The Construction of Sundanese Culture in the News Discourse Published by Local Mass Media of West Java
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Lingua Cultura, 12(1), February 2018, 31-38 P-ISSN: 1978-8118 DOI: 10.21512/lc.v12i1.3370 E-ISSN: 2460-710X THE CONSTRUCTION OF SUNDANESE CULTURE IN THE NEWS DISCOURSE PUBLISHED BY LOCAL MASS MEDIA OF WEST JAVA Dadang S. Anshori Studies of Indonesian Language and Literature, Faculty Language and Literature of Education, Indonesia University of Education Jln. Dr. Setiabudhi 229 Bandung 40154, Indonesia [email protected] Received: 01st August 2017/ Revised: 08th September 2017/ Accepted: 18th September 2017 How to Cite: Anshori, D. S. (2018). The construction of Sundanese culture in the news discourse published by local mass media of West Java. Lingua Cultura, 12(1), 31-38. https://doi.org/10.21512/lc.v12i1.3370 ABSTRACT This research identified the construction of Sundanese culture in the local mass media of West Java. Based on the phenomenon occurred, the culture could be interpreted in an accordance with the spirit of time and society. Within the national framework, this issue was not simple because the nationalism that was built on the plots of localism was not impossible to be changed. The research method employed the qualitative method. The data were the form of discourses contained in the local mass media. The results show that the language that is being used by the local media that describes the meaning of low bargaining of political position and national leadership. The construction of the local media in depicting the Sundanese culture is classified as the national, cultural, Islamic, and other aspects of culture. In the context of national leadership, the construction strengthens and affirms the faced condition and the reality. In terms of cultural relations with Islam, the local media shows the positive aspects of the condition and the history of the Sundanese people that has been known as a religious ethnic group. In terms of the cultural relations with other aspects, the people of West Java are advised to make an inward reflection in viewing the existence of Sundanese culture within the national context. The ideologies that established by the local media towards the Sundanese culture are idealism, primordial, and pragmatism-realistic. Keywords: construction culture, Sundanese culture, news discourse INTRODUCTION of foreigners who study the local and Indonesian culture. Although on the other hand, some Indonesian people seem The cultural issues have recently become an to become alienated to their culture. interesting and important phenomenon in Indonesia. It is not The second characteristic is the cultural issues because Indonesia is a multicultural country, but because at the local level are related to the cultural reflections the culture has shown potentials for urgent problems in a and manifestations that are sometimes can be seen to the multicultural society. The cultural issues are characterized contrary to the issue of nationalism (Rozi, 2009). There is by three main characteristics. The first characteristic is the a long debate about the existence of regional languages in emergence of a global acculturation movement that nullifies the middle of the Indonesian civilization movement. Along the importance of local identity in the international arena. with the strengthening of post-reformation local forces, the The issue can be seen among the young generation who local culture has gained momentum to rise and play a role view the global culture (modernization) as a mainstream. in local-scale development in several regions. On the other In another word, there has been the colonialism through hand, the cultural reflections are sometimes considered as the culture as an active instrument of colonialism that has exaggerated and confronting the religious beliefs. happened massively. This is evident from various changes This phenomenon is enough to seize the attention of in the sense of nationalism that continues to be eroded in many parties, especially with the various local government both substantive and symbolic forms. For example, the policies, which are the preservation of the local culture, increasing use of foreign languages in the public spaces as if present behavior and cultural manifestations that are seen the country is not inhabited and not devoted to the Indonesian not in line with the issues of nationalism and religion (Saidi, people who speak Bahasa and local languages. This concern 2009). In case of a small city in the US, Oliver and Myers is revealed along with the emergence of a small wave of (1999) have described that of 382 public events in police recognition from various countries, both individuals, and records for one year in a small U.S. city, 45% conveys a institutions. It is about the existence and presence of local message, 14% involves social conflict, and 13% are the Indonesian culture, as evidenced by the increasing number standard protest event forms. The local newspapers cover Copyright©2018 31 32% of all events, favoring the large events, events that that the Sundanese people always make harmony, mutual