Is Rukun Dead? Ethnographic Interpretations of Social Change and Javanese Culture

Abstract

Within the ethnography of Indonesia in general and Java in particular, the Javanese notion of rukun, the appearance of harmony and helpfulness, has frequently been interpreted as referring not only to social harmony, but also to economic egalitarianism. Hence ‘traditional’ Javanese economic practices such as open harvests, the distribution of harvest shares and the use of the finger‐knife in rice harvesting have been seen as explicable by reference to rukun. Changes in harvesting practices with the introduction of ‘modern’ techniques, such as the use of contract labourers, have been depicted as signalling the death of rukun, both as an economic practice and as a cultural value. This article argues that such a view of social change in Java is theoretically and empirically flawed. Rukun is not a practice but rather a central ideological concept through which Javanese contextualise and apprehend their lives, their aspirations, their motivations and their social relations. In this sense, the ‘traditional’ notion of rukun is equally applicable to contemporary Java, and contemporary Javanese are just as likely to interpret the ‘modern’ world in terms of rukun.

Paternalistic Leadership and Employee Responses in Javanese Culture

“…In Javanese culture, the morality of leadership is interpreted in the light of building a proper, personal relationship. In social relations, the Javanese strongly believe in reciprocity between one person and another, and often favors done for others are considered as social investments (Geertz 1961;Hawkins 1996). So, employees expect leaders to act toward them in highly personal ways.…”

Boyfriends and injecting: the role of intimate male partners in the life of women who inject drugs in Central Java

“…For a long time, Javanese society has also been associated with communality, the willingness and capacity to accept (nrima), harmony (rukun) and tolerance, self-control, patience, calmness and mutuality (Geertz 1961;Jay 1969;Hawkins 1996;Guinness 1986;Handayani and Noviyanto 2004;Mulder 2006). The Javanese attempt to maintain a harmonious society by constraining their personal interests.…”

Model Manajemen Konflik Berbasis Kearifan Lokal: Konflik Perguruan Pencak Silat Di Madiun – Jawa Timur

“…Selain itu, adanya pengaruh kepentingan tersebut juga berdampak pada munculnya konflik baru dalam perguruan, misalnya terjadinya konflik internal dalam kepengurusan perguruan. Selanjutnya, mengacu pada Cooley (1992, dikutip di Hawkins, 1996) dan Jay (1969( , dikutip di Hawkins, 1996, prinsip rukun juga mengacu pada aspek egalitarian, yaitu pandangan yang menyatakan bahwa semua individu yang menjadi anggota masyarakat memiliki kesamaan derajat (Aisyah BM, 2014;Cooley, 1992, dikutip di Hawkins, 1996Jay, 1969, dikutip di Hawkins, 1996Nurhidayati, 2010;Sudaryanto, 2008;Suparlan, 2001). Aspek egalitarian dalam proses manajemen konflik mengarah pada praktik demokrasi yang menekankan pada adanya kolektifitas dalam pengambilan keputusan atau pembuatan kebijakan (Beetham, dikutip di Held, 1993).…”