Aksi Buang Sampah: Etnografi Penduduk Bantaran Sungai Bah Bolon Pematangsiantar

Abstract

This study, entitled Waste Disposal Practices: An Ethnography of Riverbank Residents along the Bah Bolon River in Pematangsiantar, explores the ecological and social issues arising from the normalization of waste disposal into rivers, despite its severe environmental consequences. For riverbank communities, the river functions as a multifunctional living space playing crucial roles in economic, social, and cultural activities while paradoxically serving as a dumping ground for domestic waste. This research seeks to understand why this behavior persists across generations and how it is perceived as a rational and normalized practice within contexts of spatial, infrastructural, and socio-economic limitations. The literature review integrates Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of social practice encompassing the concepts of habitus, capital, and field with ecological marginality theory and the concept of cultural naturalization within anthropology. These theoretical frameworks explain how social, economic, and symbolic structures shape the collective habit of waste disposal that is regarded as practical by the community. While previous studies have addressed issues of environmental awareness and inadequate infrastructure, few have examined the cultural and symbolic meanings embedded in such practices.

This research employs an ethnographic method with a qualitative approach. Data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and visual documentation of the local environment. Data analysis was conducted thematically by relating observed practices to the concepts of ecological habitus and social reproduction. The validity of findings was reinforced through source triangulation and reflective field notes.

Findings reveal that the act of disposing waste into the river is not merely due to a lack of environmental awareness but is deeply rooted in historical socialization and structural adaptation. The practice is reproduced through an ecological habitus shaped by lived experiences, limited access to public services, and the absence of social sanctions. The river is perceived as a convenient and natural public space for household waste disposal, while behavioral change efforts are hindered by infrastructural inequality and weak regulation. The community’s economic, cultural, and symbolic capital further legitimizes this practice, turning it into a negative tradition embedded in everyday life.

The study concludes that river waste disposal represents a structured social practice, not an irrational individual act. It enriches urban anthropological discourse by illuminating the interconnections among poverty, social space, and ecology. Consequently, addressing waste management issues in riverbank settlements requires culturally informed, community-based approaches rather than purely technical solutions.