Political Polarization and Marketing Strategies of Pesantren Alumni in the 2024 Presidential Election
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Published:
Sep 30, 2025
Keywords:
Pesantren alumni, Polarization, Political marketing, Presidential Election, Indonesia
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Abstract
This study investigates the political dynamics of pesantren alumni from three influential pesantrens in East Java’s region: Pesantren Nurul Jadid Probolinggo, Pesantren Sidogiri Pasuruan, and Pesantren Salafiyah Syafi’iyah Situbondo, with fieldwork conducted in Bondowoso and Jember. Focusing on the 2024 presidential election, this research explores two key issues: the emergence of polarization among alumni groups and their adoption of political marketing strategies. Using a qualitative approach, the study finds that polarization intensified in line with divergent political preferences among the founding families of the parent pesantren. This division occurred not only across alumni networks of different pesantren origins but also within alumni of the same alma mater. The findings also show that each alumni group employed political marketing principles, combining push and pull strategies, to mobilize support and strengthen voter engagement for their preferred presidential candidate.
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Bahar, Moh. Syaeful, Dodik Harnadi, and Ahmad Khubby Ali. “Political Polarization and Marketing Strategies of Pesantren Alumni in the 2024 Presidential Election”. Islamica: Jurnal Studi Keislaman 20, no. 1 (September 30, 2025): 141-159. Accessed February 20, 2026. https://islamica.uinsa.ac.id/index.php/islamica/article/view/1254.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
References
1. Books, academic articles, online resource
A. Nursal, Political Marketing: Strategi Memenangkan Pemilu, Sebuah Pendekatanj Baru Kampanye Pemilihan DPR, DPRD, Presiden. Jakarta: Gramedia, 2004.
Afrimadona. “Revisiting Political Polarisation in Indonesia: A Case Study of Jakarta’s Electorate.” Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs 40, no. 2 (2021): 315-339. https://doi.org/10.1177/186 81034211007490.
Aminuddin, M Faishal. “Santri’s Community in Political Change: Historical Interpretive.” Islamic Insights Journal 1, no. 2 (2019): 1-19. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.iij.2019.001.02.1.
Azizah, Nurul, Joseph Okwesili Nkwede, Mohammad Armoyu, and Richard Meissner. “The Octopus-like Power of Pesantren Dyn¬asty in the Dynamics of Local Politics.” Cogent Social Sciences 7, no. 1 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2021.196205 6.
Bansal, H.S. “Migrating to New Service Providers: Toward a Unify¬ing Framework of Consumers’ Switching Behaviors.” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 33, 1 (2005): 96-115. https://doi. org/10.1177/0092070304267928.
Bruce I Newman et al., “Political Marketing.” In The Palgrave Ency-clopedia of Interest Groups, Lobbying and Public Affairs, eds. Phil Har¬ris, Alberto Bitonti, C.S. Fleisher, and A.S. Binderkrantz. Lon¬don: Palgrave Macmillan, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44556-0.
Carothers, Thomas, and Andrew O’Donohue. Political Polarization in South and Southeast Asia. Washington: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2021.
Firmanzah, Marketing Politik. Jakarta: Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indo-nesia, 2012.
Fligstein, N. “Markets as Politics: A Political-Cultural Approach to Market Institutions.” American Sociological Review 61, no. 4 (1996): 656-673. https://doi.org/10.2307/2096398.
Harnadi, Dodik, Hotman Siahaan, and Masdar Hilmy. “Pesantren and the Preservation of Traditional Religious Authority in the Digital Age.” Masyarakat, Kebudayaan dan Politik 34, no. 3 (2021): 272-280. https://doi.org/10.20473/mkp.V34I32021.272-280.
Hilmy, Masdar. “Towards a “Wider Mandate” of Pesantren: In Searh for a New Nomenclature of Political Role of Pesantren in an Era of Democracy.” Millah: Journal of Religious Studies 11, no. 1 (2011): 51-73. https://doi.org/10.20885/mil¬lah.vol11.iss 1.art3.
Jalil, Abdul. “Alumni Networks and Economic Reinforcement in Pesantren Ummussabri.” Shirkah: Journal of Economics and Busi-ness 4, no. 2 (2019). https://doi.org/10.22515/shirk ah.v4i2.26 8.
Jati, Wasisto Raharjo. “Polarization of Indonesian Society during 2014-2020: Causes and Its Impacts toward Democracy.” Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik 26, no. 2 (2022): 152-167. https://doi. org/10.22146/jsp.66057.
