Representation of Micro Nationalism in Social Media: A Problem for Indonesia as “Imagined Community”

Abstract

Indonesia is a country diverse in many aspects. The Indonesian nation is united by nationalism even though they do not know each other. However, nationalism as an imagined community is challenged by the presence of micronationalism. This nationalism appears in many communities within the country, including cultural communities. One of the phenomena in Indonesia was the presence of the Keraton Agung Sejagat (KAS) kingdom. This article describes the meaning of the KAS micronationalism symbol as represented in their cultural parade. The research data was obtained from shared media (YouTube), which featured the KAS cultural parade. The data were analyzed using semiotic analysis, as Roland Barthes introduced. In conclusion, micronationalism's symbolic meaning shows not only unequal welfare but also the imagination that Indonesia is not united. The communities have their imaginations and depictions. The new communication technology supports achieving their goals and ideology, even though it is not following Indonesia's national interests. This study recommends increasing public literacy, not only media literacy but also cultural literacy in the archipelago, so that media use is in accordance with national interests and identities.