Abstract

Intercultural dialogue is not always practiced through formal, structured, and mediated forms; it may also occur during the informal social processes succeeding naturally in social life. This article seeks to map the intercultural dialogue that takes place through cultural, structural, and agent mechanisms within a culturally and religiously diverse society. The article departs from a qualitative study, wherein data were collected through observations and in-depth interviews. Data analysis was conducted through data reduction, display, and interpretation, which was facilitated by QDAlite (Version 4.2). The article shows that intercultural dialogue occurs within social processes, including those used to maintain kinship and familiarity. Such cultural processes cannot be separated from the traditional values that are socialized, both formally and informally, by cultural leaders. The key limitation of this study is its scope, which is limited to the Nias and Minangkabau people. It is possible that further research, conducted within a broader scope, could provide useful comparison and contrast.