Proceedings of the 28th International Conference on Literature: “Literature as a Source of Wisdom”, July 11-13, 2019, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, ISBN: 978-623-7086-21-5

THE PRODUCTIVITY OF LITERARY LITERACY ARENA IN CENTRAL JAVA

*Muhammad Burhanudin & Agus Nuryatin

Department of Indonesian Education and Literature, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri , Semarang, Indonesia

*Corresponding author: [email protected]

DOI: 10.24815/.v1i1.14829

Abstract

Literature is not merely a complementary activity, but it must be able to bring to a better nation civilization. Literature needs to be read and written as a medium to describe humans with various problems. Literature is created to have recreational function, didactic function, morality and even religious function. So complex is the function of literature, but reading and writing the literary works especially novel often becomes a heavy burden. For this reason, a solution is needed to increase the interest in reading and writing literature among the society. One alternative solution is by producing the literary arena. Investigating the literary arena in Central Java is an important thing to see as well as develop the literary literacy. The literary community can be used as an arena for literacy movements to make its members literate throughout life through community involvement in appreciating and expressing literature. The literary arena in the form of community and organizing a competition in Central Java is interesting to be examined in order to see literary literacy in it. The literary arena in Central Java can be a free and open market for literary quality competition to be used and disseminated. This research used qualitative method to increasing the number of literary works and to explore the productivity of the literacy arena in Central Java. Literary literacy movement certainly cannot be separated from cultural capital, social capital, symbolic capital, and aesthetic capital. For this reason, the role of government is needed to encourage the growth of literary literacy in Central Java.

Keywords: Arena, literacy, community, competition.

1. Introduction

Arena is defined as the field of “battle,” arena is also a field of “struggle” (Bourdieu & Wacquant, 1992, p. 101). Arena in the context of literacy is a place for individuals or groups to protect and improve the position of the value of works created. The literary arena can be a free and open market for literary quality competition to be used and disseminated. Bourdieu explained three stages to analyze an arena. The first stage is tracking the relationship of each terrain structure that reflects the superiority of the arena. The second

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step, maps the objective structure of relations between positions in the field. The final step, determines the nature of the agents who occupy various types of positions in the field (Ritzer, 2012, p. 907). The success of a literary arena also cannot be separated from various types of capital. Cultural capital consists of familiarity and ease in utilizing institutionalized cultural forms (schools, colleges, language agents, etc.) which are at the top of the cultural hierarchy of society. Social capital consists of valuable social relations between humans. Symbolic capital comes from one’s honor and prestige. The position of various agents in the arena is determined by the amount of relative weight of capital owned. The arena of literature as a field certainly cannot be separated from the capital in launching its literacy movement. Literary work is the identity of a nation’s civilization. Literary society will be sensitive to the existence and development. Literary literacy is not merely a complementary activity, but must be able to bring better civilization to the nation. Literary works need to be read and written as a medium to describe humans with various problems. Literary works are created to provide pleasure or entertainment to the reader (recreational function). Reading literary works will provide insight into the ins and outs of human life for its readers (functions defined). Knowledge of good and bad moral can also be obtained from reading literary works (morality functions). Literary works that contain religious teachings present works that contain religious teachings that can be imitated by readers (religious functions). Literary works by containing religious teachings have been used since the time of the Walisanga. Sunan Bonang and Sunan Kalijaga are sunan figures who use literary literacy facilities to deliver religious teachings in the coastal areas of Java. The Kraton (palace) also gave birth to famous poets such as Yasadipura I, Yasadipura II, and Ranggawarsita. Kratonworks Gives insight into the ins and outs of human life. Pramudya Ananta Toer and WS Rendra are brilliant literary figures who are productive in creating high quality literary works about humanity and moral knowledge. The emergence of poets, writers and literary works in Central Java became a marker of the life of the literary arena in Central Java. The writers that still exist today are Mustofa Bisri, Ahmad Tohari, Triyanto Triwikromo, Eko Tunas, S. Prasetyo Utomo, Handry TM, Timur Suprabana, Sosiawan Leak, Hanindawan, Wijang Warek, Dorothea Rosa Herliani and others may become a marker of still alive and fertile literary activities in Central Java. Is it possible that the names of writers or poets in Central Java can be used as a benchmark for the life of the literacy arena? How much the role of the literary community can be used as an arena for literacy movements while expressing literature? Is competition for literary writing as a field of struggle and battle effective to increase the position of bargaining value for his work? Certainly, these questions disturb researchers to explore the productivity of the literacy arena in Central Java.

