E-Journal of Cultural Studies

DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015)

ISSN 2338-2449

Nov 2022 Vol. 15, Number 4, Page 1-11

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TOURISM INDUSTRY AS THE DOMINANT IDEOLOGY IN IMPLEMENTATION OF EDUCATION IN SOUTH KUTA

I Wayan Widyartha Suryawan

Master Degree Program of Cultural Studies, Udayana University, Cultural Studies Study Program, Faculty of Arts, Udayana University

Email: [email protected]

Received Date    :  08-08-2022

Accepted Date    :  11-10-2022

Published Date   :  30-11-2022

ABSTRACT

The development of Bali tourism industry has influenced various sectors of Balinese life, including how they define education. This study aims to examine the power relations of the tourism industry and the dominant ideology contained in the implementation of education in South Kuta. The problems were analyzed using Michel Foucault’s power relation theory and Pierre Bourdieu’s generative structural theory. This research was designed by cultural studies and analyzed by interpretive qualitative methods. The results show that the tourism industry has become the dominant ideology in education development in South Kuta. Some schools responded to the growth of the tourism industry in South Kuta by establishing tourism-related majors. The power relations of the tourism industry in the world of education have led to the vocational education phenomenon. Vocational education is related to the concept of link and match such as connecting education with the industrial world which is being heavily campaigned by the government. On the other hand, students choose schools and tourism majors because they feel very attached to the tourism sector. Students seem to have no other options but tourism. In addition, students experience cultural unconsciousness and perceive the tourism industry as something natural. They understand the tourism industry as something familiar. Thus, students are no longer questioning or being critical of the tourism industry due to it becoming the dominant ideology.

Keywords: power relation, tourism industry, ideology, vocational education

INTRODUCTION

South Kuta is one of the important areas in the development of the Bali tourism industry. It is because of the establishment of Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) in 1973 which aims to develop Nusa Dua as a world-class tourism area in Bali. Over time, the tourism-supporting facilities such as hotels, villas, restaurants, bars, cafes, beach clubs, and others are increasing in South Kuta. The tourism sector has become the Balinese main income. Based on data from Central Statistics Agency (BPS)

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

in 2019, accommodation service and food/beverage business became the highest contributor to the value of the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) of Bali Province with 23.26 percent. This sector contributed 0.98 percent of Bali's total economic growth of 5.63 percent in 2019. Meanwhile, in 2015, the number of tourists who visit Bali reached 4 million people. This number increased to 6 million tourists in 2019. Economically, the tourism industry becomes one of the largest foreign exchange-earners. Furthermore, government policies are often in favor of the tourism sector. Therefore, the Balinese are becoming increasingly dependent on the tourism industry.

The strong dependence on the tourism industry has influenced the Balinese perspective on education. This was followed by the introduction of tourism majors at South Kuta high schools. In South Kuta, at least three schools offer tourism majors and extracurriculars: Nusa Dua Vocational School, SMKN 1 Kuta Selatan, and Dwijendra Bualu High School. The students that attend tourism schools or major in tourism expect to be able to work in the tourism business as soon as they graduate.

The educational implementation at SMA Dwijendra Bualu is a fascinating thing to observe. Unlike other high schools, SMA Dwijendra Bualu students have the opportunity to learn directly about the tourist sector without interfering with the usual curriculum. This is quite interesting because SMA Dwijendra Bualu is not a vocational school like SMK Nusa Dua and SMKN 1 Kuta Selatan. As a tourism plus school, the students not only acquire theoretical learning at school but also have the ability to participate in fieldwork practices in the industrial sector. During the school holidays, SMA Plus Tourism Dwijendra offers students a three-month practicum at a hotel. The response of the school that opened the tourism department is inseparable from the encouragement of the tourism industry which requires skilled workers. The phenomena of vocational education arose as a result of this.

