Cultural Narratives in Development

KOMPAS/DIDIE SW

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For a very long time, development narratives have been dominated by views, thoughts and beliefs that social welfare benefits will come if all policy instruments work effectively in driving economic growth.

Development narratives are based on policy prescriptions, which include policy directions, strategies, orientations, targets and objectives, with most achievement standards – without mentioning all of them – pertaining to economic affairs. Unavoidably, development achievements are measured using numerical indicators based on statistical calculations: growth rates, capital flows (domestic and international), investment, inflation control, infrastructure projects, job opportunities, poverty level and other various indicators relating to economic dimension.

Development is said to be successful if all of these quantitative indicators show an upward trend, except for poverty, which must decrease. Development performance is considered strong if its statistical number moves up.

It is by no means surprising that cultural issues are hardly touched on and not considered important in intellectual discourse, which is influential in the creation of development narratives. Culture is considered too abstract to be used as a subject of economic development. There is a lack of cultural emphasis in analyzing economic development, with the parameters for measuring success always referring to statistical numbers that are not normally used in cultural studies.

Culture deals more with intangible things, while statistics cannot adequately record all cultural phenomena entirely and completely. Culture that is always associated with ancient artifacts, values, norms and traditions is difficult to insert in a "scientific conversation" that is based on statistical analysis and in projecting figures – such as rising growth and revenues, job creation and poverty reduction – in economic development. Therefore, the claim exists that economic development theories are based on scientific narratives, while cultural development theories are quasi-scientific.

KOMPAS/NINO CITRA ANUGRAHANTO

Local residents stand in their field as a bulldozer razes it on Thursday (28/6/2018) to clear space for the new Yogyakarta International Airport in Kulon Progo. Several residents still strongly oppose the project.

However, at present, there is a common awareness of how culture is too important to be ignored in all processes and stages of development. All parties feel the need to take into account cultural narratives in public discourse, in terms of ideas, thoughts and interpretation, and in setting development goals and objectives. Experts argue that cultural issues should be a central theme in public narratives when talking about broad and multidimensional development issues. Culture should be a key issue in development and at the same time determine the direction and orientation of future development. The ultimate goal of development will be achieved if we fully understand who the main beneficiaries of development programs are.

Realizing ‘cultural well-being’

Development actually aims to improve the quality of life of human beings and society. Therefore, development must be oriented toward efforts to lift the dignity of human beings, and improve the welfare of the society. Human dignity is a very important dimension in development, which is very closely tied to culture. To improve human dignity and people\'s welfare is the peak of achievement in development, as it realizes what is called cultural well-being.

Cultural well-being is a situation and condition where individuals, communities and societies (i) have the freedom to develop social creativity; (ii) have opportunities to participate in various activities in society; (iii) engage in political processes and policy-making with regard to public affairs; (iv) have cultural rights to express cultural values, articulate social goals, affirm cultural affinities in multicultural societies; and (v) have a spirit of tolerance, acknowledgment and respect for social pluralism and cultural diversity, so as to build harmony among citizens. It is believed that cultural well-being culminates in the individual\'s ability within a community to develop social imagination and creativity, which gives birth to high cultural works in society.

In such a perspective, development should not always be associated with economic growth and the development of infrastructure alone, which is marked by economic opportunities in the form of open employment and rising revenues. It is believed entirely that economic prosperity will only be meaningful to society if it is accompanied by cultural well-being.

This belief confirms that development should not be perceived simply as something related with economic affairs and infrastructure projects alone. Economic development must have synergy with sociocultural development, which is closely linked to efforts to meet an essential need of society: raising human dignity. Therefore, culture must be the capital and driving force of economic development, in the form of advanced ethos, a culture of encouraging achievements, a productive work ethic, social capital, a fighting spirit, discipline, persistence, firmness, steadfastness and an optimistic view of the future, with an ultimate goal of achieving progress and prosperity (see Harrison & Huntington, Culture Matters: How Values Shape Human Progress, 2010).

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Batang-Semarang Toll Road Project: The construction of the Batang-Semarang toll road continues on Friday (18/5/2018) in Batang regency, Central Java. During the mudik (Idul Fitri exodus) season, a section of the toll road from Pemalang to Semarang was opened temporarily to accommodate holiday traffic.

Central role of culture

Many countries that have achieved success and prosperity rely on the nation\'s cultural treasures. East Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea and China, are able to accelerate their culture-based economic development through a process of modernization. The importance of development through cultural approaches has been well-described – even since the 1960s – by the famous Swedish Noble laureate economist-sociologist, Gunnar Myrdal, in Asian Drama (1968).

The Myrdal hypothesis is based on the empirical observation that East Asian countries are more economically advanced and more able to overcome the problem of poverty compared to South Asian countries (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka). Myrdal, like the contributors of the book Culture Matters, believes that there is a factor of cultural values, which boost a nation toward progress and prosperity. Cultural values significantly contribute to economic advancement and human progress in countries that emphasize them.

Reflecting on the experience of these countries, Indonesia should also be able to utilize its culture as valuable capital for development. In order to do that, we need to realize that in the process of policy formulation and program development, it is necessary to carefully consider the contribution of culture to development. In the planning process, we also need to see the close and interconnected relationship between culture and development.

Due to the very important role of culture in development, even the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), in preparing its annual Human Development Report, does not only focus on economic issues and growth alone. Important themes in development, such as poverty, human mobility, climate change, social pluralism, ethnic-cultural diversity, democracy and human rights, have become central issues and are raised to the theme of the report.

We understand that all of these important themes are part of cultural issues, which are too valuable to ignore in a document that is the world\'s reference in terms of monitoring the achievements of international development. We appreciate the UNDP, which has several times raised strategic issues related to culture and development in Human Development for Everyone (2016), Work for Human Development (2015), Sustaining Human Progress ( 2014), Human Progress in a Diverse World ( 2013), Sustainability and Equity: A Better Future for All (2011), The Real Wealth of Nations: Path Ways to Human Development ( 2010) and Cultural Liberty in Today’s Diverse World (2004).

All of the themes of the aforementioned reports emphasize that development not only focuses on the problems of economic growth alone, but it also deals with various aspects of human life and society, with its various sociocultural issues that surround it. Therefore, development must be able to realize the equalization of welfare, which is characterized by equal ability and opportunity for all people and community groups, to gain access to productive economic resources.

In this context, human beings and society must be put in a central position, both as the driving force and beneficiaries of development. Development must involve all elements of society, be inclusive, without discrimination, and consider local needs and the aspirations of the wider community. The idea of inclusive development is relevant to the diverse conditions of Indonesian society, with its diverse sociocultural backgrounds. Therefore, in formulating development policies, it is necessary to consider local knowledge; also when formulating development programs, it has to pay attention to local cultural values. It is very clear that inclusive development requires the availability of adequate space to accommodate the aspirations of all community groups based on diverse cultural preferences.

Because the diversity of cultures is among the treasures of the Indonesian nation, it is necessary to consider them in designing the development agenda. We must formulate scientific cultural narratives for development to realize a dignified and cultured nation.

Amich Alhumami, Director of higher education, science and technology and culture at the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas)