Ritual resilience: Reinterpreting tolak bala as a community-based disaster management strategy in Indonesia

Literature and Culture Department, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: silviarosa@hum.unand.ac.id

Abstract

In the face of the increasing frequency of hydrometeorological disasters in the coastal region of West Sumatra, the Nagari Painan people continue to observe the Tolak Bala ritual as a cultural response to natural risks. This research examines how symbols, oral narratives, and collective practices within these rituals influence the community's social resilience. With the perspective of symbolic interactionism and the community's adaptive capacity, this study analyses the role of cultural elements such as flower water, sea offerings, poems, and collective prayer in building a collective meaning of the disaster experience. The methods used included participatory observation, narrative interviews, and visual documentation during the ritual implementation. The findings suggest that these symbols promote social cohesion, transmit disaster knowledge across generations, and foster adaptive structures grounded in local values. The participation of young generations through digital documentation marks a new form of adaptation that expands the reach of symbols into contemporary spaces. The research concludes that the Tolak Bala ritual is an effective form of social technology in building community resilience. The main contribution of this research lies in the importance of integrating cultural dimensions in community-based disaster strategies.