Sampit
City, Central Kalimantan, is more than just an economic hub; it is a stage for
the performance of multiculturalism through its culinary landscape. Research
conducted by Erma Lestari, Kisyani Laksono, and Syamsul Sodiq from the
Universitas Negeri Surabaya in 2025 reveals how the language displayed on
business signs and menus serves as a tool for constructing ethnic identity and
social harmony. These findings are significant, offering a new perspective on
how a city's public space reflects the reality of Indonesia's diverse society.
Language
as Identity in Public Spaces
In
a heterogeneous society, business signs and menus are often considered merely
functional information. However, for the researchers from Universitas Negeri
Surabaya, these elements are cultural texts laden with meaning. The recurring
issue is how different ethnic groups negotiate their presence in the city's
public space through language. Without an understanding of the performative
role of this language, we often overlook the fact that the way an eatery
promotes itself is actually "performing" its ethnic identity in the
midst of Sampit's pluralistic society.
Visual
Ethnography Methodology
The
researchers employed a descriptive approach using visual ethnography. Data were
collected throughout 2025 through direct observation and documentation of
various public culinary texts, such as shop signs, menus, and business banners
in Sampit City. This data was then analyzed using linguistic landscape theory
to understand the symbolic and representational functions of the language used,
as well as the anthropolinguistic concept of performativity to see how that
language "works" in creating a multicultural reality.
Key
Findings: Culinary Scenes as Identity Stages
The
study demonstrates that the culinary linguistic landscape in Sampit plays a
role far more dynamic than simply providing information:
- ·
Language as an Ethnic Marker: The use of specific ethnic names on business signs is
not just a signifier of regional origin, but an effort to strengthen ethnic
identity in public spaces.
- ·
Multicultural Performativity: Culinary businesses in Sampit use language to create a
"stage" where people from various cultural backgrounds can interact
harmoniously.
- ·
Cultural Integration: There is a tendency to use language that integrates
local terms with the national language to attract consumers from diverse ethnic
segments.
- ·
Negotiation Spaces: Culinary texts function as spaces where local identity
is preserved while remaining open to acceptance by the wider community.
Impact and
Implications for Social Harmony
This
research confirms that the linguistic landscape in Sampit City is a tangible
reflection of religious moderation and ethnic tolerance. Erma Lestari and her
team from Universitas Negeri Surabaya show that through culinary businesses,
the community has managed to create peaceful spaces for cultural exchange. The
implications of this study are highly relevant for diversity-friendly urban
planning policies. By understanding that culinary businesses are mediums of
cultural communication, local governments can better appreciate ethnic identity
as an asset that enriches the city's social landscape, rather than as a trigger
for segregation.
Author Profile:
- Erma
Lestari – Researcher, Universitas Negeri
Surabaya; Expertise: Anthropolinguistics and Linguistic Landscape.
- Prof.
Dr. Kisyani Laksono, M.Hum. – Lecturer,
Universitas Negeri Surabaya; Expertise: Cultural Linguistics.
- Dr.
Syamsul Sodiq, M.Pd. – Lecturer,
Universitas Negeri Surabaya; Expertise: Language and Cultural Education.
Research Source:
Lestari, E., Laksono, K., & Sodiq, S. (2026). "Multicultural Performance in the Linguistic Landscape of Sampit City, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia (Anthropolinguistic Study)". Journal of Language Development and Linguistics (JLDL), 5(1), 79-96.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/jldl.v5i1.16518
URL: https://journal.formosapublisher.org/index.php/jldl
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