Journal of Indonesian Scholars for Social Research

Institutionalizing Justice in Ancient Babylon: Legal Institutions, Royal Authority, and the Code of Hammurabi

2026-06-27T07:40:11+00:00

This article examines the institutionalization of justice in Ancient Babylon through the legal institutions and forms of authority reflected in the Code of Hammurabi. As one of the earliest written legal collections in human history, the Code provides important evidence of how law was used to organize social relations, regulate economic activity, and legitimize political power. Using normative legal research with historical and conceptual approaches, this study analyzes the legal norms contained in the Code and situates them within the broader social and political structure of Babylonian society. The findings show that Babylonian law was supported by a relatively complex institutional order involving the king, judges, administrative officials, local assemblies, written records, and procedures of proof. Royal authority occupied a central position in this system, deriving legitimacy from divine mandate, especially through the association between Hammurabi and the god Shamash. The institutionalization of justice was reflected in the codification of rules on bodily injury, professional responsibility, economic transactions, family relations, and social hierarchy. Although the legal system was not egalitarian, it provided a formal framework for dispute resolution, social control, and the protection of vulnerable groups. The article argues that the Code of Hammurabi should be understood not merely as a legal text, but as an institutional instrument for consolidating justice, order, and royal legitimacy in Ancient Babylon.

Constructing Clean Living Behavior through Local Culture: Evidence from Penglipuran Traditional Village, Bali

2026-06-24T14:20:52+00:00

Clean living behavior is often understood as an outcome of individual awareness or public health intervention. However, in culturally rooted communities, such behavior may also be shaped by collective values, customary rules, and everyday social practices. This study examines how local culture constructs and sustains clean living behavior in Penglipuran Traditional Village, Bali, a village widely recognized for its clean and orderly environment. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation involving traditional leaders, village stakeholders, and community members. The data were analyzed using an interactive model consisting of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, with source and method triangulation used to strengthen validity. The findings show that clean living behavior in Penglipuran is constructed through the internalization of cultural values, the enforcement of customary rules known as awig-awig, collective participation through gotong royong, and informal social control. Cleanliness is not merely practiced as an individual habit, but is understood as a form of social responsibility, cultural identity, and harmony between humans and their environment. This study highlights the importance of local wisdom as a socio-cultural foundation for sustainable environmental behavior and community-based cleanliness governance.

Retributive Justice in Ancient Mesopotamian Law: Institutional Foundations of Punishment in the Code of Hammurabi

2026-06-28T01:13:24+00:00

Ancient Mesopotamia occupies a central position in the history of written law, particularly through the Code of Hammurabi, one of the earliest and most systematic legal collections of the ancient world. This article examines the concept of retributive justice in Babylonian legal thought and analyzes the institutional foundations of punishment reflected in the Code of Hammurabi. Using normative legal research with historical and conceptual approaches, the study explores how punishment was constructed, legitimized, and applied within the social and political order of ancient Babylon. The findings show that the Code of Hammurabi embodied the principle of lex talionis, emphasizing proportionality between offense and punishment as a core expression of retributive justice. However, punishment was not merely a moral response to wrongdoing; it was also embedded in institutional mechanisms involving courts, royal administration, and the king’s authority as the ultimate source of legal legitimacy. The study further reveals that the application of punishment was shaped by Babylonian social hierarchy, where legal consequences varied according to the status of offenders and victims. Historically, the Code of Hammurabi contributed to the development of criminal law thought by providing an early foundation for proportional punishment, legal codification, and the relationship between law, authority, and social order.

From Curative Habits to Preventive Care: Health Education and Shifting Dental Health Values in Makassar, Indonesia

2026-06-25T08:42:49+00:00

This study examines how health education influences dental care behavior and contributes to shifting health values among urban communities in Makassar, Indonesia. Although dental and oral health is an essential component of overall well-being, preventive dental care is often treated as secondary to curative treatment, especially when individuals seek dental services only after experiencing pain or oral health problems. Using a sociological health perspective, this article explores how health education programs shape knowledge, attitudes, and everyday practices related to dental maintenance. The study highlights that health education delivered through campaigns, seminars, counseling, and educational materials can improve public awareness of oral hygiene, encourage regular tooth brushing, reduce harmful dietary habits, and promote routine dental check-ups. More importantly, the findings indicate a gradual shift in health values: dental care is increasingly understood not merely as a medical response to illness but as part of a preventive and healthy lifestyle. However, this behavioral transformation remains uneven. Socioeconomic barriers, particularly the cost of dental services and unequal access to adequate care, continue to limit the ability of low-income groups to translate knowledge into consistent practice. The study argues that effective dental health education must be integrated with broader efforts to reduce access inequalities. By linking behavioral change with social and economic contexts, this article contributes to sociological discussions on preventive health behavior, public health education, and value transformation in urban Indonesia.

Human Capital and Catch Management Capability in Small-Scale Fisheries: Evidence from Coastal Fishing Communities in Manokwari, Indonesia

2026-06-23T11:26:17+00:00

This study investigates the effects of fishermen’s competence and catch management capability on income improvement among coastal fishing communities in East and West Manokwari, Indonesia. A quantitative survey was conducted with 100 active fishermen selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using validity and reliability tests, multiple linear regression, t-tests, F-tests, and coefficient of determination analysis. The results reveal that both fishermen’s competence and catch management capability have positive and significant effects on income improvement. Catch management capability is the more dominant predictor, highlighting the importance of post-harvest handling, storage, distribution, and marketing in generating higher economic value from fishery products. The model explains 74.1% of the variation in fishermen’s income improvement, indicating strong explanatory power. These findings suggest that improving coastal livelihoods requires an integrated strategy that combines human capital development with operational capability strengthening across the fisheries value chain. The study contributes to small-scale fisheries and coastal development literature by showing that fishermen’s welfare depends not only on catching capacity, but also on the ability to manage, process, and market catches more effectively.