Dave Hill in Darmaningtyas (2012: 82) describes vocational education as a model of a capitalist design for education, namely educational institutions to support the mechanism of global-neoliberal capitalism. Nadiem Makarim, Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Mendikbud Ristek), recently emphasized his seriousness in ensuring link and match, namely the connection between education and the industrial world. Nadiem analogizes the relationship between education and industry is like a marriage. It is a commitment or promises to be together for a long period. The education policy that emphasizes link and match is in line with the phenomenon of education in Bali which is followed by the interests of the tourism industry.

This research will focus more on the phenomenon of education in Bali which is

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

difficult to escape from the interests of the tourism industry. In fact, education as a medium of liberation should not make Balinese confined only to the tourism sector. On the other hand, the principle of link and match also makes it difficult to break the relationship between education and the market (tourism industry). This study analyzes the power relations and ideology contained in the implementation of education in South Kuta.

CONCEPT AND THEORIES

This study uses the concepts of the tourism industry, education, and ideology. The principles of tourism, education, and ideology are used in this study. According to Tourism Law Number 10 of 2009, the tourism industry is a group of interconnected tourism firms that provide goods and/or services to meet the demands of tourists during the tourism implementation process. Tourism players, tourists, governments, and other tourism stakeholders are all part of the tourism industry sector. Then, English is the learning of knowledge, skills, and habits of a group of people that are passed down from one generation to the next through teaching, training, or research. This research emphasizes critical education stream which views that education is not a neutral institution. Education is understood as a relation between knowledge, ideology, and power. While ideology is a component of a dominance system that contributes to the perpetuation of oppression. Ian Adams (2004: 6) puts ideology as an ideological-political-movement framework with a cultural studies approach. Ideology is interpreted as an attempt to hide certain realities as well as a tool to reveal certain cultural practices that have been represented, reduced, and distorted.

The author uses Pierre Bourdieu's Structural Generative theory and Michel Foucault's Power-Knowledge Relation theory. Bourdieu proposes Generative Structural Theory with his famous formula, namely (Habitus X Modal) + Realm = Practice. Harker, et al. (2009: 13-14) explains habitus as a series of schemes or patterns that are internalized to understand, realize and assess the social world. Bourdieu then examines the relationship between the individual and reality through the concept of doxa. Doxa is a kind of social order that is quite stable, bound by tradition, seems naturalized, and unquestioned. Like ideology, doxa appears through knowledge that is taken for granted according to the habitus and realm of the individual. Meanwhile, Michel Foucault's Theory of Power and Knowledge Relations shows that power is always actualized through knowledge, and knowledge always has a powerful effect. All knowledge, according to Foucault, is political because the conditions for its possibility are built on power relations (Haryatmoko, 2016: 17).

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RESEARCH METHODS

This research was designed with a cultural studies approach and analyzed by interpretive qualitative methods. Bennett as explained by Barker (2000: 9) explains that cultural studies seek to explore various forms of interconnected power. In addition, cultural studies also develop ways to understand culture and power in an eclectic way. The Data were collected by interviewing informants, both teachers and students at SMKN 1 Kuta Selatan, SMK Nusa Dua, and SMA Dwijendra Bualu. As qualitative research, this research does not only describe the socio-cultural phenomenon that is the object of research, but also interprets and finds the ideology hidden behind social phenomena (Ratna, 2010: 95).

DISCUSSION

Desirable Tourism Major a. SMK Nusa Dua

The presence of SMK Nusa Dua in South Kuta might be considered as an educational reaction to market demand and the glory days of Bali tourism in the 1990s. This institution, initially known as the Nusa Dua Household Technology Middle School (SMTK) and has always offered a Tourism major, specifically the Culinary Skills Programs and Hospitality Skills Competence. SMK Nusa Dua is also expanding its Multimedia Expertise Competencies, as well as its online Business and marketing skills competencies.

