As Indonesians remain 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 advance West, Japan and China. Given this nation, 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 culture reform be defined as a strategy of striking a balance between modern and traditional.
Traditional culture need to be preserved for two reasons. They constitute national heritage, by which a nation is identified and respected by other people, and they constitute a drawing card for people 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. Culture 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, culture events and art exhibitions, for example, will not only develop people’s awareness and perception of the art and culture, 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 work such as traditional music, puppet shows art exhibitions, and these branches are branded as a second-class category of art and condemned for lacking traditional values and even polluting Indonesian culture. Frequent banning 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 artist, 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 culture. 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 current Kurikulum Merdeka (independent curriculum) should provide the opportunity for elementary schools to introduce traditional arts through its local content policy. 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 elites with unique identity. Art appreciation is not a well- developed without art communication and promotion. The idea is to communicate art in such a way so that 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, which changes in the country as a part of global community. As a social fact, art is a powerful means 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 Bhineka 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 culture. Our heritage comes in the form of historical buildings and artifacts, custom and traditions, and the art and craft products that ate found in every corner of the archipelago. The art and culture are expected to bring a better and wider appreciation of Indonesia’s traditional arts in general, a cultural strategy necessary particular and culture in general for anticipating global culture.
