The Student Creativity Program in Social Humanities Research (PKM-RSH) Rerengkuh team from Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) has successfully uncovered a number of local wisdom values within the Serat Wedha Tanaya that are relevant to serve as an educational model for recognizing and preventing the threat of child grooming, particularly in relationships that have the potential to lead to early marriage.
These significant findings were obtained through a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) involving two renowned cultural experts, Prof. Dr. Yusro Edy Nugroho, S.S., M.Hum. and Dr. Doni Dwi Hartanto, S.Pd., M.Pd. The activity, which formed an essential part of the Rerengkuh Team’s research, aimed to explore, interpret, and contextualize the values embedded in the Serat Wedha Tanaya with the issues currently faced by women.
Through the FGD, the Rerengkuh Team discovered that the Serat Wedha Tanaya does not only discuss household life but also contains values that can be utilized to consider a partner’s character, build healthy relationships, develop self-control, achieve maturity in decision-making, and understand responsibilities in married life.
One of the key findings from the FGD is the values contained in Pupuh Dhandhanggula, namely momong (nurturing), asih (compassion), bertanggung jawab (responsibility), and pengayom (protectiveness). These four values were then reinterpreted into the Rerengkuh Model as preventive principles to help women evaluate relationships and recognize potential manipulation. Additionally, the FGD also reinforced the Rerengkuh Team’s understanding of the teachings in Pupuh Kinanthi, particularly the concept of empat lamak (four considerations) which can be interpreted as the foundation in choosing a life partner, consisting of lamaking wanci (consideration of time/maturity), lamaking warni (consideration of appearance/character), lamaking rukmi (consideration of material/financial aspects), and lamaking budi (consideration of character/morals).
This research aligns with the spirit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 4 on Quality Education which emphasizes inclusive and equitable quality education for all, as well as Goal 5 on Gender Equality which aims to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women. Through the Rerengkuh Model, the PKM-RSH UNNES Team strives to present Javanese local wisdom as part of contextual education that is relevant to contemporary challenges. The values within the Serat Wedha Tanaya are not only preserved as cultural heritage but are also re-examined to provide perspectives for women in facing the threat of child grooming.
With the tagline “Rerengkuh: Merengkuh Diri, Menguatkan Perempuan, Melindungi Masa Depan” (Embracing Oneself, Empowering Women, Protecting the Future), the PKM-RSH UNNES Team hopes that this research can make a tangible contribution to the protection of women and children in Indonesia, while simultaneously strengthening UNNES’s position as a university that integrates local wisdom in addressing contemporary social issues.