1.1 Literary Literacy Literary literacy can be defined as the ability to read the words on literary works and produce literary meaning. In other words, literary literacy is literacy quality which includes the ability to read and write literary works. Broader scope, literary literacy also includes literary audio-visual literature, which means proficiency to recognize, understand, as well as express ideas that are delivered visually both in drama/theater scenes, literary audio videos, or films based on literary works. Literary literacy is expected to be a capital for the community, especially students and college students to explore and develop their potential in appreciating and expressing literature. Literary literacy activities are expected to make people accept the effects of literary communication. The awareness of reading books of

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Proceedings of the 28th International Conference on Literature: “Literature as a Source of Wisdom”, July 11-13, 2019, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia ISBN: 978-623-7086-21-5 literature does not have to be planned nationally, but ideally it should be a primary need for each individual. Ability in literary literacy is a right and not everyone’s obligation. Literacy is a form of integration of the ability to listen, speak, write, read and think literally (Baynham, 1995, p. 5). As a unity of communication devices, the meaning of literacy can be interpreted as language skills that cannot be separated from one another. Klein et al (1991) see the relationship between the ability to read and write like two eyes of a coin. Someone who can write well shows a tendency to have good reading skills. Vice versa, someone who has good reading skills has a tendency to be a good writer. Literacy skills can empower and improve the quality of individuals, families and communities. Because it is a multiple effects (can provide an effect on a very wide area), literacy skills help eradicate poverty, reduce child mortality, population growth, ensure sustainable development, and realize peace. This can be pursued through literary literacy. Literary literacy, which can be interpreted as reading and writing ability about the field of literature cannot be separated from language, because literary works use language as a medium. Reading literature is essentially a reading skill with objects of literary works in the form of poetry, prose, and drama scripts while writing literature is an activity to produce writings in the form of literary works.

2. Result and Discussion

2.1 Community as Literary Literacy Arena The literary community as an arena in carrying out its activities cannot be separated from cultural capital. Cultural capital is manifested in establishing intimacy to make it easier to utilize institutionalized cultural forms (schools, colleges, language agents, etc.) that are at the top of the cultural hierarchy of society. The capital is needed because the development of literature cannot be carried out optimally without assistance and cooperation with various parties, both provincial and sub-district regional governments, writers, teachers, lecturers, researchers, students and the community. People who join in a literary community have great care and attention to maintain the continuity of literature, they devote their lives to improve the reading and writing culture in the area through literary literacy movements. The community can be used as an arena for community literacy movements, especially the higher education community. The literary community is a place to make its members literate throughout their lives through community involvement in appreciating and expressing literature. Stakeholders in the literary community as an arena of literacy in their operations use various strategies to sustain the life. The strategy idea was raised by the patron of the literary community to achieve calculated goals. The purpose of the literary community, in general, is to appreciate and express literature. The literary community in its activities should really position literature in accordance with its portion. This is important, considering that literature has only been used as a complementary or additional element in social life. Stakeholders in the literary community continue to try individually or collegially, protect or improve their position. There are many ways a community can do to protect and improve literary positions, including reading and writing literature. The conditioning of reading and appreciating literary works can grow the value of taste because without mastering literature, grammar will only be a tool to connect thoughts/logic and not connect feelings (Wijaya, 2007). The literary community needs to carry out continuous innovation so that it can be a good place for an effort to revive literature. Literary reading and writing activities need to be encouraged to explore and develop the potential of society in literature, as part of activities of appreciation and expression of literature.

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Literature reading activities in a community are carried out with various models. The arena of literary literacy is not only a field of appreciative reading, but there is a creative reading activity as well as a discussion of literature. Community members are not only able to read literature, but also dare to explore their abilities through literacy activities by writing literature. Various literary communities in Indonesia are developing. The development of the literary community in Indonesia today cannot be separated from the patron of the community. Patron in the literary community becomes symbolic capital. Komunitas Salihara has a big attraction to the figure of Gunawan Muhammad, the Community (KSI) that cannot be separated from the names of Ahmadun Yosi Herfanda and Slamet Raharjo, Komunitas Maiyah has the patron of Emha Ainun Najib, as well as other literary communities. The literary community also grows in the region and on social media. Whether it’s a community that has a real field or an online field. Through the arena of the literary community, the literacy movement is increasingly finding its real form. Meaning that the literary community can be an instrument for growing literacy among the public. The literary community as an arena of literacy has various functions, including: 1) communication. The literary community can be a medium of communication between writers, literary observers, literary researchers, and society. This communication media is expected to bridge the aspirations of each party. 2) Developing literary writing skills. The literary community can be a place to channel writing talents. For those who from the beginning are talented to write, as well as those who lack the ability to write but want to learn and can write. The literary community can publish the results of their work and will be read at least by all members of the community. 3) Transferring of literary knowledge. Literary community held a discussion forum, literary surgery, literature review. The literary community also sharpens and cultivates a sense of humanity and sensitivity through literature; 4) Publication of literature, the literary community of the community can find out works written by community members. 5) Media Propaganda. The literary community can make an understanding of strengthening the equality of vision and mission in shaping the values of the nation’s civilization. Community members through literacy are able to be literary of injustice and social inequality. The literacy movement can develop along with the growth of the literary community. Puisi Menolak Korupsi (Poetry Refusing Corruption) or in short “PMK” is a community which is led by Sosiawan Leak conducted a literacy movement. The PMK community carried out a literacy movement over the anxiety of poets who had begun to be embarrassed by the phenomenon of corruption in Indonesia. Leak and his friends carried out a literacy movement by intensifying the movement of writing poetry to reject corruption. Poetry readings, seminars, cultural speeches, discussions are conducted by communities in sharing places. The role of literacy communities in form, community reading parks, mobile libraries, reading corners, book houses, and so on is very important as a bridge between writers and readers in conducting anti-corruption literacy propaganda (Venayaksa, 2017). Rumah Dunia community located in Ciloang, Serang Banten, conducts literacy activities in the form of poetry writing, reading literary books, discussions and surgical work held every month. It encourages community members to love the world of literacy. The community trains children to play an active role in enlivening all forms of activities held, such as drawing tours, fairytale tours, composing, playing tours, music classes and poetry classes, all of which are guided by volunteers. The breath of Rumah Dunia community is the literary works. As Pramoedya Ananta Toer once said, “People may be clever as high as the sky, but as long as they don’t write, they will disappear in society and from history. Writing

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Proceedings of the 28th International Conference on Literature: “Literature as a Source of Wisdom”, July 11-13, 2019, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia ISBN: 978-623-7086-21-5 is work to eternity”. From these words can be concluded, a work is more lasting than the duration of the author’s age. This was later reinforced by the poetry array from Chairil Anwar, “Aku ingin hidup seribu tahun lagi” (I want to live another thousand years).

