Cultural Communication Messages in the Dabus Traditions of Ternate and Tidore
Keywords:
Ternate and Tidore, Dabus tradition, cultural communication, and message building;
Abstract
The formation of cultural communication messages, the meanings and symbols ingrained in the Dabus culture, the rituals used to transmit cultural messages, and the parallels and discrepancies between Ternate and Tidore are all examined in this study. The study investigates the subjective experiences of Dabus performers and participants using a qualitative phenomenological approach, emphasizing processes, motives, and messages. Purposive sampling was used to choose informants based on their involvement, competence, and experience. Observation, in-depth interviews, and document analysis were used to gather data, which was then inductively evaluated to find new meaning patterns. The results demonstrate how ritual symbols, social contact, and group involvement are used in the Dabus tradition to generate cultural communication messages that reflect religious, social, and historical significance. Through ceremonial phases and group activities, the tradition serves as a vehicle for the symbolic communication of religious ideals, bravery, social unity, and collective identity. While the ritual's role as a symbolic medium for communicating religious beliefs and social unity is comparable in all locations, the focus on meaning and symbolic orientation is different.
References
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Lan, Q. (2018). Does ritual exist ? Defining and classifying ritual based on belief theory. The Journal of Chinese Sociology, 5(5). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40711-018-0073-x
Manafe, Y. D. (2025). Komunikasi ritual pada budaya bertani atoni pah meto di timor-nusa tenggara timur. Jurnal Asosiasi Pendidikan Tinggi Ilmu Komnikasi, 10(2), 287–298. file:///C:/Users/Personal/Downloads/26-32-1-PB.pdf
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Sukmawati, L., & Tuhuteru, A. (2023). The existence of tabaus tradition as traditional channel in buano society, maluku. Dialektika: Jurnal Pemikiran Keagamaan Dan Ilmu Sosial, 16(2), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.33477/da.v16i2.6444
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Widiya, S. (2024). Kujang salakageni association preserves debus tradition amidst modern turmoil in bogor. Journal of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies., 2(1), 30–34. https://doi.org/10.61857/jsscs.v1i3.110
Zhang, J. (2019). Educational diversity and ethnic cultural heritage in the process of globalization. International Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology, 3(7), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41257-019-0022-x
Zhang, J., & Xu, C. (2024). A grounded theory ‑ based model of information communication in cultural heritage digital reading on the social media from the perspective of the embodied theory. Heritage Science, 12(28), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-024-01313-2
Zhang, L., & Yim, E. (2025). Exploring the new chinese style on social media : A constructivist grounded theory approach. Education and Information Technologies, 12(28), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40691-025-00431-0
Zhang, Z., Jiang, S., Zhang, R., & Kecheng, R. (2026). Interactive visual communication for cultural learning and preservation: A mixed-methods study of user engagement with china’s intangible heritage. Acta Psychologica, 263(January), 106238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.106238
Abubakar, F., Subeitan, S. M., Hakimi, A. R., Faisol, M., & Sinay, S. B. (2025). Qadhi legitimization: Shifting roles of the penghulu in Ternate and Tidore sultanates, Indonesia. Ijtihad: Jurnal Wacana Hukum Islam Dan Kemanusiaan, 25(1), 139–163. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijtihad.v25i1.139-163
Alfarab, Utami, A. V., & Sukma, P. H. M. (2025). Situational identity : A study of identity communication in bengkulu city. Dawuh: Islamic Communication Journal, 6(2), 55–60. https://doi.org/10.62159/dawuh.v6i2.1755
Alhadar, M., Rakhmat, & Hanafi, F. (2024). Komunikasi ritual ziarah jere pada masyarakat adat Ternate menurut islam. QaḍāuNā: Jurnal Ilmiah Mahasiswa Hukum Keluarga Islam, 5(2), 361–376. file:///C:/Users/Personal/Downloads/Muhdi+Alhadar,+Rakhmat,+Fauzan+Hanafi.pdf
Arief, D., Komariah, S., & Wulandari, P. (2024). Transforming heritage: analyzing cultural capital and value shifts in Indonesia’s ngunjung buyut tradition. Jurnal Sosiologi Reflektif, 19(1), 165–188. https://doi.org/10.14421/z10ewc27
Bakti, I., Sumartias, S., Damayanti, T., & Nugraha, A. R. (2021). Ritual communication in building religious and cultural harmony. Review of International Geographical Education, 11(5). https://rigeo.org/menu-script/index.php/rigeo/article/view/760
Chan, A. H. Bin, Saearani, M. F. T., & Alfarisi, S. (2024). The acculturation of malay-islamic elements in the Dabus dance ritual in the malay community of perak, malaysia. Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education, 24(1), 134–148. https://doi.org/10.15294/harmonia.v24i1.46744
Costa, F. Della. (2023). Ritual as metaphor. Sage Journal: Anthropological Theory, 23(1), 3–32. https://doi.org/10.1177/14634996221130834
Creswell, J. W. (2010). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2011). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Fadzli, M., Andika, A. G., Putra, J. E., & Sujana, A. M. (2025). Debus : Tradisi keagamaan dan spiritualitas islam di banten. Hidayah : Cendekia Pendidikan Islam Dan Hukum Syariah, 2(2), 2025. https://doi.org/10.61132/hidayah.v2i2.960
Giorgi, A. (2009). The descriptive phenomenological method in psychology: A modified Husserlian approach. Duquesne University Press.
