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.