Phenomenological Exploration of Cultural Identity and Digital Belonging Among Indonesian Diaspora Communities
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Abstract
This study examines how globalization and digitalization reshape the lived experience of cultural identity among diaspora communities, focusing on the subjective and emotional dimensions of digital engagement. While digital diaspora research is expanding, limited attention has been given to how these processes are personally lived as acts of meaning-making. This study therefore asks: How do Indonesian diaspora members experience the preservation of cultural identity through digital spaces? Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), data were collected from twelve participants through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Analysis identified core themes of emotional continuity, hybrid identity, digital belonging, and cultural resistance. The findings show that digital platforms function not only as communication channels but as meaningful spaces where individuals negotiate identity and belonging. Participants transform feelings of distance and displacement into continuity through reflective digital practices. These insights highlight how technology mediates identity formation and cultural attachment within transnational contexts. The study contributes to phenomenological scholarship by clarifying the experiential mechanisms through which digital environments shape cultural identity. It also suggests future research into how evolving digital spaces further reconstruct human belonging in a globalized world.
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