TABOO AND ITS VIOLATIONS: THE DYNAMICS OF INTERCULTURAL RELATIONS OF MA’ANYAN DAYAK SOCIETY IN TWO FOLKTALES

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to find out the patterns of cultural interaction between the Ma’anyan Dayak ethnic group and other ethnic groups as revealed in the folktales of the Ma’anyan Dayaks. Bennett et al.’s theory of the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) is used as a research framework to observe the stages of intercultural relations, namely the ethnocentric stages and the ethnorelative stages. The field study method used to collect data where the author goes to the field to meet the informants of the native Ma’anyan Dayaks to record, transcribe, and translate the folktales. The method used to analyze the data is in the form of qualitative analysis with the subject of the study of the Ma’anyan Dayak, Banjar, and Javanese ethnic groups. The results of this study indicate that in the history of their early civilization, the Ma’anyan Dayak faced problems in intercultural relations with other ethnicities. There is a historical phase in which the relationship encountered severe resistance at the ethnocentric stage because of the strong "padi" prohibitions or taboos relating to infidelity. However, at another historical phase, the Ma’anyan Dayak ethnic group could enter the ethnorelative stages that can accept the presence of other ethnicities. Nevertheless, we note that the “padi” and taboo remain firmly rooted in the souls of the Ma’anyan Dayaks. The second message of the folktales is that there are always boundaries (taboos) that should not be violated.