ABSTRACT
The role of culture in development has been considered a critical point in sustainable development. Woodley et al. (2006) state that the absence of the cultural factor in development leads to unsuccessful development programs. In this context, Marsden (1994), along with Warren et al. (1995), has previously highlighted the importance of using an emic approach in development. Gintingan is an example of a local institution in the Sundanese Region of West Java, Indonesia, which is based on local culture and wisdom. The tradition represents an indigenous form of mutual-aid institution which is influenced by the Sundanese worldviews of tritangtu and local wisdom of silih asah, silih asih and silih asuh (Irawan 1999). By using qualitative approaches through observation and literature studies, this paper attempts to describe how gintingan has been implemented by local people in the Subang district of West Java, including its role in sustainable community development.
