THE POLICY OF CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY UNDER DECENTRALIZATION MODEL

Hanif Nurcholis
Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik Universitas Terbuka
Nurcholishanif23@gmail.co; hanif@ut.ac.id

Abstract

Since the Reform Era of 1998, the system of government in Indonesia has changed: from centralization to decentralization. Under the decentralization system, some affairs are transferred to the local government, except: 1) foreign policy; 2) defense and security; 3) monetary and fiscal; 4) management of justice; and 5) religion. One of the governmental affairs transferred to the local authorities, both provincial and municipal/regency is related to cultural affairs. The central government sets norms, standards, procedures, and criterias. The provincial and regent/ municipal governments regulate (regeling) and administer (bestuur) it (autonomy). The provincial and regent/ municipal governments establish offices of culture to implement. However, concerning this issue the culture has been restricted to traditional arts, traditional costums, ancient manuscripts, and tourism based on traditional life and ancient items because the provincial and regent/ municipal government only just set the programs for them. The culture in this perspective is not a system of values and expressions of thinking, behaviors, and artifacts of mankind but only activities about them. Consequently, the policies and programs of the local governments have no correlation with the development of civil society in the local level.

Key word:
decentralization policy, culture affair, traditional art