Hall, S., Hobson, D., Lowe, A., & Willis, P. (1980). Culture, media, language. Unwin Hyman. file:///C:/Users/Personal/Downloads/Culture_Media_Language_Stuart_Hall.pdf
Hasan, K., & Sazali, H. (2026). Peace communication of the aceh party : Integration of local wisdom based on religious values. Dawuh: Islamic Communication Journal, 1(1), 38–54. https://doi.org/10.62159/dawuh.v7i1
Hasanovich, S. A. (2025). The impact of globalization and modernization processes on family traditions. Modern American Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 01(09), 54–66. https://usajournals.org/index.php/3/article/view/1586/1664
Iman, M. T., & Damayanti, W. (2025). Debus in banten tradition : A hermeneutic exploration of its spiritual and cultural significance. E-Journal UIN Jakarta, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.15408/ref.v24i1.46670
Kaddas, B., Rakhmat, & Mualim, A. H. (2025). Understanding intercultural encounters : Communication practices of bugis and Ternate people in Ternate. Ettisal: Journal of Communication, 10(2), 107–122. https://doi.org/10.21111/ejoc.v10i2.11335
Kader, A. (2018). Upacara ritual Dabus masyarakat Tidore. Sejarah dan Budaya: Jurnal Sejarah, Budaya, Dan Pengajarannya, 12(1), 1–7. file:///C:/Users/Personal/Downloads/4114-10518-1-SM.pdf
Kurniawati, D. P. M., Hastjarjo, S., & Slamet, Y. (2024). Communication of rituals and traditional ceremonies dayak ngaju community in central kalimantan. Formosa Journal of Science and Technology, 3(1), 103–118. https://doi.org/10.55927/fjst.v3i1.7533
Lan, Q. (2018). Does ritual exist ? Defining and classifying ritual based on belief theory. The Journal of Chinese Sociology, 5(5). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40711-018-0073-x
Manafe, Y. D. (2025). Komunikasi ritual pada budaya bertani atoni pah meto di timor-nusa tenggara timur. Jurnal Asosiasi Pendidikan Tinggi Ilmu Komnikasi, 10(2), 287–298. file:///C:/Users/Personal/Downloads/26-32-1-PB.pdf
Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. SAGE Publications.
