My Key Opinion Leader

 Theoretically, Opinion Leader is a leader for a certain group who gives details and information to lesser active people in the group. Opinion leaders pick up information from mass media and they interpret the information to their own language and pass on the information to the people. Opinion leader only can be leader for their own group / field not for all.

When leaders are transforming the information, leaders may add their opinion on the actual content. But also the Opinion leaders can filter the actual content ensures the information is needed by the people. Leaders should be able to influence public especially their followers to have same opinion. At least they have strong opinion which able to create public opinion. Those leaders got the power from many sources: it can be from culture capital (family background), status social, and also reputation. These reasons will gain a trustworthy of people to listen and follow leader’s opinion.

In the past, opinion leader get the access to spread their opinion through traditional way, they talk face to face and the opinion was spread. But now, the communication channel improves, the opinion leader use new medium, which is social media to deliver their opinion.

Opinion Leader

She is Melanie Subono, a multitalented woman. She sings, writes, does business, and social media activist. She has more than 600.000 followers on twitter and 30.000 followers on instagram, she also has own website; www.melaniesubono.com to publish her writing, opinion, and campaign. Based on her writing and social media post, she concerns to some issue such as; immigrant, women and fauna.  Because of her writing, achievement in music industry and contribution to social issue, she becomes popular in society.  

She becomes famous because her family background too. She comes from reputable family; her father is Adrie subono who is one of the best music promoter; Javaindo. Her grand father is Bj. Habibie who is third president of Indonesia.  Unintentionally, her family background supports her to be influential in her society.

She also well known as the founder of some petition such as; the immigrant case; Bukankah seharusnya dia membela mereka? #SupportImasTati[1]. In June 2012, Melanie won a campaign that forced Migrant Workers Task Force chairman Maftuh Basyuni to apologize for his remarks about abused migrant workers. Another petitions; she asked for the House of Representatives to not endorse Daming Sunusi as a Supreme Court justice for making insulting remarks to rape victims. More than 10,000 Internet users supported her cause by signing the petition over the course of only one day, and the number is growing. [2]It shows that she use change.com as communication channel to spread her opinion to influence public opinion.

Analysis of Case Study

A couple of week ago, she also speaks out about the fauna care in Bali. She critiques Bali government who states like in the picture. She posts it to her instagram and a lot of her follower comment about it. Her caption on this post is quite sensitive because she mentions to the government rudely. But she get same thoughts from her followers, her follower agree of what she thinks. Not only that, she also mention about the dog in twitter and got hundred of re-tweet.

Through this context, why does she become opinion leader; she able to influence people to have same thought. How does she become opinion leader?  she pick up the news from mass media which is kompas.com and pass on to the follower through her social media. She uses her communication platform to convey her opinion to build public opinion. Not only that, she also was interviewed by metro TV and discussed about immigrant issue as her concern. This can be good example of opinion leader, because metro TV was asking her opinion to a specific issue; immigrant. And she pass through the opinion to the audience.

Relate to Theory

Back to her background, she is influenced by cultural capital. What kind of cultural capital, which are family reputation and social status. This cultural capital shapes the way of she is. Through this cultural capital, she defines herself as someone who has power to influence others. This her identity impacts to the character of her followers too, how the character defined them self and current issue based on her perspective.

Talking about ideology, she transfers her ideology; (what she interests) to the follower and audience. Her aim of ideology framework through print or media; which is to make people her followers have same perspective when they concerns to several issue; migrant. She sets the framework by filtering and editing the, message or information; so

She also contribute to create an imagined community, for example; the dog’ case in Bali. Unintentionally, she states that behalf of dog lovers against it. It means she use the term of behalf which is all of dog lovers to encourage a society to be community. How she shows her semiotics also quite amigo, because actually, she uses media to deliver the information. I think she represents her self through personality, she doesn’t has specific strategies for her branding but in my perspective; she already set her future and keep maintaining the relationship with followers via social media.

For Introduction in Sociology 

HHM 

5th Semester - Binus International 

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[1] https://www.change.org/p/bukankah-seharusnya-dia-membela-mereka-supportimastati

[2] http://www.nationmultimedia.com/aec/Indonesian-online-activists-gather-for-change-30198352.html

Banjar People Towards to The Era of Globalization

 “Today in the era of globalization, there is no such issues as borders between states of the same nation” Fatos Nano

Kalimantan as the third-largest island in the world and the largest island in Indonesia, reach 5,6% of total Indonesia population. Kalimantan also contributes 8,31% of national Gross Domestic Product in second quarter of 2014[1] which is produced by potential sectors such as mining, forestry, agricultural, fishery, manufacturing, tourism, etc. This positive progress of economy gives a lot of opportunity to Kalimantan to improve. This progress also brings the globalization and social change to Kalimantan especially province capital city which developing their area like south Kalimantan.

The globalization effect and social change looks so significantly here in South Kalimantan, for example from the transportation aspect in Banjarmasin, almost every hour, there is flight to Banjarmasin and dominated by Garuda Indonesia. If take look from the passenger, mostly they are expatriate who work in mining industry. In any case, globalization also affects to society which is the presence of KFC in Banjarmasin, roughly every 3-5km, there is KFC store. It sounds interesting, because due to the fact Banjarmasin people are influence by expatriate culture that likes fast food.

If take look smaller scale or individually, globalization affects to a person characteristic, which is consumerism. Most of Banjarmasin people are in middle upper in social class. They spend their money by buying luxury car, invite famous diva to their married receptions; even though their live in sub urban area of south Kalimantan. This shows people have high level of consumerism, and I think it because they have good economy progress in their business and keep increasing. 

But unfortunately, the number of economy progress doesn’t same as the reality in riverside of south Kalimantan capital city. Lot of native Kalimantan especially Banjar people who live along Barito riverside still categorize as almost poor and poor; they live below in minimum living cost. Like this interviewee, that I met three weeks ago.

Since 30 years ago, this mid old women has been familiar with this jukung (boat in Banjar language) and Barito River. She asked by her parents to work on floating market, up until now she keeps doing it. She comes from assimilation ethnic between native Kalimantan: Dayak Ngaju and Melayu who already stereotyped as a trader. Before sunrise comes up, she paddles her jukung along to Barito River with her four years daughter. They go around floating market to do economy activities: sell and buy daily goods or even some of them still do barter or they call bapanduk, if the value of those things is same. She is not the only one who vends her goods here, but she does with others fortyish women; they do selling and buying on floating market as same as their forefather who do economy transaction as a part of their culture. 

Because of the uniqueness of floating market as product of culture and tradition, this floating market become one of top tourist destination in South Kalimantan, which have good potential in order to attract tourist. Throughout this opportunity, trader can sell their product to tourist directly and welcome the tourist warmly. In 2008, this floating market can reach 24.000 tourists but it doesn’t go well, one year later, the number decreased to 22.000 and until 2010 this tourism object only reach 19.000 tourist. [2] Currently, the presence of floating market so concerned, the cause of decrease number because the floating market does not crown as it was. The trader or women prefer to move to land market because there is opportunity get more income. And also because of the society has changes. In the past, people are using jukung or boat as their transportation to go from one point to another point but now the globalization brings the advancement of transportation. People tend to use motorcycle as their transportation because it more effective and efficient. Another reason is unequal region development; it means government only focus on land development not the floating market sector, which makes the trader force to move in order to survive.

Because of these issue, her income also decrease. She only can survive with Rp 10.000 – 15.000 every day. Because of this economy reason, she hasn’t given her daughter education; she prioritizes her son to school in order to help the family have better life. She sends her son to Islamic school, which free tuitions, than go to the government school and should pay Rp 10.000 per month.

Relate to the case, globalization is not only talking about how a region integrated to economy and socio aspect but also it tells about how the society works on development and changes, does the society ready enough to face the development or changes of economy and socio integration?

Globalization has powerful economic, cultural and social dimensions. According to world commission of ILO[3], the social dimension of globalization refers to the impact of globalization on the life and work of people, on their families, and their societies. Concerns and issues are often raised about the impact of globalization on employment like get the continuer of floating market trader, working conditions: Market is dominated by land market, income and social protection: the minimum of income. This Globalization dimensions probably contributes to the alienation of individuals from their traditions. They; Banjar people keep following the tradition which is being floating market trader but on the other hands, the society forces them to change to be trader in land market. If not, they will survive by themselves in the era of globalization. That’s why; this case is concluded as the combination of Sociocultural and economic globalization where these three things come as one big issue, which damage for Civilization of Banjar people in keep the tradition context.

 

Of course Globalization brings new potentials for development and wealth creation. But there are divergent views and perceptions among people as concerns its economic and social impact, and indeed widely varying impacts on the interests and opportunities of different sectors and economic and social actors. Globalization may allowed those poor region to increase their standards of living but it will cause massive dislocations of people as they move to find jobs in more prosperous region. There is also concern that local cultures will be lost as cross-fertilization and integration of cultures become more pronounced.

To understand these globalization effects, I apply a perspective from Global Transformations book[4]. The authors; David Held, Anthony McGrew, David Goldblatt and Jonathan Perraton describe three perspectives on globalization which are Hyperglobalist perspective,
 Skeptical perspective,
and  Transformationalist perspective. And the most suitable perspective to this case is Transformationalist perspective. First, this perspective states that there is no single cause behind globalization. It means there are many possibilities that brings globalization to South Kalimantan like; expatriate’s lifestyle, education, government policies, economic logic and etc. secondly, this perspective assume the outcome of processes of globalization is not determined. People can’t hide or deny what outcome of globalization; it might be positive and negative, both are the consequence of doing globalization. It sounds negative if government forcedly to focus on land market development, it doesn’t mean floating market is totally end but it can be good start to improve floating market in tourism sectors. Remember people can’t determine the outcome but at least control and direct it to be positive outcomes.

Transformationalist authors believe that the same general changes have occurred from globalization but there is no direct belief in the exact direction that these changes came about. Transformationalist say the power of national governments is increasing but the nature of these national governments is changing. This perspective believes that the range of factors influencing processes of globalization is much greater, and the outcomes of globalization are very uncertain

It’s important to realize that globalization occurs in Banjar people actually it’s era where people are entering a new civilization. Where they should be open to change. But they need socialization that helps them understand and diminish the miss-interpretation of globalization effects.

I concern to those traders who surviving below twenty thousand rupiah, I think just give them a opportunity to they to be open to the social change and they will follow the globalization in good way. Personally, I agree if globalization occurs in Banjar people life, because they can improve their life better; they can get better job, better transportation (boat with machine) better education for their children, better future. They just need a process where they can adapt their culture with the change. As recommendation Governments need to prepare formulation of policies that help the economic activity between regions and build the skills of Banjar people to prepare them for entering the global market. But if not, the government will face extreme social gap between the rich and the poor or it will end as inequality prosperity.

Love, 

Hannah Manuela 

Banjarmasin - November 2014 

for Social Change and Globalisation Mid Exam 

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[1] http://www.bps.go.id/brs_file/pdb_05agus14.pdf

[2] http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasar_terapung

[3] http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/globali/globali.htm

[4] Held, David, Anthony McGrew, David Goldblatt, and Jonathan Perraton. 1999. Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture. Stanford: Stanford University Press. Introduction, pp. 32-86.

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Jokowi and Semiotic Theory

Jokowi is jakarta’s governor for period 2012-2017. He was selected by lot of jakarta’s resident because of his campaign way was unique and interested . He also has good reputation when he became Mayor of Surakarta, he was success became the second runner up 2 in best mayor competition which organized by city mayors foundation.

Based on this achievement, Jokowi unintentionally shows he has ability to be a leader and has power to encourage thousand people to choose him as the governor because he worth it. So, what does he do to give more influences? Remember “ Kemeja kotak-kotak “ which is one of his campaign way. Everything about kotak-kotak pattern was different before jokowi labeled the ‘ kemeja kotak-kotak ‘as his campaign way. His shirt was popular by jokowi because jokowi has power to give meaning.

This shirt has meaning and philosophy which “ kotak-kotak “ pattern itself represent the elements such as;  cultural diversity, ethnic, tribe and there are some colours such as: blue, yellow, green, and the most dominant is red which  represent the party who propose jokowi as the party’s representative .

The Jokowi’s supporter buy this shirt as a symbol of  supporting and this shirt becomes popular not only on jakarta, even on other province or city in Indonesia. So the Jokowi team sold to public to collect campaign funds and the people give positive feedback. Now The ‘ kotak-kotak ‘shirt identic with jokowi

So, based on this theory people who have power can control and handle the situation. As same as Jokowi, he has good leadership’s background which make a power to influence people to choose and support him . Then through his sign  “ kemeja kotak-kotakas the signifier Jokowi give the signified , which means people who wear this shirt is Jokowi’s supporter. 

Actually this way was successful in jakarta election. Until one day, I read news about one of the candidate of west java’s election; Reike and Teten also followed jokowi’s campaign way. They use “ kotak-kotak pattern “ as the symbol and identity of the candidate. Probably they (the candidate) believe if they use “kotak-kotak pattern“, it can push up the number of supporter. And even when the campaign, the candidate also invited Jokowi as a JURKAM (Juru Kampanye). This is a fact if rieke and teten use Jokowi's effect as their power to collect support. But the fact is rieke and teten didn’t win the election .

Based on my opinion, actually the kotak-kotak pattern has not power at all , the person who made it actually has power, I meant jokowi. Even though rieke-teten were supported by jokowi, the citizens will choose based on the candidate’s ability, not based on jokowi’s power. From this theory I can learn how powerful person can make something usual and change it to become unusual, even become identity of the person. 

Written on second semester - 2013