (2021). Language Ideologies. Oxford University Press.
Laia, H. Z. (2023). Unity in Diversity: An Exploration of the Indonesian Concept of “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” According to the Bible. Pharos Journal of Theology, 105(2). https://doi.org/10.46222/pharosjot.105.22
Lian, Y., Tang, H., Xiang, M., & Dong, X. (2024). Public attitudes and sentiments toward ChatGPT in China: A text mining analysis based on social media. Technology in Society, 76, 102442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102442
Lin, M., Ramírez-Esparza, N., & Paxton, A. (2026). When nonstandard meets standard: Language and affective dynamics in accent-diverse group interactions. PLOS One, 21(1), e0340873. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0340873
Lu, Q., Wang, X., Jiang, Y., Zhao, G., Ma, M., & Feng, S. (2025). OmniTester: Multimodal Large Language Model Driven Scenario Testing for Autonomous Vehicles. Automotive Innovation, 8(4), 838–852. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42154-025-00364-w
Ma’rifah, I., & Sibawaihi. (2023). Institutionalization of Multicultural Values in Religious Education in Inclusive Schools, Indonesia. Jurnal Pendidikan Agama Islam, 20(2), 247–260. https://doi.org/10.14421/jpai.v20i2.8336
Maghfirah, M. (2023). The Relationship Between Career Women and Its Effects on Achieving Family Harmony with Maqashid Shariah Framework. European Journal of Studies in Management and Business, 28, 57–78. https://doi.org/10.32038/mbrq.2023.28.04
Manheim, D. (2026). Language Models’ Hall of Mirrors Problem: Why AI Alignment Requires Peircean Semiosis. Philosophy & Technology, 39(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-025-00975-5
Marginson, S. (2022). Space and scale in higher education: the glonacal agency heuristic revisited. Higher Education, 84(6), 1365–1395. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00955-0
Mazya, T. M., Ridho, K., & Irfani, A. (2024). Religious and Cultural Diversity in Indonesia: Dynamics of Acceptance and Conflict in a Multidimensional Perspective. International Journal of Current Science Research and Review, 07(07), 4932–4945. https://doi.org/10.47191/ijcsrr/V7-i7-32
Miyamoto, S. F. (2023). Self, Motivation, and Symbolic Interactionist Theory. In Human Nature and Collective Behavior (pp. 271–285). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003420446-23
Natalis, A. (2026). Condom use in Indonesia: Interplay with societal norms and human rights. Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health, 8, 100225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.glmedi.2026.100225
Nugroho, A., & others. (2022). Hospitals Responsibility for Delivering Authority of Doctors to Nurses. International Journal of Law and Legal Ethics (IJLLE), 3(1). https://doi.org/10.47701/ijlle.v3i1.1840
Nugroho, F. S., Mashdurohatun, A., Bawono, B. T., & Wiwoho, J. (2023). The Concept of Law Enforcement of the Crime of Theft through a Restorative Justice Approach. Scholars International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, 6(08), 408–423. https://doi.org/10.36348/sijlcj.2023.v06i08.005
Nye, J. S. (2021). Soft Power. PublicAffairs.
Oztok, M. (2025). Haunted Futures: Postcolonial Critique, Solidarity, and the Struggle for Epistemic Justice (pp. 121–141). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-99378-7_7
Phillipson, R. (2020). Linguistic Imperialism. Oxford University Press.
Pramana, A. D. R., Astuti, T. M. P., Malarsih, M., & Sinaga, S. S. (2025). Embodied pedagogy and ecological ethics: Internalising environmental values through the Pakarena Anida dance in South Sulawesi. Journal of Environment and Sustainability Education, 3(3), 369–376. https://doi.org/10.62672/joease.v3i3.122
Prasetyo, D., Panca, R. Z., & Widodo, U. (2023). Ilmu Dan Teknologi Kepolisian [Police Science and Technology]. PT. RajaGrafindo Persada.
Prasetyo, O., & Rahman, A. (2023). Analisis Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan (KTSP) Pada Mata Pelajaran Sejarah Sebagai Perbandingan Terhadap Implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka (IKM) [Analysis of the School-Based Curriculum (KTSP) in History Subjects as a Comparison to the Implementation of. PAKIS (Publikasi Berkala Pendidikan Ilmu Sosial), 3(1), 56. https://doi.org/10.20527/pakis.v3i1.7831 [In Indonesian]
Putnam, R. D. (2020). Bowling Alone. Simon & Schuster.
