From Sacred Symbol to Circular Consumption: Bulus Symbolism and Thrifting Behavior Among Coastal Muslim Youth in Java
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This paper examines the relationship between local cultural symbolism, eco-spiritual awareness, and sustainable consumption behavior through the case of thrifting practices among coastal Muslim youth in Java. While previous studies on second-hand fashion primarily focus on economic motivation, youth identity, and circular economy, limited research explores how local religious-cultural symbols influence ecological behavior. This study proposes that the reinterpretation of the bulus symbol associated with the heritage of Demak can function as an eco-spiritual narrative encouraging circular consumption and anti-waste ethics. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research combines semiotic interpretation, discourse analysis, participant observation, and survey data from young thrift consumers in Central Java. The findings reveal that thrifting is not merely an economic activity but also a moral and symbolic practice linked to modesty, anti-excess consumption, environmental care, and ethical reuse. The paper argues that cultural symbols rooted in Islamic-Javanese heritage can become important instruments for sustainability communication and ecological behavior transformation. The study contributes to the growing discourse on sustainable fashion, circular economy, environmental communication, and eco-spirituality by introducing the concept of eco-spiritual circular behavior. It also demonstrates how local cultural heritage can be mobilized as a practical sustainability framework in contemporary youth culture.
Institutions: Universitas Sultan Fatah, Diponegoro University
Language: English
Subfield: Marketing
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7204877439