Exploring Cultural Education and Economic Influences on People’s Well-being: Voices from Indonesia

Background/purpose. This study aims to explore how cultural and economic factors shape the welfare of salt-farming communities in Madura, Indonesia. It highlights the importance of integrating local knowledge and cultural contexts into welfare policies, particularly in developing regions where top-down approaches often fail to address the realities of rural areas. Materials/methods. A qualitative design, incorporating a phenomenological case study, was employed to capture the lived experiences of Madurese salt farmers. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation with eight voluntary participants, including farmers, community leaders, and local officials. Thematic analysis was applied to identify key patterns and insights. Results. Welfare of the people on the island of Madura is still relatively low, this is due to several factors, the first is the abundance of resources that are not matched by existing facilities and human resources, traditional salt management makes salt of poor quality, the second is the need for community empowerment for salt farmers to produce, distribute and consume properly and wisely, and the need for support from the government in determining policies that are in accordance with the needs of salt farmers throughout Indonesia, especially on the island of Madura Indonesia. Conclusion. Drawing on the findings, the study succeeded in exploring local culture in the analysis of community welfare to open a new window of knowledge on how socio-cultural factors and local traditions play a role in shaping community welfare. It ventures into a multidisciplinary territory that combines social, cultural education, and economic perspectives.