involve conflict, events that are sponsored by the business love, and mutual care with other human beings. However, groups and occurred in central locations. the model of fragmentation that shown may be different and In fact, the Sundanese culture has long been will be largely determined by the Sundanese interpretation. recognized as having synchronization and harmony with Especially, the Sundanese figures who have the hegemony the religious values. Even in the social fragmentations, this of thought and movement in directing the interpretation. interpretation frequently leads to the social problems and Some parts of the Sundanese philosophy have been widely conflicts among some parties, including the government, criticized by the Sundanese figures who view them as a community groups, and religious organizations (Ibrahim, loss and not contextual in the national politics (Safei, 2010; 2008). The efforts from the Ministry of Home Affairs to Sumpena, 2012). eliminate thousands of local regulations that are contrary A custom of Sundanese people to let others walk in to the higher regulations, including the exclusive regional front (mangga ti payun), is a form of defeatism that is no regulations, have also received a strong response from the longer relevant in the context of national leadership. This various parties, especially from the regions that formulated principle is replaced with the principle of leading the walk the law (Anshori, 2014). (abdi ti payun or punten mayunan). In the context of national Many understandings expect nationalism and politics, for example, the disappointment is fragmented from localism to coexist and reinforce each other, but their the Sundanese political figures that have national interests social fragmentation competes. However, it is realized and ideas, whereas, in grassroots, the disappointment may that Indonesian nationality is built on the foundation of not be manifested in the language within the public sphere. regionalism, but there are still concerns of diminishing Understanding the construction of culture is from the regional aspect of ethnic society due to the necessary to consider the relationship between various overwhelming dominance of the national cultural roles as components of the nation, especially for those which are happened in the New Order era. This concern is decline by based on ethnicity. However, the leadership in Indonesia the local language speakers in Indonesia and the switch of should have the support of local elites who have the the speakers to using the Indonesian language. influence over the more concrete and realistic masses. The third phenomenon is the concern and anxiety Usually, the dynamics that develop nationally are also about the disproportionate or unrepresentative national influenced by local development, especially areas adjacent accommodation of ethnicity and regional politics in the to the sources of power. Thus, the Indonesian leadership national scale. In every procession of national leader cannot be separated from the conditions and dynamics that election, regional aspects are emerged and strengthened occur in local communities (ethnicity). politically, especially from the areas with large numbers To explore the construction of the Sundanese of voters, such as the provinces of Java. This phenomenon culture, issues, and opinions that develop within the arises in various forms of the question, whether there is the cultural conditions should be studied, as understood by presentation of ethnicity in national leadership. In West the Sundanese people through various media. The records Java, for example, the discourse on the leadership of Ki of issues and opinions are expressed in the local media Sunda (Sundanese) is widely presented in the mass media publications with interest in covering the dynamics of of West Java, especially Pikiran Rakyat and other local the Sundanese people. In this case, Pikiran Rakyat and media. Almost all the issues, news, and opinions lead to the other media, published in both Indonesian and Sundanese representation of representatives from the Sundanese people language, have become an integral part of the issue and in the context of national leadership, which until now has thought of the Sundanese, because they are presenting in the not been represented in terms of quantity. While there is a middle of the Sundanese people (Sitompul and Dirgahayu, political issue, in this context the culture and ethnicity have 2014). The media also play an important role, not only to been construing as legitimacy for the political life of the record the thoughts and dynamics that exist but at the same people, and it will be the existence of an ethnic group which time also direct the opinion that developed in the Sundanese can transform its culture. people. Thus, in the context of plurality, it is important to In some cases, there is even an attitude of examine the construction of Sundanese culture as reflected disappointment and concern for the absence of by the people that are recorded in the local mass media, in representatives of the particular ethnicity. This will have this case, Pikiran Rakyat and other media.