STUDI KOMUNIKASI BUDAYA DAN REPRESENTASI DIRI MELALUI MEDIA SOSIAL: TRANSFORMASI IDENTITAS BUDAYA SUKU ENDELIO DI ERA DIGITAL

Abstract

This study aims to understand how the Ende-Lio ethnic community represents their cultural identity in digital spaces, particularly through social media, and how cultural symbols are transformed amidst the forces of globalization and technological modernization. Cultural identity is no longer confined to traditional social spaces but has evolved into visual and narrative expressions in digital media. Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, this research involved five key informants: Richard Elvis Odja (Chairman of Kupang City Parliament), Nick Amaraya (photographer from Ende), Beatrix Sari, Florencia, and Nona Zafira, who actively express Ende-Lio cultural values in digital content. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, digital observation, and documentation, including the analysis of digital wedding invitations featuring Ende woven motifs as symbols of self-representation and ethnic pride. The findings reveal that social media serves as a new space for cultural identity transformation, where woven motifs, language, and traditional narratives are adapted to negotiate self-meaning within a modern context. These digital representations are not merely acts of preservation but strategic forms of cultural communication that bridge tradition and the identity of the younger Ende-Lio generation. This study emphasizes the crucial role of cultural communication in sustaining ethnic identity continuity in the digital era.