'Middle class not socially concerned'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta's middle class does not have a
\nsufficient level of social awareness which could empower them to
\nimprove the city's public services, a sociologist says.<\/p>\n
Paulus Wirutomo, a lecturer at the University of Indonesia's
\nschool of social and political sciences, said they (middle class
\npeople) still expect the government to tackle all problems
\nrelated to public service.<\/p>\n
\"Most of them wanted to have organized and tidy sidewalks
\nalong Jakarta's roads. But they assume it is the city
\nadministration's job to take care of the sidewalks, and in no way
\ninvolves themselves,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Wirutomo was interviewed yesterday in connection with the
\nrecent study conducted by the Kompas daily.<\/p>\n
The study found that Jakarta's middle class wants political
\nand social change, but does not want to take any risks.<\/p>\n
Wirutomo, who chaired the sociological laboratory at the
\nuniversity, said that such an attitude was typical among members
\nof the big city's middle class.<\/p>\n
The lecturer said they spent their time and attention mostly
\npursuing their own interests because they were afraid of facing
\nthe possibility of losing what they had just gained.<\/p>\n
The middle class group did not have a tradition of handling an
\norganization or forum to discuss their social interests, which
\nsometimes conflict with each other, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The result is that they have never solved their own problems
\nor had their problems solved,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He referred to their frequent complaints about traffic
\ncongestion in the city, which has reached a point of
\ninefficiency. \"They did almost nothing to solve the problem,
\nexcept complain,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Consumeristic<\/p>\n
Wirutomo said he agreed with Kompas' research finding that
\nJakarta's middle class cared more about economic growth than
\npolitical freedom.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, their lifestyle is becoming more consumeristic,\"
\nWirutomo said.<\/p>\n
He said industrialization, which the government encouraged,
\ninevitably led the people to a consumeristic attitude, which was
\nnot morally wrong.<\/p>\n
They began purchasing more and more goods and properties, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Wirutomo said the most mobile members of Jakarta's middle
\nclass in economic activities were those who emerged only around
\nthe 1980s.<\/p>\n
They became members of the middle class only because they were
\ngiven the opportunity by the New Order government, which they
\nwould never think of betraying. (07)<\/p>",
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