Local People's Political Strength Supporting Dugderan Tradition

The Kauman community in the city of Semarang in Central Java province is known to have its own independence and political power to maintain their environment. The Kauman community, by its mean, tries to preserve their ways of earning for living, which include maintaining its cultural tradition “Dugderan Tradition” so that it does not become extinct. But the city government until now has not made the Kauman community as a unique indigenous community with its dugder tradition in the city of Semarang. This research method used survey methods and types of qualitative research. In-depth interviews were conducted by asking informants to conduct in-depth interviews several times. General observation and in-depth interviews were then analyzed to find information and the context of the political power needed. Firstly, the results of this study found new things related to the Kauman elite community ways—supported by multiple power, which succeeded to preserve their place of life and cultural Dugderan traditions. This means that the people are able to develop their own independent political forces maintain the Dugderan tradition because they are pressed by primary needs. Secondly, modernization makes the Kauman community more emending and they are more involved in the government's political decision especially in terms of building, maintain the Dugderan and developing the Kauman Area.