Based on the student numbers at each level, Hospitality Skill Competence and Catering Competence have the most applicants. Hospitality and catering are two specialized competencies that are acknowledged to be strongly associated with the tourism industry. Other skill competencies, such as online business, marketing, and multimedia, are less popular, despite their connections to the tourism industry. The table below shows the number of students enrolled in each Expertise Competence at each level at SMK Nusa Dua for the 2021/2022 academic year.

Expertise Competence

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

The total number of students

Online Business and Marketing

13

10

24

47

Multimedia

22

19

30

71

Hospitality

88

110

225

423

Culinary

66

138

227

431

Source: peta.ditpsmk.net

E-Journal of Cultural Studies

DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015)

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

The high interest in pursuing a tourism major (read: Expertise Competence and Culinary) demonstrates that the tourism industry has mastered public awareness to the point where it has become the dominating choice. Tourism has evolved into what Michel Foucault refers to as a knowledge-power relation. Dispersed power generates knowledge, which gives birth to disciplined people. People have been conditioned, disciplined, and now follow the logic of the business and the tourism sector. According to Foucault, the tactic of power is intended to achieve compliance. On the other hand, students believe that majoring in tourism is the greatest option because issues related to the tourism industry are always internalized and have become a part of daily life.

“At first, I was perplexed as to why I chose tourism as a major. I can say it was unintentional. When I graduate, my parents want me to be able to work in a hotel. I'm not thinking about other majors. Many of my close friends and family members work in tourism. They become housekeepers, pick up guests, and engineering. Maybe that's why I ended up choosing a tourism major.” (Interview with Ni Wayan Yuliani, 24 July 2022)

According to the interview excerpt above, the idea that the tourism business promises a bright future is created at the family level. As a result, the family accepts the dominant group's habitus as a natural sort of habitus that is also regarded as proper. In regards to education and success, the child's attitude grows parallel with that of the parents. As a result, the family has unwittingly become a tourism industry agent. This behavior can be described using Bourdieu's Generative Structural Theory. Children's behaviors are programmed with a set of internalized schemes or patterns that result in acts that benefit the tourism industry. The formation of a habitus that is increasingly dependent on the tourism industry cannot be separated from various factors, including the interests of entrepreneurs in the tourism sector until political decisions.

  • b.    SMKN 1 Kuta Selatan

Initially, SMKN 1 Kuta Selatan only opened the fields of expertise in Electrical Usage Engineering and Electronica Communication Engineering. However, the public's interest in acquiring these domains of engineering skills has waned over time. Simultaneously, people are becoming increasingly interested in the tourism industry, which is only getting started. Furthermore, the school is located in the Nusa Dua resort region. In response to the growth of tourism, the school launched the Tourism Skills Study Program with the Hospitality Accommodation competency in 2010/2011.

The Tourism department of SMKN 1 Kuta Selatan has successfully piqued the interest of students who attend the school. According to I Nyoman Supartha (July 20,

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2022), interest in the tourist department skyrocketed when it initially opened at SMKN 1 Kuta Selatan. Interest in other majors, on the other hand, dropped dramatically at the same time. This is represented in the student makeup for each skill competency. The following data show the number of students at each Expertise Competence level at SMKN 1 Kuta Selatan during the 2021/2022 academic year:

Expertise Competence

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Total number of students

Multimedia

117

113

103

333

Hospitality

440

367

281

1088

Audio Video Techniques

36

34

34

104

Motorcycle Engineering and Business

33

73

59

165

Electrical Power Installation Engineering

38

55

37

130

Automotive Light Vehicle Engineering

65

52

59

176

Computer and Network Engineering

41

77

69

187

Source: peta.ditpsmk.net

Based on the data in the table above, it is apparent that Hospitality Skill Competence is in high demand among students at SMKN 1 Kuta Selatan. Hospitality, which is directly related to the tourism business, even outperforms other Expertise Competence enthusiasts who started at the school earlier. I Nyoman Supartha does not dispute that the world of education is inextricably linked to the world of industry. He believes that the existence of Vocational High Schools (SMK) has a part in producing workers who are ready to work in their respective sectors The development of Bali tourism, he said, requires skilled workers in the tourism sector. Such educational praxis only becomes a perpetuator of the status quo. Supratiknya in the article Hantu Masyarakat Itu Bernama Pendidikan (1998: 196) explains how school education is forced to always comply with current trends while being a devoted partner of the status quo. Schools and teachers do things that have been mandated by the dominant ideology or in this case the tourism industry.

