E-Journal of Cultural Studies

DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015)

ISSN 2338-2449

February 2017 Vol. 10, Number 1, Page 13-18

https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/

THE MEANINGS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVE TOURISM AT JASRI VILLAGE, SUBAGAN SUB-DISTRICT, KARANGASEM

I Made Suniastha Amerta1

I Gede Mudana2

email: j[email protected]1, [email protected]2

ABSTRACT

The alternative tourism developed in the form of a tourist village at Jasri Traditional Village is intended to empower and give opportunity to the local people to manage tourism at the village where they live. This is in accordance with the concepts of the community-based tourism development and sustainable development. This present study is aimed at knowing the meanings appearing from the development of the alternative tourism at Jasri Traditional Village. The qualitative method with the paradigm of cultural studies was used. Three theories which were eclectically used were employed to analyze the problems of the study. They are the theory of hegemony, the theory of power/knowledge, and the theory of communicative action.

The result of the study shows that the meanings appearing from the development of the alternative tourism at Jasri Traditional Village include the hegemonic meaning, the meaning of the economic potential empowerment, and the meaning of the socio-cultural sustainability. The hegemonic meaning includes (a) the implementation of the Regional Regulation ‘Perda’ Number 2 of 2002; (b) the implementation of the Regent’s Decree Number 658 of 2014; and (c) the meaning of image. The meaning of the empowerment of economic potential includes (a) the empowerment of the job opportunity potential; (b) the empowerment of the local people’s income potential; (c) the availability of the funds needed for funding the development at Jasri Traditional Village. The meaning of the socio-cultural sustainability made up of (1) the social sustainability including (1) the local people’s identity strengthening, (b) the better pride of becoming a community, (c) equality and justness in gender and age group; and the meaning of cultural sustainability including (a) being aware of cultural conservation, (b) development of cultural value, and (c) cultural appreciation.

Keywords: alternative tourism, sustainable development, tourist village.

INTRODUCTION

Jasri Traditional Village, Subagan Sub-district, Karangasem Regency, is rich in tradition, arts and culture. Its nature is beautiful and natural as well. The tradition, arts, culture and the beautiful and natural nature it has are the sources which can be developed to attract tourists. The performing arts which are still maintained are the fire war ‘perang api’ (ter-teran), rejang dewa, legong and many others. It has also maintained the art of making earthenware

E-Journal of Cultural Studies

DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015)

ISSN 2338-2449 https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/

vessels and the art of making the wavy-double bladed daggers ‘keris’. These are all the potentials it has to develop alternative tourism, causing it to be a tourist village. The Decree of the Regent of Karangasem Number 658 of 2014 shows that Jasri Traditional Village has been decided to be one of the twenty new tourist villages in Karangasem Regency.

Jasri Traditional Village has been developed as a tourist village since 2011, involving all the villagers. The success achieved by Jasri Traditional Village to be a tourist village cannot be initially separated from the role played by the regional government of Karangasem Regency through a program particularly created to support the development of tourism referred to as “PNPM Mandiri”.

In 2013 it was able to be the best in the national tourist village competition, meaning that it only took two years to be the best in the national tourist village competition as it was developed as a tourist village in 2011. This phenomenal fact strongly motivated the local people to contribute to developing the village as a tourist one, leading it to being the host of the activities held as the Appreciation of National Tourist Villages and Creative Economy in 2014. The activities were held at the Village Hall of Jasri Traditional Village.

This phenomenal fact strongly motivated the local people to contribute to developing the village as a tourist one. They believed that the development of alternative tourism at the village could economically, socially and culturally benefit them and could contribute to their welfare in particular and the people living in Karangasem in general. However, what was observed was that what had been expected for by the local people did not come true yet; meaning that nobody knew what it would come true.

RESEARCH METHOD

The qualitative method was used in the present study. This approach was used based on the problems and objective of the study and the technique of analysis used; otherwise, the research could not be properly carried out. In other words, as a cultural study, this present study was designed to use the qualitative method. The qualitative method was used to obtain the in-depth data needed, namely the tangible accurate data (Sugiyono, 2008:222).

According to Strauss and Cobin (1990: 13), the qualitative data can be used to find out and comprehend what is implied in a phenomenon. In this present study, the qualitative data was also used in order to obtain as many data representing the socio-cultural phenomenon explored as possible described using words instead of figures as in the perspective of the quantitative research. This refers to what is stated by Endraswara

E-Journal of Cultural Studies DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015) ISSN 2338-2449                                             https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/

(2006:85), who states that the qualitative perspective tends to be used to explore the complex humanitarian phenomenon.

The research method was designed in such a way through important steps that it can fulfill the scientific criteria and the validity of the study. The location where the study was conducted, the types and sources of the data, and the informants directly involved in the study were determined. The techniques used to collect and analyze the data and present the result of the data analysis were carefully chosen. These are all the important variables which are needed to identify and reveal the socio-cultural phenomenon appearing from the development of alternative tourism at Jasri Traditional Village, Subagan Sub-district, Karangasem Regency.

