Articles

The Role of Driving Actors in the Social Capital Utilization in the Community

Population density and lower class marginalization due to the development of elite areas have alienated a community over its identity. The driving actors behind every social change exist, and they utilize a change through the villagers’ literacy power. Mainstreaming views on the actors’ active roles in social change essentially impact knowledge in the sociology of ethnic and cultural society. This study aims to describe the hidden actors behind the phenomenon of cultural movements that exist and develop national and international relations. This paper applies qualitative data collected in a participatory manner through interviews with key actors in Kampung Cempluk Festival. Focus group discussions were conducted with actors involved in every festival held by the community. Informants selected by snowball were then interviewed about their perceptions, motivations, and a value embodiment process. Researchers did the literature study through writings, releases, newspapers, mass media opinions, and several previous researches. The results indicate that alienation will foster citizens’ critical awareness of development and cultural values impacts. It is supported by driving actors who can read the potentials and opportunities in society. Thus, this research becomes the basis for policymakers in planning development which should prioritize a cultural approach and consider the threat of hidden power loss in society.

Community Empowerment in the Time of the Covid-19 Pandemic through Strengthening MSMEs in East Java

People’s economic empowerment is an effort to create a strong, large, modern, and highly competitive economy in the correct market mechanism. Because the obstacles to people’s economic development are structural constraints, the empowerment of the people’s economy must be carried out through structural changes. The Covid-19 pandemic has hit many countries, including Indonesia. Covid-19 has had an impact on various sectors including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), including the decline in the number of sales.

This research method uses a qualitative descriptive approach. This research uses a case study approach, which is an empirical inquiry that investigates phenomena in real-life contexts, where the boundaries between phenomena and contexts are not clear, and there are multiple sources of evidence. The results of the research are that business actors seek to find marketing and sales alternatives, secure capital and assets, temporarily transfer them to other businesses, and must learn technologies that are considered effective for promotion and sales.