Semiotic Interpretation of the “Munggah Molo” Tradition as a Framework for Local Literacy Education

Abstract

This study aims to describe semiotic interpretations within the Munggah Molo tradition and identify its potential as a framework for local literacy education. The methodology was tailored to the data sources, which included cultural phenomena, traditional symbols, visual documentation, and observational findings in Punggulrejo, Rengel, Tuban, East Java. The data are qualitative in nature, consisting of multimodal texts verbal narratives, visual images, and the context of cultural phenomena in the field). Data analysis was conducted using Roland Barthes’s semiotic theory, which encompasses denotation, connotation, and myth, as well as the local literacy perspective by Barton and Hamilton. The research findings indicate that various requirements in the Munggah Molo tradition, such as market snacks (jajan pasar), roasted chicken (pitik ingkung), tumpeng, sugarcane, coconuts, umbrellas, a bundle of rice, a bunch of bananas, and the Indonesia flag, carry religious, social, moral, ecological, agrarian, and nationalistic meanings. In addition to serving as ritual paraphernalia, these symbols also function as a medium for the transmission of Javanese cultural knowledge. The research findings indicate that the Munggah Molo tradition possesses strong potential as a source and framework for contextual local literacy education to strengthen students’ character, cultural identity, and awareness of local wisdom.