PERAN KOMUNIKASI ANTARBUDAYA DALAM PROSES ADAPTASI BUDAYA WARGA SEKOLAH SMP EKA TJIPTA RUNGAU KALIMANTAN TENGAH

The title of this research is "The Role of Intercultural Communication in the Cultural Adaptation Process of junior high school Eka Tjipta Rungau Residents, Central Borneo". The existence of diversity at junior high school Eka Tjipta Rungau in Central Borneo requires school residents to interact each other and carry out a cultural adaptation. Understanding other cultures is very important in constructing an effective communication, and this is the right opportunity which intercultural communication has an important role. The role of intercultural communication here is exactly in the Axiety/Uncertainty Management theory when an immigrant comes to a new environment, and they will carry out a process of cultural adaptation. In the process of cultural adaptation, uncertainty and anxiety inevitably arise. Therefore, in the adaptation process, it is necessary to carry out an effective communication, so as to minimize ignorance. The aim of this study is to determine the role of intercultural communication in the process of cultural adaptation of the residents of junior high school Eka Tjipta Rungau Central Borneo. The research method used here is descriptive qualitative method, and the data collections are through interviews and in-depth documentation with research subjects, as well as using Axiety/Uncertainty Management Theory. The subjects involved were 4 students, 3 teachers, a school gardener, and a head of the culture and tourism department as triangulation informants. The results showed that all informants are able to adapt well to all the customs and cultures that existed at junior high school Eka Tjipta Rungau Central Borneo. Each informant has their own process of adapting. However, communicating with fellow school members is the most effective way to adapt. Each informant also has a different time in achieving cultural adaptation, and this difference depends on several factors, namely the experience of the informant, the informant's thoughts on the state of diversity that exists in the environment itself, and the informant's perception of a new habit and culture they encountered at junior high school Eka Tjipta Rungau Central Borneo