  • c.    SMA Dwijendra Bualu

The management of SMA Dwijendra Bualu embraced the momentum of Bali tourism glory by integrating local content, namely Tourism Extracurricular. The inclusion of Tourism Plus appears to be a solution to the fact that this institution still exists and offers advantages over high schools in general. Students can continue to study with the regular

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curriculum while also learning the content and being involved in the tourism industry. Such that, SMA Dwijendra Bualu, which develops tourism insights, neither changes the high school education system nor limits education to work training. From there, the school, previously known as SMA Dwijendra Bualu, was then popularly known as SMA Dwijendra Bualu Plus Tourism.

"Well, if at SMA Dwijendra Bualu there is a plus for tourism, so you can all get skills in the tourism sector. If you don't have training experience at a hotel, it will be difficult to apply for a job." (Interview with Ni Kadek Darmayanti, 25 July 2021)

According to the interview excerpt above, students are also aware that Bali already has a large number of hotels, villas, lodging, and other tourism-related amenities. These circumstances further constrain the students' ability to think pragmatically. This phenomenon exemplifies the tug-of-war between educational idealism and pragmatic culture. Using Suda's (2011: 100) analysis, this pragmatic culture in education is related to image culture, which occurs when society is controlled by the desire for material items rather than spiritual depth. This is a symptom of today's consumer society, which focuses its efforts on fulfilling material demands.

Tourism Industry Power Relations

Tourism, as the dominating discourse in Bali, has infiltrated the educational system. Education providers are also responding to the tourism industry, which is becoming increasingly popular in Bali. The institution appears to exist solely to prepare the workers required by the tourism sector. Furthermore, students are taught directly by practitioners who are already working in the tourism industry. That is, things done in the tourism industry are subsequently passed on to students. Students learn how to become a tourism worker, how to serve tourists, and what is vital in the tourism industry.

Students are provided with knowledge that prepares them to adapt to the industrial world. This is consistent with Foucault's belief that knowledge is a means for power to impose itself without giving the impression that it is derived from a specific subject (Haryatmoko, 2016: 17). Balinese were gradually rendered dependent on the tourism industry as a result of the power strategy and the social mechanisms that followed. It also contributes to the phenomena known as touristification. Kumbara (2001) explains that touristification happens when individuals believe that tourism is no longer an external force causing cultural change. Tourism has been regarded as a component of cultural dynamics.

Touristification, if associated with Foucault's idea, is strongly related to disciplinary

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efforts in which power relations play a role. Touristification makes Balinese feel structuredly dependent on the tourism sector. The federal government's policies promoting Bali as a tourist destination have also garnered positive feedback from the local government. As a result, local government policies in Bali have frequently sided with the tourism industry sector. The power dynamics of the tourism industry have also shaped Balinese ideas on education.

Tourism as a Dominant Ideology

In the implementation of education in Bali, the tourism sector has become the dominating ideology. Students and teachers believe that education and the tourism industry are inextricably linked. There is also a growing belief that the purpose of school is to prepare students for employment. This issue exemplifies the ideological conflict between educational and market ideologies. Nuryatno (2011: 81) outlines a clear distinction between the ideology of education and the ideology of the market. What matters in terms of educational ideology are ethical-humanistic values. Of course, this is not the same as market ideology, which is based on pragmatic-materialistic values and favors competition above cooperation. The values put forward by the market ideology are not only instilled in schools, but have become actions that have developed in society.