Ni’amah, L. U., & Pratiwi, C. S. (2026). Transformation of islamic islamic preaching in the digital era : A comparative study of the salaf al-basyariyah islamic boarding school in madiun and the modern islamic boarding school in nurul Jadid in probolinggo. Dawuh: Islamic Communication Journal, 1(1), 68–80. https://doi.org/10.62159/dawuh.v7i1
Pamungkas, B. A., & Suryono, J. (2026). Makna simbol komunikasi budaya dalam genduren megengan pada masyarakat dusun waleng girimarto wonogiri. Komunitas: Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi, 11(2), 53–72. https://doi.org/10.47942/komunitas.v11i2.2043
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Pereda, J., Willcox, P., Candela, G., Sanchez, A., & Murrieta‑Flores, P. A. (2025). Online cultural heritage as a social machine : A socio ‑ technical approach to digital infrastructure and ecosystems. In International Journal of Digital Humanities (Vol. 7, Issue 1). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42803-025-00097-6
Putri, A. M., Riswana, D., Nuraulia, D. Z., Nurulhikmah, G., & Alifiandra, H. (2025). Nilai-nilai islam dalam kesenian debus serang banten sebagai media dakwah dan warisan kulturalL. Kampus Akademik Publising : Jurnal Multidisiplin Ilmu Akademik, 2(6), 258–269. https://doi.org/10.61722/jmia.v2i6.6984
Putri, E. A., & Yuanita, A. (2024). Kepercayaan dan makna simbolik budaya jawa dalam novel kisah tanah jawa : (Pocong gundul (kajian interpretatif clifford geertz). Jurnal Sapala, 11(1), 57–69. file:///C:/Users/Personal/Downloads/adminjsapala,+6-Emilia+Amanda+Putri+57--69.pdf
Rahman, M. K. A. (2016). Dimensi ruang kosmos tarian Dabus: Amalan penyucian dan penyembuhan. Melayu: Jurnal Antarabangsa Dunia Melayu, 32–44. file:///C:/Users/Personal/Downloads/TEKS-DABUSDBP.pdf
Ridwan, M., Toisuta, H., Yanlua, M., Sulaeman, S., & Salam, N. (2020). The abda ’ u ritual : Ethnographic communication study of tulehu society in the moluccas , Indonesia. International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 9, 709–722. file:///C:/Users/Personal/Downloads/document (5).pdf
Rusdiyanto. (2018). Kesultanan Ternate dan Tidore. Aqlam: Journal of Islam and Plurality, 3(1), 44–53. https://doi.org/10.30984/ajip.v3i1.631
Saifullah, Nur, S., & Maali, D. Y. (2023). Antara debus banten dan debus pariaman unsur-unsur tariqat dalam tradisi debus. Nusantara; Journal for Southeast Asian Islamic Studies, 19(1), 30–44.
Sigdel, S. B. (2018). Culture and symbolism nexus in anthropology. Janapriya Journal of Interdisciplinary Research, VII, 116–124. https://doi.org/10.3126/jjis.v7i1.23061
Simabur, L. A., & Cangara, H. (2024). Proses ritual kololi kie adat kesultanan Ternate. Jurnal Badati, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.38012/jb.v6i1.1208
Subtil, F. (2014). A abordagem cultural da comunicação de James W. Carey. Intercom: Revista Intercom, 37(1). https://doi.org/10.1590/rbcc.v37i1.1879
Subuh, R. Do, Rauf, R., Maricar, F., & Ulya, A. (2024). The utilization of Ternate oral tradition for the identification of potential disasters. Etnoreflika: Jurnal Sosial Dan Budaya, 13(1), 134–143. https://doi.org/10.33772/etnoreflika.v13i1.2374
Sukmawati, L., & Tuhuteru, A. (2023). The existence of tabaus tradition as traditional channel in buano society, maluku. Dialektika: Jurnal Pemikiran Keagamaan Dan Ilmu Sosial, 16(2), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.33477/da.v16i2.6444
Vredenbreg, J. (1973). Dabus in west java (Vol. 129). https://doi.org/10.1163/22134379-90002723
Wang, S. (2024). Research on the communication strategies of traditional culture among adolescents from the perspective of narrative theory. Education Reform and Development, 6(11), 14–19. https://doi.org/10.26689/erd.v6i11.8909
Widiya, S. (2024). Kujang salakageni association preserves debus tradition amidst modern turmoil in bogor. Journal of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies., 2(1), 30–34. https://doi.org/10.61857/jsscs.v1i3.110
Zhang, J. (2019). Educational diversity and ethnic cultural heritage in the process of globalization. International Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology, 3(7), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41257-019-0022-x
Zhang, J., & Xu, C. (2024). A grounded theory ‑ based model of information communication in cultural heritage digital reading on the social media from the perspective of the embodied theory. Heritage Science, 12(28), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-024-01313-2
Zhang, L., & Yim, E. (2025). Exploring the new chinese style on social media : A constructivist grounded theory approach. Education and Information Technologies, 12(28), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40691-025-00431-0
Zhang, Z., Jiang, S., Zhang, R., & Kecheng, R. (2026). Interactive visual communication for cultural learning and preservation: A mixed-methods study of user engagement with china’s intangible heritage. Acta Psychologica, 263(January), 106238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.106238
Published
2026-07-01
How to Cite
A. H Din, M., Rafa’al, M., Samura, A. O., & Alhadar, M. (2026). Cultural Communication Messages in the Dabus Traditions of Ternate and Tidore. DAWUH : Islamic Communication Journal, 7(2), 102-117. https://doi.org/10.62159/dawuh.v7i2.1997
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Copyright (c) 2026 Makbul A. H Din, Mubaddilah Rafa'al, Asri Ode Samura, Muhdi Alhadar
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