Between Tradition and Modernity: Social Responses to Infrastructure Development in Maros Regency

Dr. Adi Sumandiyar, S.Sos., M.Si., dkk. · 2025

Abstrak

Infrastructure development in buffer zones such as Maros Regency of
Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island presents a dilemma between the push for
modernization and the preservation of local traditional values. Amid the rapid
expansion of roads, bridges, and tourism projects, local communities face
disruptions to the social, cultural, and economic spaces that have long
sustained their way of life. This study aims to analyze the social responses of
the Maros community to infrastructure development, particularly in the
context of the tension between tradition and modernity. A qualitative
approach was employed, using an exploratory case study design conducted in
three villages: Jenetaesa, Tukamasea, and Salenrang. Data were collected
through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and local
documentation, and analyzed using Pierre Bourdieu’s theories of habitus and
social fields. The findings reveal that development has led to the
transformation of symbolic spaces, shifts in power relations, and the
emergence of unequal access to development benefits. Community responses
vary, including forms of cultural resistance, conditional social negotiation, and
hybridization between traditional values and modern elements. This study
concludes that technocratic development, when lacking cultural sensitivity,
poses a threat to social cohesion. Therefore, sustainable development in local
contexts requires a participatory approach that recognizes communities as
active agents in shaping the direction of change.