Juliana Juliana, Arni Arni

Intercultural communication in multicultural societies is often assumed to foster mutual understanding and social integration through sustained interaction. However, empirical evidence suggests that coexistence does not always translate into deep intercultural engagement. This study examines intercultural communication practices in Desa Lilimori, a rural transmigration village in West Sulawesi characterized by ethnic and religious diversity. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation, and analyzed using Gudykunst’s Anxiety/Uncertainty Management (AUM) framework. The findings indicate that intercultural communication in Lilimori is primarily sustained through pragmatic adaptation rather than deep intercultural integration. Residents manage cultural differences through shared linguistic practices, communicative restraint, and situational negotiation that prioritize social stability and predictability. While tolerance and peaceful coexistence are evident, interaction remains bounded by ethnic homophily, managed social distance, and implicit cultural boundaries. Language choice, religious accommodation, and everyday social norms function as mechanisms for reducing uncertainty and minimizing communicative risk rather than fostering intercultural intimacy. This study contributes to intercultural communication scholarship by extending AUM theory into a rural, non-institutional context and by reconceptualizing multicultural harmony as an outcome of situational negotiation rather than integrative intercultural competence. The findings highlight the importance of examining everyday communication practices in understanding how social cohesion is maintained in long-term multicultural coexistence.