Javanese ethnic minorities create peace: Phenomenological study of multicultural personality

Ethnic conflicts due to discrimination, oppression, violence, harassment, and genocide perpetrated by majority ethnic groups continue to this day, causing suffering and misery to ethnic minorities. Attempts made to address the ethnic conflicts are in vain. One alternative solution is fostering harmony in multicultural communities through preventive efforts. Hence, this study aims to describe the multicultural personality of ethnic minority communities that contribute to establishing peace in heterogeneous societies. Further, the theme of multicultural personality contributes to developing peaceful inter-ethnic relations. The study employed a phenomenological research design carried out in Seluma, Indonesia. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with key figures from the Javanese ethnic minority groups. The chosen technique for data analysis was interpretative phenomenological analysis. The research findings revealed the primary theme of multicultural personality and key sub-themes: cultural empathy, emotional stability, social initiative, open-mindedness, and flexibility. All of these contribute to peace in multicultural communities. The implications of this study are significant as a model to establish peace, applicable to communities with diverse ethnic backgrounds.