2.2 Manuscript Literary Community in Semarang The literary community is currently mushrooming in the area of Semarang and its surroundings. The development of the literary community has been written by Andrian in 2016. The result of the author’s observations that there are several literary communities that have become literary literacy arenas in Semarang today which are not much different from the community that was revealed by Andrian. What distinguishes this time is that many literary literacy communities are online-based. Literary communities that have real space are; “Surau Kami” cultural boarding school on Jalan Tusam Raya Banyumanik Semarang, the “Kumandang Sastra” community that regularly reads literature at RRI Semarang, “Lacikata” as a community initiated by Hysteria people, “Sendangmulyo Community” was established in 2003, headquartered on Jl. Bougenvile Raya II number 26 Sendang Mulyo Semarang, Community “Knot Book House” was initiated by Unnes lecturers in Sekaran Semarang, “ABG Coffee Shop” in Gunungpati Semarang, a community of “Maluku Literature Workshop” headquartered on Taman Maluku Semarang street and literary communities campus and school-based. Literary community that uses social media as a basis for literacy including; “Soeket Teki” community, DDT Online Poetry Literature Community Archipelago, “Fiksimini” community, Fiksiminiers began forming small communities in each of their cities to form FMJogja (Fiksimini Jogja community), Fiksiminiers , FMers SBY (Fiksiminiers Surabaya), fiksimini BDG (Fiksiminiers Bandung), and other cities. The various literary literacy communities that live in various regions make the arena of literary flourished. This is marked by the increasing number of literary works and the increasingly widespread activities of literary appreciation.

2.3 Contest as Literary Struggle Arena Implementation of Minister of Education and Culture Regulation Number 23 of 2015 as the 2016–2019 National Literacy Movement, encouraging the Language Development and Fostering Agency and Ministry of Education and Culture to hold a Literacy Writing Competition in 2017. The aim is to build the character of students in elementary schools and children in the reading community. The existence of the literacy movement encourages every Language Center and Language Office to hold a literary writing contest. This needs to be encouraged to build a literary society. Literary writing contests, especially novels, become prestigious arenas as “battlefields,” the arena is also a field of “struggle” to improve the position of the value of the works created. The competition can also be a similar literary arena for free and open markets for the literary quality competition to be used and disseminated. The holding of the FBS Unnes novel writing competition in 2017 managed to collect 229 manuscripts of the novel. This shows the interest of the community that is good enough to take part in competitions with various motivations. Literary competition becomes the lighters of the emergence of literary writers. Every competition appears literary works that have new bargaining power. The Novel Writing Competition is intended to stimulate the creation of Indonesian novels. The literary contest especially novel writing contest bears the historical obligation to join in discovering monumental novels in each time they are held. Therefore, every literary contest applies a number of agreed criteria so that the assessment is successful in finding quality novels.

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3. Conclusions

Arena in the context of literacy is a place for individuals or groups to protect and improve their bargaining position and the position of the value of works created. The literary arena can be a free and open market for literary quality competition to be used and disseminated. The increasing production of literary works and the increasingly widespread appreciation of literary has become a marker of literacy activities in the growing literary community. The literary writing competition, especially the novel, became the arena of the “struggle” of the writer to make his work monumental and have high value.

References

Andrian, S. N. (2016). Remang-remang Kontemplasi. Yogyakarta: Garudhawaca Banua, R. T. (2107). “Konsepsi Sastra Dan Gerakan Literasi Kita.” Retrieved from http://www.arsipsastranusantara.com/2017/09/esai-raudal-tanjung-banua.html on 6 Maret 2019 Baynham, M. (1995). Literacy Practices: Investigation Literacy in Social Context. United Kingdom: Longman Group Limited. Bourdieu, P., & Wacquant, L. J. D. (1992). An Invitation to Reflexive Sociology. Chicago. University of Chicago Press. Klein, M. L., Peterson, S., & Simington, L. (1991). Teaching Reading in the Elementary Grades. USA: Allyn and Bacon. Ritzer, G. (2011). Sociological Theory. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies. Venayaksa, F. (2017). “Peran Literasi dalam Memberantas Korupsi”. Retrieved from https://www.kpk.go.id/id/berita/publik-bicara/102-opini/3990-peran-komunitas- literasi-dalam-pemberantasan-korupsimeiliza Wijaya, P. (2007). Pengajaran Sastra. Retrieved from http://putuwijaya.wordpress.com /2007/11/03/pengajaran-sastra/ on 16 April.

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