Ethnoparenting Practices of Sunda Wiwitan in Early Childhood Character Education at Kasepuhan Cisungsang Banten Kidul Community

Abstract

This study aims to describe Sunda Wiwitan ethnoparenting practices in the indigenous community of Kasepuhan Cisungsang, Banten Kidul, the cultural values transmitted to young children, and the community's strategies for responding to modernization. The study used a qualitative approach with Spradley's ethnographic method. Data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews with customary leaders, parents, and community members, and a literature review on culturally based parenting and indigenous communities. The findings show that Cisungsang ethnoparenting is communal, spiritual, ecological, participatory, and oriented toward character formation. Childrearing is not limited to the nuclear family but is enacted through extended families, customary elders, agricultural activities, oral traditions, Seren Taun rituals, local arts, and mutual cooperation. The main values transmitted include respect for parents and ancestors, adherence to tatali paranti karuhun, religiosity, gratitude, simplicity, responsibility, social solidarity, cultural identity, and harmony with nature. Modernization has affected family language use, technology adoption, formal education, housing patterns, and children's social interaction; however, the community adapts through formal schooling, digital documentation, selective technology use, and the strengthening of customary leadership. These findings contribute to the development of early childhood education based on local wisdom by linking families, schools, communities, and the natural environment as integrated learning resources.