Maintaining the Sustainability of the Rumah Gadang Architectural Culture through Social Media In the Age of Digital Technology

Abstract

The culture of the Minangkabau tribes in West Sumatra has existed since ancient times. One of the masterpieces of architectural cultural heritage that characterizes Minangkabau is the rumah gadang, which is a traditional building belonging to the Minangkabau tribes, which is beautiful, of high value and full of meaning. This information is not widely known by the Indonesian people, especially people outside Indonesia. While the architecture of the rumah gadang is decreasing, it requires media, where people can get various information about the rumah gadang. In the era of the digital technology revolution, various communication technologies were born in the form of various applications that can be used as a means of social media. One of them is the Instagram application, where users can exchange information, especially through photos, videos and other information so that the observer (followers) gets various images. The research method used is the virtual ethnographic method, by making virtual observations through the Instagram application. The data were analyzed qualitatively using Visual Discourse theory. From this research it was found that information through social media, especially Instagram, is not only a place to exchange photos and videos but can provide positive information about the architectural culture of the Rumah Gadang. From these preliminary findings, hoped that it’s become input for further research through social media with similar topics, especially in cultural sciences in order to enrich people's knowledge and preserve Minangkabau culture in general, the architecture of the rumah gadang in particular.