Jojokh as a Socio-Spatial Practice in the Coastal Wedding Tradition of Lampung, Indonesia

Abstract

Across Lampung’s coastal settlements, Jojokh remains central to customary marriage, yet its meaning is being renegotiated amid modernization, gender equality debates, and digital connectivity. This study investigates how space, place, and generational change shape the continuity and transformation of Jojokh in contemporary coastal Lampung. A qualitative ethnographic case study was conducted in Pesisir Barat, Tanggamus, and South Lampung from February to November 2025. Data were gathered through participant observation, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis involving forty-six customary leaders, parents, millennials, and scholars. The data were examined thematically and spatially, while triangulation and member checking strengthened credibility. Findings reveal that Jojokh values vary according to proximity to historic maritime trade routes and levels of urbanization, suggesting a qualitative association between coastal setting and cultural practice. Jojokh also persists as a marker of Saibatin identity through selective adaptation, including its negotiation in social media spaces. Rather than rejecting the tradition, millennials act as cultural modifiers who balance economic realities, gender equity, and ancestral belonging. The study demonstrates that customary marriage payments are neither static nor simply declining. It contributes a spatial and intergenerational perspective to cultural geography and offers a basis for participatory, adaptive, and sustainable cultural preservation policies.