Seeking balance between immaterial, material cultures

Seeking balance between immaterial, material cultures

By A. Chaedar Alwasilah

BANDUNG, West Java (JP): As Indonesians are on the brink of
the free regional market era, they need solid cultural
foundations to avoid a cultural leg and to survive competition.

A theory maintains that immaterial culture -- such as beliefs,
traditions, mores, postulates, means and goals -- must constantly
"catch up" to material culture -- such as science and technology.
The ideal mode is a balance between the two forms of culture.

Modernization entails a pattern of convergence -- people
become increasingly urban, industry overshadows agriculture, the
size and density of the population increases, the division of
labor becomes more specialized and the knowledge base grows
larger and more complex.

Implicit in the notion of modernization is the predominant
course of development followed by advanced Western nations and
Japan. Given this notion, modernization by itself brings new and
counter culture vis a vis national culture. In the process of
modernization then, there is always a silent tug-of-war between
the two cultures. It is therefore imperative that cultural reform
be defined as a strategy of striking a balance between "modern"
and "traditional".

Traditional cultures need to be preserved for two reasons.
They constitute national heritage, by which a nation is
identified and respected by other peoples, and they constitute a
drawing card for peoples from other parts of the world.

Through tourism, Indonesia develops and promotes cross-
cultural understanding -- a key to success in global
interactions. In other words, preserving the national culture is
an investment for collecting foreign exchange, as well as for
enhancing international cooperation. Therefore, it was no
surprise that President Soeharto proclaimed 1998 as the Year of
Art and Culture.

Cultural reform can be defined as a collective commitment of
people to modifying their ways of thinking, feeling and behaving
so as to manage the whole nation to survive in the ever-changing
world. The definition is elaborated as follows.

Firstly, collective commitment means that all parties in a
society support the development and appreciation of art.
Appreciation presupposes familiarity with different genres of
art. The public should be made aware of the richness of the art
and cultures possessed by the country. Televised traditional
music performances, cultural events and art exhibitions, for
example, will not only develop people's awareness and perception
of the art and cultures, but also promote them among foreigners,
thus making them go international.

Secondly, there should be a modification in the outlook and
perception of what art is. Many still believe that art is
confined to works such as traditional music, puppet shows or art
exhibitions, and that plays, poetry and the performing arts in
general are not. Often these branches are branded as a second-
class category of art and condemned for lacking traditional
values and even polluting Indonesian culture.

Frequent bannings of plays and poetry recitals by bureaucrats
is a telling indication of the difference of perception between
artists and officialdom.

Art and culture will not be developed unless the bureaucrats
change this attitude.

Thirdly, there should be a collective effort on the part of
artists, schools, and government. Art is still considered a
second-class subject at schools. It is very unlikely to be able
to compete with other subjects such as mathematics, English,
Indonesian and Pancasila Moral Education.

By any standards, like other school subjects, art should be
taught professionally with emphasis on prioritizing traditional
cultures. An art curriculum should, therefore, cover all genres
of art, not be limited to painting and music -- or as in most
schools -- to singing.

There is no question about the urgency finding professional
art teachers for schools. The still current 1994 Curriculum,
through its local content policy, provides the opportunity for
elementary schools to introduce traditional art. Introducing
traditional art is more commendable than teaching English.

Fourth, there should be mutual interactions between artists
and the public in general. It is the public's perception that
artists are an elite with an unique identity.

Art appreciation is not well developed without art
communication and promotion. The idea is to communicate art in
such a way so that it is easily understood and appreciated by
laymen. With the allocation of funds from the regional
administration for art development, the artists' existence is
fully recognized. However, as the funds come from public money,
funded activities are subject to public accountability and
investigation.

Fifth, the definition of cultural reform above is made general
to address culture, of which art is just a small part. Art and
culture should not be perceived as static properties inherited
from predecessors but as dynamic and vibrating living totalities
that develop in step with changes in the country as a part of the
global community.

As a social fact, art is a powerful mean of communication --
it influences feeling, imagination and thought. Moreover, it can
correct the developments of certain aspects of the human
personality which is responsible for the recurring crises now
faced by the nation.

At present, art activities should be placed in the framework
of developing global cultural schemata, as what Indonesia has is
now part of global art and culture. This being the case,
international calls for transparency, openness, deregulation and
simplification of bureaucracy in politics should not be condemned
and perceived as external threats to national sovereignty.
Rather, they are a stimulus to improve policies in developing the
Indonesian culture in general.

To conclude, the cornucopia of ethnic groups and languages
bound by Bhinneka Tunggal Ika -- Sanskrit for Unity in Diversity
-- has made the country one of the most, if not the most, unique
countries in the world.

"We are a nation which possesses ancient history, traditions
and cultures. Our heritage comes in the form of historical
buildings and artifacts, custom and traditions, and the art and
craft products that are found in every corner of the
archipelago," Soeharto said, as quoted by this newspaper on Jan.
2, 1998.

This year's emphasis on art and culture is expected to bring a
better and wider appreciation of Indonesia's traditional arts in
particular and culture in general -- a cultural strategy
necessary for anticipating global culture.

The writer is a lecturer at the Teacher's Training Institute
(IKIP) of Bandung.