Visual Discourse Analysis of the Sade Village Landscape: The Construction of Sasak Ethnic Identity Behind Tourism Power Relations

Abstract

The study aims to examine how power operates through visual and spatial arrangements, and how processes of cultural representation and commodification shape Sasak culturalidentity in Dusun Sade. Using a qualitative approach grounded in visual discourse analysis, this research draws on visual observation, photographic documentation, and reflexive field notes. The analysis focuses on how space, cultural objects, and social practices are curated and regulated as part of the tourist experience. The findings demonstrate that Sasak cultural identity in Dusun Sade is not naturally or neutrally expressed, but is actively produced through spatial organization, visual framing, movement pathways, and the presentation of cultural practices, such as weaving and traditional performances as tourist attractions.While cultural practices are simplified for tourism purposes, local communities retain significant agency in shaping cultural representation through controlled access, selective storytelling, and the regulation of the form and timing of performances. This study concludes that Sasak cultural identity in Dusun Sade is dynamic and continuously negotiated, with tourism functioning as a social space in which local communities actively manage and sustain their cultural identity.