Culturally Responsive Marital Relationship Education: Translating Assikalabineng into a Film-Based Educational Resource

Abstract

This study examines the transformation of Assikalabineng, a Bugis knowledge tradition concerning marital relationships, into a film-based educational resource through Rumah dalam Rumah. It specifically investigates how its relational principles are translated into film language and the educational meanings generated through this process. The study employed a practice-based research design in which film creation functioned as both the process of inquiry and its principal outcome. The research materials comprised the completed film, screenplay drafts, location observations, blocking notes, shot-design documents, production reports, editing materials, and reflective records. The completed film was analysed by focusing on character interactions, bodily positioning within domestic architecture, regulation of visual access, use of sound, and the development of spatial pressure. The findings demonstrate that Assikalabineng was transformed into situational dramaturgy, controlled gestures, regulated visual representation, off-screen sound, and spatial organisation. These strategies communicate emotional readiness, reciprocity, self-restraint, responsibility, dignity, and mutual care without relying on overly explicit instruction. The findings also indicate that respectful marital relationships are influenced by domestic density, family presence, limited privacy, economic constraints, social judgement, and physical safety. The study concludes that Rumah dalam Rumah has potential as a culturally responsive educational resource for facilitating reflection on respectful and responsible marital relationships. However, it should be used within facilitated learning activities rather than regarded as a stand-alone curriculum or an educational intervention whose effectiveness has already been established.