Juhaeni, Achmad, Ahmad Sanusi, Iim Wasliman, and Hanafiah Hanafiah. “Strategic Management of Quality Improvement of Madrasah Aliyah Graduates in Modern Islamic Boarding Schools.” Tarbawi: Jurnal Keilmuan Manajemen Pendidikan 7, no. 1, (2021): 33-46. https://doi.org/10.32678/tarbawi.v7i01.4179.
Lu, Hsi-Peng, and Yu-Shan Wung. “Applying Transaction Cost Theory and Push-Pull-Mooring Model to Investigate Mobile Payment Switching Behaviors with Well-Established Tradi-tional Financial Infrastructure.” Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research 16, no. 2 (2021): 1-21. https://doi.or g/10.4067/S0718-18762021000200102.
Machmudi, Yon. “Preserving Kyai Authority in Modern Society; A Case Study of Pesantren Cidahu, Pandeglang, Banten.” Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia 15, no. 2 (2014): 336-350. https://doi.org/10.17510/wacana.v15i2.407.
Madani, C.Y., and K. Marijan. “Pengaruh Kiai terhadap Perilaku Memilih Alumni Santri Pondok Pesantren Mbi Amanatul Um¬mah Pacet Angkatan 2017 pada Pemilu Presiden dan Wakil Presiden Tahun 2019.” Jurnal Politik Indonesia 7, no. 1 (2021): 10-22. https://doi.org/10.20473/jpi.v7i1.30877.
Munir. “The Continuity and Change of Pesantren Tradition: Study Network Main Pesantren and Alumni Pesantren in Kabupaten OKU Timur, South Sumatra.” Jurnal Pendidikan Islam 5, no. 2 (2016): 347-364. https://doi.org/10.14421/jpi.2016.52.347-36 4.
Nugent, Elizabeth R. After Repression How Polarization Derails Demo-cratic Transition. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2020.
Schedler, Andreas. “Rethinking Political Polarization.” Political Sci-ence Quarterly 138, no. 3 (2023): 335-359. https://doi.org/10.10 93/psquar/qqad038.
Somer, Murat, and Jennifer McCoy. “Déjà vu? Polarization and En¬dangered Democracies in the 21st Century.” American Behavioral Scientist 62, 1 (2018): 3-15. https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642 18760371.
Zeitlin, Irving M. Memahami Kembali Sosiologi: Kritik terhadap Teori Sosiologi Kontemporer, trans. Anshori and Juhada. Yogjakarta: Gadjah Mada University Press, 1996.
2. Interview
Kiai Kaab, Bondowoso, 17 June 2024.
Gus Nisam, Bondowoso, 25 June 2024.
Kiai Bakar, Bondowoso, 28 June 2024.
Kiai Kholdun, Bondowoso, 29 June 2024.
Kiai Arfan, Jember, 20 July 2024.
A. Nursal, Political Marketing: Strategi Memenangkan Pemilu, Sebuah Pendekatanj Baru Kampanye Pemilihan DPR, DPRD, Presiden. Jakarta: Gramedia, 2004.
Afrimadona. “Revisiting Political Polarisation in Indonesia: A Case Study of Jakarta’s Electorate.” Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs 40, no. 2 (2021): 315-339. https://doi.org/10.1177/186 81034211007490.
Aminuddin, M Faishal. “Santri’s Community in Political Change: Historical Interpretive.” Islamic Insights Journal 1, no. 2 (2019): 1-19. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.iij.2019.001.02.1.
Azizah, Nurul, Joseph Okwesili Nkwede, Mohammad Armoyu, and Richard Meissner. “The Octopus-like Power of Pesantren Dyn¬asty in the Dynamics of Local Politics.” Cogent Social Sciences 7, no. 1 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2021.196205 6.
Bansal, H.S. “Migrating to New Service Providers: Toward a Unify¬ing Framework of Consumers’ Switching Behaviors.” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 33, 1 (2005): 96-115. https://doi. org/10.1177/0092070304267928.
Bruce I Newman et al., “Political Marketing.” In The Palgrave Ency-clopedia of Interest Groups, Lobbying and Public Affairs, eds. Phil Har¬ris, Alberto Bitonti, C.S. Fleisher, and A.S. Binderkrantz. Lon¬don: Palgrave Macmillan, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44556-0.
