Ethnic Polarization, Local Government Policies, and Interfaith Dialogue Programs as Mediators of Religious Harmony in Singkawang City, Indonesia
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Singkawang has been recognized as the most tolerant city in Indonesia for several consecutive years according to the SETARA Institute; however, empirical research that integrates ethnic polarization, local government policies, and interfaith dialogue into a single causal model in this multi-ethnic context remains limited. This study addresses this gap by examining how ethnic polarization (X1) and local government policies (X2) influence religious harmony (Y) through the mediating role of interfaith dialogue programs (Z). Using a quantitative explanatory design, data were collected from 272 respondents via a stratified random sample proportional to religious composition, then analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (SEM-PLS) with SmartPLS 4. Bootstrapping results indicate that ethnic polarization positively and significantly influences religious harmony (? = 0.422; p < 0.001) and the dialogue program (? = 0.432; p < 0.001), while local government policies have no significant direct effect on harmony (? = -0.016; p = 0.740) but strongly shapes dialogue programs (? = 0.381; p < 0.001). Dialogue programs substantially mediate both relationships and exert a positive influence on religious harmony (? = 0.433; p < 0.001). This study introduces the concept of managed reflective polarization, making a theoretical contribution by demonstrating that polarization is not inherently destructive if channeled through institutional dialogue. The practical implications support the strengthening of the FKUB, FKPELA, and the Religious Moderation Village as key policy mechanisms in pluralistic urban environments.
Institution: Institut Pemerintahan Dalam Negeri
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7204994977