“Yes, education is always related to the world of industry and the world of work. Without professional education, we cannot prepare the needs of industrial workers and the world of work.” (Interview with I Wayan Wita, 20 July 2021).

The interview excerpts demonstrate that education is inextricably associated to the worlds of industry and work. Education is considered as necessary for adjustment to the industrial world. When educators are challenged to give purpose to education, the vocational education mindset and the concept of link and match appear to persist. The strong public opinion that supports school-to-work is the product of the pragmatist culture's domination in the realm of education. According to Nuryatno (2011: 83), pragmatism in education has given rise to the assumption that attending school is the same as looking for work. In fact, finding work is not the essence of school. Looking for work is only part and not the main goal of people going to school.

“Later on, working in tourism is better, let alone being able to work in five-star hotels. The basic salary may be small, but the service (money) is big. Thus, I take hospitality major to get training and get experience first.” (interview with Made Galang Wibawa, 27 July 2021).

According to the interview excerpt above, one of the reasons students select a tourism major is economic concern. Students already perceive that the tourist industry is

E-Journal of Cultural Studies

DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015)

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

more financially rewarding. The student's perception is similar to that of the Balinese in general, who see tourism as a well-established industry. As a result, one of the things that students believe must be prepared in order for them to compete in the tourism industry is capital in the form of, among other things, diplomas and certificates of competence based on experience, one of which can be obtained while participating in on-the-job training or field work practices during school. This reality can be explained through Bourdieu's approach which is the result of the interaction between habitus, modal, and realm. In this scenario, the process of social reproduction demonstrates the relationship between forms of social prestige, school education, and the desire to achieve success.

“If the major is outside of tourism, what is it? Because if I choose another major, my (academic) ability seems lacking. Going to college is also not necessarily possible. Now entering the Vocational High School majoring in tourism, later I can immediately work. If there is an opportunity to continue, at least I will continue in the diploma later. But maybe I'll also try to test the cruise ship for fun later. If not accepted, just work in Bali." (Interview with Gede Suarnata Yoga, 20 August 2021)

The interview excerpt above demonstrates why students major in tourism as if they had no other option. The doxa concept proposed by Bourdieu can explain why students pick this tourism department or school. Bourdieu compares doxa in social interaction to ideology. Doxa is a situation in which knowledge is taken for granted based on the individual's habitus and realm without any thought or consideration. In this case, the students are no longer critical of the tourism industry. They embrace it as something natural that should not be questioned. Due to cultural unconsciousness, students select tourism majors or schools under the assumption that the tourist industry is something natural. They recognize the tourism industry as something they are familiar with. That is why, at the same time, they neither question nor criticize their experience.

CONCLUSION

Based on the discussion above, the development of the tourism sector in recent years has changed the mindset of Balinese, particularly residents of South Kuta. The tourism industry has also eclipsed the development of education in South Kuta. Students choose schools or majors that are closely related to tourism with the hopes that when they graduate, they will have more opportunities to work in the tourism industry. Schools responded to the growth of the tourism industry in South Kuta by opening tourism-related majors or expertise competences. It is also an industrial trend that makes tourism-related majors more appealing to students.

The pervasiveness of industrial interests in the world of education is reflected in

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the phenomenon of vocational education. What's more, the government is also aggressively campaigning for the link and match concept, namely the connection between education and the industrial world. Policies that emphasize link and match in education can be interpreted as an encouragement to the industrial sector that requires skilled workers. The schools studied in this study are clearly subservient to the interests of the tourism industry. In addition, education also tends to be viewed narrowly as merely developing vocational competencies or practical skills. This phenomenon is inseparable from the construction of education that prioritizes economic interests over other interests. As a result, the noble vision of education has shifted from one of enlightenment and liberation to one of economic gain or capital accumulation.

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