Philanthropy among Emerging Middle-Class Muslims in the Integrated Islamic Schools Network (JSIT): Negotiating Religious Commodification and Social Piety

Ningrum, Ririn Tri Puspita, Siswanto, Siswanto ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0190-627X, Djalaluddin, Ahmad ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7062-663X and Huda, Muhammad Muchlis (2025) Philanthropy among Emerging Middle-Class Muslims in the Integrated Islamic Schools Network (JSIT): Negotiating Religious Commodification and Social Piety. Khazanah: Jurnal Studi Islam dan Humaniora, 23 (1). pp. 25-43. ISSN 2460-7606

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Abstract

This article examines the reciprocal relationship between the commodification of religion and
philanthropic practices at integrated Islamic primary schools within the Integrated Islamic Schools Network
(JSIT) in Ponorogo, East Java. Using an ethnographic case study, the research focuses on middle-class Muslim
families to understand how religious and philanthropic activities are transformed into commodities. Data were
collected through interviews, observations, and documentation involving middle-class Muslims and educators from
the tarbiyah community, affiliated with the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). The study reveals that the rise of
the Muslim middle class in Ponorogo, reflecting broader national trends, is shaped by political, cultural, and
ideological dynamics. A key finding is the transformation of parental philanthropy into a form of “social piety,”
where giving is reframed as both religious devotion and social responsibility. Schools and educators actively
cultivate this practice by repackaging Islamic values into attractive commodities that align with middle-class
aspirations.The study contributes by showing how philanthropy functions not only as an economic resource but
also as a cultural and political instrument in shaping Muslim middle-class identity. It advances debates on the
commodification of religion and highlights the socio-political role of philanthropy in contemporary Indonesian
Islam.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Keywords:	Philanthropy; JSIT; Middle Class Muslims; Commodification of Religion; Social Piety Expression
Subjects:	14 ECONOMICS > 1499 Other Economics > 149999 Economics not elsewhere classified
Divisions:	Graduate Schools > Magister Programme > Graduate School of Islamic Economics
Depositing User:	Dr. Ahmad Djalaluddin
Date Deposited:	15 Jan 2026 14:22

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