DISCUSSION

Meaning is defined as the intention of a word and so forth (Kamus Bahasa Indonesia, 2008: 135). According to Ratna (2008: 127—132), meaning refers to a particular massage and value in a text. It is a presentation and a process of representing what is obtained by an interpreter through an interpreting activity. In other words, meaning refers to a message or intention implied in a text. What is intended by the message can be interpreted more than what is explicitly stated in the text. As a set of symbols, a text contains a replica (the comodified form) and an interpreter (unlimited semiosis). Eco (1984) in Yuliana (2010) adds that a symbol can be defined as an encyclopedia or a network of words with a new map of meaning.

Tourism was initially introduced at Jasri Traditional Village in 2009. Then it was developed in 2011, causing several meanings to appear. They are the hegemonic meaning, the meaning of the economic potential empowerment, and the meaning of the socio-cultural sustainability.

Hegemony refers to the domination of a social class over another through the success achieved in implanting its view of life, social relation, and humanitarian relation in such a way that they are considered true or scientific by the subordinated class (Piliang, 2004: 17). As far as the top-down political policy is concerned, people do not have power to reject the government’s policy. The hegemonic meaning resulting from the development of alternative tourism at this village can be defined as a set of hegemonic policies and messages created by the local government of Karangasem Regency as the policy maker.

E-Journal of Cultural Studies DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015) ISSN 2338-2449                                             https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/

The formal legal basis in the form of a decree issued by the Regent of Karangasem Regency through which Jasri Traditional Village has been provided as a tourist village can be viewed as a dominating tool. The action taken by the stakeholder of tourism at this tourist village can be observed from the perspective of the theory of communicative action. Habernas represents a communicative competence reflected in several rules and regulations used as the formal legal basis for developing alternative tourism at Jasri Traditional Village. The hegemonic meaning resulting from the development of alternative tourism at Jasri Traditional Village includes (a) the implementation of the local regulation ‘Perda’ Number 2 of 2012; (b) the implementation of the Decree of the Regent Number 658 of 2014; and (c) the meaning of image.

The development of tourism at a tourist destination with its different activities is trusted to lead to different positive impacts, especially the economic life resulting from the interaction between the guest and host. The meaning of the economic potential empowerment resulting from the development of alternative tourism at Jasri Tourist Village includes (a) the empowerment of the job opportunity potential; (b) the empowerment of the local people’s income potential; and (c) the available of the funds needed for developing the village.

The local people were strongly motivated to support the program since tourism was developed at Jasri Tourist Village. The fact that what was programmed by the village’s leaders was always supported by all the society’s components. The socio-cultural support was one of the things provided by the villagers. The meaning of the socio-cultural sustainability resulting from the development of alternative tourism at Jasri Traditional Village includes (1) the social sustainability made up of (a) the local people’s identity strengthening; (b) the better pride of becoming a community; (c) equality and justness in gender and age group; and (2) the cultural sustainability made up of (a) the awareness of cultural conservation; (b) the development of cultural value; (c) the cultural appreciation.

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

Based on the result of the analysis of the field data collected, it could be concluded that the meanings appearing from the development of alternative tourism at Jasri Traditional Village, Subagan sub-district, Karangasem Regency are as follows.

The hegemonic meaning, which includes (a) the implementation of the Regional Regulation ‘Perda’ Number 2 of 2014; (b) the implementation of the Regent’s Decree Number 658 of 2014; and (c) the meaning of image.

E-Journal of Cultural Studies DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015) ISSN 2338-2449                                             https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/

The meaning of the economic potential empowerment, which includes (a) the job opportunity potential empowerment; (b) the local people’s income potential empowerment; (c) the available of the funds needed for developing Jasri Traditional Village.

The meaning of socio-cultural sustainability, which includes (a) the local people’s identity strengthening; (b) the better pride of becoming a community; (c) the equality and justness in gender and age group. The meaning of cultural sustainability includes (a) the awareness of cultural conservation; (b) the development of cultural value; (c) the cultural appreciation.

Based on the findings and conclusions, it can be suggested that (1) the leaders of Jasri Tourist Village should adopt the local genius-based alternative tourism development; (2) in the future the government of Karangasem Regency needs to pay more attention to the village through supervision and training courses related to the awareness of the importance of tourism such as foreign language courses; (3) it is necessary for the government of Karangasem Regency to improve the infrastructure and facilities needed such as the gate showing where Jasri Tourist Village and art shops are; (4) it is necessary for the travel bureaus and agencies and freelance guides to include Jasri Tourist Village into their itineraries of East Bali.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The writer would like to thank and highly appreciate Head of the Doctorate Study Program of Cultural Studies for the opportunity given to the writer to complete his study in the program. Thanks are also expressed to the informants especially those living at Jasri Traditional Village.

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E-Journal of Cultural Studies

DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015)

ISSN 2338-2449                                             https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/

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