Amir Effendi Siregar Forum # 2: Soeharto’s Regime Influences Indonesian Communication Curriculum and Research (1)
After the Amir Effendi Siregar Forum (AES) was previously enlivened by more than 200 registrants, this time the AES Forum was held again. The creative team of the AES Forum now carries the theme of the Great Epistemic Communication of the New Order and Post-Development. This time, on July 4, 2020, the speaker reached one of the conclusions that President Soeharto’s Regime Influenced the Indonesian Communication Curriculum and Research.
“Yesterday Lutfi Adam explained that history was divided into history of what, history of who, and history of where. Maybe this month the AES Forum seems to be focusing on history of What. So, about communication studies in Indonesia,” said Holy Rafika Dhona, the moderator and lecturer in this Communication Science Department, started the event via the Zoom Video Conference.
In this second AES Forum Series, Justito Adiprasetio, a communication science academician from Padjadjaran University (Unpad) will talk about a bit and epistemic history of communication since the Suharto order. How ‘publicistics’ and ‘penerangan/ information’ become the main stream. Before the term ‘communication science’ as a popular study program on Indonesian campuses. Justito, fondly called Tito, is completing a book on the History of Knowledge and the Power of Communication Sciences in Indonesia.
The Suharto Regime Influenced Communication Science Curriculum and Research
How Are Communication Research Disciplined to Support Developmentalism?
Tito, quoting Michael Morfit in Prisma Magazine, in the 1970-1980s, in almost every government department established a research and development section to carry out “line-oriented research.” The same thing happened in the Information Department (departemen penerangan).
Research which now relies on for example, grants from the Directorate of Higher Education or the Ministry of Communication and Information, used to rely entirely on the Ministry of Information. The campus at that time was really attached to the Ministry of Information as a research sponsor. This is what Tito found too. For example, he explained the findings of campus research in the 1970-1980 period. Nearly all research is ordered by the Ministry of Information or Bappenas. The project also revolved around, for example, on Family Planning (KB), Pelita planning, and others.
It happened at UI, Unpad, the School of Communication Science in Surabaya and so on. All research titles refer to as if to strengthen government policy. “In fact, I am looking for research data sponsored by the private sector. At least or research that is not sponsored by the state there is no data. I did not say there was no yes. But there is no data. But maybe that is my limitation,” he said in surprise. “Even the private sector has been funded to support the Ministry of Information.
Even Prof. Alwi Dahlan wrote about communication research in the 1970-1980s. Alwi said, the research at that time only showed the legitimacy of science without a fundamental purpose. Alwi Dahlan said many of the results of the study at that time did not reflect the symptoms studied. “This is the exact sentence from Alwi Dahlan. In the 1970-1980 communication Science studies, in the end, ‘measuring tools, scale, design, and even similar questionnaires, were used to examine different problems without appropriate changes and deepening’ he wrote,” Tito said, reading the quote written by Alwi Dahlan.
continued to the Soeharto Regime Influencing Research and Curriculum (2)
——————————
Starting this month’s AES Forum, Justito Adiprasetio will present the Epistemic Concussion of the New Order and Post-Development Communication. Furthermore, on July 18 there will be Ignatius Haryanto who will present an initial trace of the history of communication science in Indonesia. Then between 26-31 filled by Antoni from Univ. Brawijaya. Holy Rafika, Head of the Center for Study and Documentation of Alternative Media Nadim UII Communications, said, it is likely that Antoni from Brawijaya, one of them will tell Brawijaya’s experience working in the field of communication history studies.