Carothers, Thomas, and Andrew O’Donohue. Political Polarization in South and Southeast Asia. Washington: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2021.
Firmanzah, Marketing Politik. Jakarta: Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indo-nesia, 2012.
Fligstein, N. “Markets as Politics: A Political-Cultural Approach to Market Institutions.” American Sociological Review 61, no. 4 (1996): 656-673. https://doi.org/10.2307/2096398.
Harnadi, Dodik, Hotman Siahaan, and Masdar Hilmy. “Pesantren and the Preservation of Traditional Religious Authority in the Digital Age.” Masyarakat, Kebudayaan dan Politik 34, no. 3 (2021): 272-280. https://doi.org/10.20473/mkp.V34I32021.272-280.
Hilmy, Masdar. “Towards a “Wider Mandate” of Pesantren: In Searh for a New Nomenclature of Political Role of Pesantren in an Era of Democracy.” Millah: Journal of Religious Studies 11, no. 1 (2011): 51-73. https://doi.org/10.20885/mil¬lah.vol11.iss 1.art3.
Jalil, Abdul. “Alumni Networks and Economic Reinforcement in Pesantren Ummussabri.” Shirkah: Journal of Economics and Busi-ness 4, no. 2 (2019). https://doi.org/10.22515/shirk ah.v4i2.26 8.
Jati, Wasisto Raharjo. “Polarization of Indonesian Society during 2014-2020: Causes and Its Impacts toward Democracy.” Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik 26, no. 2 (2022): 152-167. https://doi. org/10.22146/jsp.66057.
Juhaeni, Achmad, Ahmad Sanusi, Iim Wasliman, and Hanafiah Hanafiah. “Strategic Management of Quality Improvement of Madrasah Aliyah Graduates in Modern Islamic Boarding Schools.” Tarbawi: Jurnal Keilmuan Manajemen Pendidikan 7, no. 1, (2021): 33-46. https://doi.org/10.32678/tarbawi.v7i01.4179.
Lu, Hsi-Peng, and Yu-Shan Wung. “Applying Transaction Cost Theory and Push-Pull-Mooring Model to Investigate Mobile Payment Switching Behaviors with Well-Established Tradi-tional Financial Infrastructure.” Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research 16, no. 2 (2021): 1-21. https://doi.or g/10.4067/S0718-18762021000200102.
Machmudi, Yon. “Preserving Kyai Authority in Modern Society; A Case Study of Pesantren Cidahu, Pandeglang, Banten.” Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia 15, no. 2 (2014): 336-350. https://doi.org/10.17510/wacana.v15i2.407.
Madani, C.Y., and K. Marijan. “Pengaruh Kiai terhadap Perilaku Memilih Alumni Santri Pondok Pesantren Mbi Amanatul Um¬mah Pacet Angkatan 2017 pada Pemilu Presiden dan Wakil Presiden Tahun 2019.” Jurnal Politik Indonesia 7, no. 1 (2021): 10-22. https://doi.org/10.20473/jpi.v7i1.30877.
Munir. “The Continuity and Change of Pesantren Tradition: Study Network Main Pesantren and Alumni Pesantren in Kabupaten OKU Timur, South Sumatra.” Jurnal Pendidikan Islam 5, no. 2 (2016): 347-364. https://doi.org/10.14421/jpi.2016.52.347-36 4.
Nugent, Elizabeth R. After Repression How Polarization Derails Demo-cratic Transition. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2020.
Schedler, Andreas. “Rethinking Political Polarization.” Political Sci-ence Quarterly 138, no. 3 (2023): 335-359. https://doi.org/10.10 93/psquar/qqad038.
Somer, Murat, and Jennifer McCoy. “Déjà vu? Polarization and En¬dangered Democracies in the 21st Century.” American Behavioral Scientist 62, 1 (2018): 3-15. https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642 18760371.
Zeitlin, Irving M. Memahami Kembali Sosiologi: Kritik terhadap Teori Sosiologi Kontemporer, trans. Anshori and Juhada. Yogjakarta: Gadjah Mada University Press, 1996.
2. Interview
Kiai Kaab, Bondowoso, 17 June 2024.
Gus Nisam, Bondowoso, 25 June 2024.
Kiai Bakar, Bondowoso, 28 June 2024.
Kiai Kholdun, Bondowoso, 29 June 2024.
Kiai Arfan, Jember, 20 July 2024.