Kulkul Traditional Communication Media in the Midst of the Use of WhatsApp Groups in the Subak Sebatu Organization

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FORMOSA NEWS - Bali - Balinese Farmers Combine Kulkul and WhatsApp to Preserve Culture and Irrigation Management. Traditional wooden slit drums and instant messaging apps now coexist in the rice terraces of Bali, creating a hybrid communication model that protects local heritage while improving agricultural coordination. Researcher I Wayan Suartawan and co-author Bernadus Bernando Bria from Universitas Bali Dwipa Denpasar published a study in August 2026 showing that the Subak Sebatu agricultural organization in Gianyar Regency successfully integrated the traditional Kulkul medium with modern WhatsApp groups. The findings demonstrate how indigenous farming communities can adopt digital tools without losing their customary authority, cultural identity, or social cohesion amid growing pressures from tourism and land conversion.

Background: Agricultural Adaptation Amid Urbanization and Tourism

The Subak Sebatu organization in Banjar Kebon, Kedisan Village, Tegallalang District, oversees roughly 40 hectares of traditional irrigated rice paddies. Operating under the UNESCO-recognized Tri Hita Karana philosophy which emphasizes harmony between humans, nature, and the divine Subak institutions direct water distribution, schedule planting cycles, organize mutual aid, and perform shared religious rituals. However, the region faces intense socio-economic transformations. According to official spatial planning and land-use studies in Gianyar Regency, Tegallalang lost approximately 3.76 hectares of irrigated farmland between 2022 and 2024 to tourism infrastructure such as villas and restaurants. Additionally, ecological pressures like severe rodent infestations in 2025 caused massive crop failures across several local Subak systems. To navigate these challenges and coordinate rapid responses, Subak leaders began using WhatsApp groups. This shift raised crucial questions about whether modern digital communication would replace Kulkul the traditional wooden or bamboo acoustic instrument long used to call community meetings, signal emergencies, and announce temple ceremonies.

Methodology: Communication Ethnography in the Paddies
To analyze this technological shift, Suartawan and Bria conducted a qualitative study using Dell Hymes’ communication ethnography framework. This analytical model evaluates how language and symbolic signals function within specific cultural settings. The researchers gathered field data through participant observation, documentation analysis, and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders across Banjar Kebon. Informants included:

• Pekaseh (the chief head of the Subak organization).
  
• Prajuru (customary board members and administrators).
  
• Krama Subak (active farmer members).
  
• Village administrators, community leaders, and local tourism operators.
  

Key Findings: A Complementary Hybrid Communication Model
The study revealed that digital channels and traditional instruments do not compete; instead, they form a complementary, hybrid communication structure.

• Customary Legitimacy of the Kulkul: The sound of the Kulkul retains exclusive authority for cultural, ritual, and emergency mobilization. Because the instrument carries sacred and social weight, striking the Kulkul commands immediate physical presence and reinforces collective solidarity during temple rituals and shared physical labor (ayahan).
  
• Administrative Speed via WhatsApp: WhatsApp groups serve daily operational needs. Subak administrators use the messaging platform to fulfill four primary organizational communication functions: informative (sharing meeting schedules), regulatory (disseminating irrigation rules), persuasive (encouraging participation), and integrative (fostering social bonds).
  
• Bridging Geographical Distance: WhatsApp enables off-site members such as landowners living or working outside Banjar Kebon to track organizational decisions, review meeting minutes, and confirm attendance remotely.
  
• Digital Social Learning: Farmers use the WhatsApp group as an informal digital learning platform to exchange agricultural knowledge, discuss pest control strategies, and post real-time field updates.
  

Real-World Implications for Policy and Cultural Preservation
The research highlights how traditional institutions can modernize without losing their cultural foundation. For policymakers, agricultural boards, and rural developers, the hybrid model established by Subak Sebatu offers a blueprint for sustainable rural management. It shows that digital tools can enhance administrative efficiency and emergency responsiveness while preserving intangible cultural heritage. Reflecting on the broader meaning of these findings, lead researcher I Wayan Suartawan, S.Si., M.Si., and co-author Bernadus Bernando Bria, S.Sos., M.Si., from Universitas Bali Dwipa noted that traditional communication tools like the Kulkul carry symbolic values of discipline and togetherness that digital screens cannot replicate. The authors emphasized that integrating instant messaging alongside customary instruments creates a hybrid model that maintains organizational effectiveness while safeguarding agrarian cultural identity in the modern era.

Author Profiles
I Wayan Suartawan, S.Si., M.Si. is a researcher and lecturer at Universitas Bali Dwipa Denpasar, specializing in traditional communication systems, cultural ethnography, and agrarian organizational dynamics.
Bernadus Bernando Bria, S.Sos., M.Si. is an academic and researcher at Universitas Bali Dwipa Denpasar focusing on media studies, organizational communication, and social change in local communities.

Source
I Wayan Suartawan, Bernadus Bernando Bria. Kulkul Traditional Communication Media in the Midst of the Use of WhatsApp Groups in the Subak Sebatu Organization. Formosa Journal of Sustainable Research (FJSR). Vol. 5, No. 8 2026, Halaman 621–632.
DOI : https://doi.org/10.55927/fjsr.v5i8.58
URL: https://journalfjas.my.id/index.php/fjas