The San-San Tradition of the Morge Siwe Community in Kayuagung: Internalizing Cultural Values and Character Education through Local Wisdom

Local traditions play a vital role in passing down cultural values across generations, but social change challenges their survival. This study examines the cultural significance, the process of value internalization, and the contribution of the San-San tradition among the Morge Siwe community in Kayuagung toward strengthening character education based on local wisdom. San-San is a customary practice involving the provision of a dowry—goods or assets parents prepare for their daughters to take when they marry. The study employed a qualitative approach with an ethnographic design and was conducted from January to July 2026. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and documentation involving 20 informants, including traditional leaders, community leaders, practitioners of traditional customs, parents, and young people. Data analysis was conducted interactively through data condensation, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The credibility of the data was strengthened through triangulation of sources and methods. The findings show that San-San is not only part of traditional marriage practices but also a space for social learning that reflects values of togetherness, cooperation, responsibility, respect, social concern, and solidarity. These values are passed down through parental role modelling, participation in traditional activities, the cultivation of collective behaviour, and intergenerational interactions. These findings affirm that the San-San tradition can serve as a source of contextual character education that links cultural experiences to the formation of attitudes and behaviours among the younger generation. Therefore, preserving this tradition through documentation and collaboration among the community, schools, and local government is necessary to keep local wisdom alive and contribute to character education.