Putri, J. A., Arasy, A., & Nelwati, S. (2023). Indonesia Challenges in Maintaining National Identity in the Era of Globalisation. Hakamain: Journal of Sharia and Law Studies, 2(1), 129–138. https://doi.org/10.57255/hakamain.v2i1.318
Rahman, A., Sari, N. M. W., Fitriani, M. S., Sattar, Z. A., Irwanto, A. P. N., Indriana, N. L., Haryanto, E., Amane, A. P. O., Ahmadin, & Alaslan, A. (2022). Metode penelitian ilmu sosial [Social science research methods] (1st ed.). Widina Bhakti Persada.
Rakhmani, I., & Sakhiyya, Z. (2024). The Cultural Political Economy of Knowledge in Neo-Liberal Indonesia. Journal of Contemporary Asia, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/00472336.2023.2298449
Rathmaningrum, N., & Yulianto, M. A. (2026). Communicating Ecological Values Through Resource Bricolage: Environmental Narratives of Tourism-supporting SMEs in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Environmental Communication, 20(5), 892–906. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2025.2597447
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2017). Organizational Behavior (17th ed.). Pearson.
Robbins, T., Anthony, D., & Richardson, J. (1978). Theory and Research on Today’s “New Religions.” Sociological Analysis, 39(2), 95. https://doi.org/10.2307/3710211
Samad, M. Y., Zattullah, N., Abdullah, F. P., Adzel, Z., Permatasari, D. A., Persadha, P. D., & Brata, T. (2023). Optimizing Indonesia’s Digital Diplomacy through a Multitrack Peace Building Approach: A Case Study of the Palestine-Israel Conflict. Jurnal Pertahanan: Media Informasi Ttg Kajian & Strategi Pertahanan Yang Mengedepankan Identity, Nasionalism & Integrity, 9(3), 495–511. https://doi.org/10.33172/jp.v9i3.19272
Saxena, G., & Yi, S. (2026). A visual autoethnographic study on gendered livelihoods in tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 34(6), 1609–1640. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2025.2568924
Scott, J. C. (2021). Seeing Like a State. Yale University Press.
Shen, W., Xu, X., & Wang, X. (2022). Reconceptualising international academic mobility in the global knowledge system: towards a new research agenda. Higher Education, 84(6), 1317–1342. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00931-8
Sjølie, E., Espenes, T. C., & Buø, R. (2022). Social interaction and agency in self-organizing student teams during their transition from face-to-face to online learning. Computers & Education, 189, 104580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104580
Soekanto, S. (2019). Pengantar Sosiologi Hukum [Introduction to Sociology of Law]. Rajawali Pers.
Spolsky, B. (2021). Sociolinguistics. Oxford University Press.
Supatra, H. (2017). Pokok-pokok Bahasan Kebahasaan dalam Kajian Antropologi Bahasa [Key Linguistic Issues in the Study of Language Anthropology]. Nusa: Jurnal Ilmu Bahasa Dan Sastra, 12(2), 1. https://doi.org/10.14710/nusa.12.2.1-13 [In Indonesian]
Susanto, G., Pickus, D., Espree-Conaway, D., Suparmi, Rusiandi, A., & Noviya, H. (2024). Indonesian language policy and perspectives on its implementation in promoting Bahasa Indonesia as an international language. Cogent Arts & Humanities, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2024.2364511
Sutrisno, M. (2020). Humanisme dan Kebudayaan [Humanism and Culture]. Kanisius.
Tegegn, D. A. (2024). The role of science and technology in reconstructing human social history: effect of technology change on society. Cogent Social Sciences, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2356916
Thoha, M. (2003). Perilaku Organisasi: Konsep Dasar dan Aplikasinya [Organizational Behavior: Basic Concepts and Applications]. Raja Grafindo Persada.
Thompson, W. E., Hickey, J. V, & Thompson, M. L. (2016). Society in focus: An introduction to sociology. Rowman & Littlefield.
Vandevelde, A. (2024). The Concept of Solidarity – A Humean Perspective. Critical Horizons, 25(1), 50–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/14409917.2024.2313437
Wang, Y., Luo, X., Ravitch, S. M., Midgett, S., & Zhao, R. (2025). The power of structure: Institutionalization and parental involvement in chinese urban primary schools. International Journal of Educational Development, 118, 103421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103421
Wheaton, M., Ardoin, N. M., Bowers, A. W., & Kannan, A. (2024). Sociocultural learning theories for social-ecological change. Environmental Education Research, 30(8), 1193–1210. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2024.2347888
Wodak, R. (2021). The Politics of Fear. Sage.
Zein, S. (2020). Language Policy in Superdiverse Indonesia. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429019739
Zeng, J., & Yang, J. (2024). English language hegemony: retrospect and prospect. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1), 317. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-02821-z
Zhang, H., & Wang, J. (2023). The Aesthetic Education of Traditional Chinese Mending Embroidery Technology in the Spread of Costume Culture (pp. 177–185). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35946-0_15