PENGETAHUAN MASYARAKAT PESISIR TENTANG ANCAMAN MIKROPLASTIK DAN CARA PANDANG TERHADAP LAUT: ANALISIS KONSTRUKSI SOSIAL MASYARAKAT PULAU BUNGIN KABUPATEN SUMBAWA

Abstract

This study aims to analyze coastal communities’ knowledge regarding the sea and the threats of microplastics, as well as the social and cultural factors that influence the formation of such knowledge. The study employs a qualitative approach using a case study strategy. The research informants were members of the Bungin Island community selected using purposive sampling techniques. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation techniques. The results were analyzed using Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann’s Social Construction Theory through the stages of externalization, objectivation, and internalization. The results of this study showed that coastal communities’ knowledge regarding the threats of microplastics is a result of social construction influenced by experience, socio-cultural conditions, the environment, and access to information. In the externalization stage, the sea is interpreted as a source of life and the main space for community economic activities. In the objectivation stage, the lack of waste management facilities and limited socialization regarding microplastics cause the habit of disposing of waste into the sea to develop into a social reality that is considered normal because it has been practiced for generations. In the internalization stage, the knowledge possessed by the community forms two perspectives: viewing the sea as a source of life that must be protected, and viewing the presence of waste in the sea as a normal condition resulting from long-standing habits. Therefore, continuous education and socialization are needed to build knowledge, perspectives, and more responsible behaviors in preserving coastal environmental sustainability.