Local Wisdom in Modernity: Cultivating Culture Awareness through
Information Technology
Siti Komariah and Fajar Nugraha Asyahidda
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia
Keywords: Local Wisdom, Culture Awareness, Technology.
Abstract: Modernity has become the new identity of human civilization. The hallmark of the new identity is the use of
technology not only in terms of material life, but also tangible in the cultivation of values (immaterial). Local
knowledge as a source of good values and are expected to be useful for human life, slowly has begun to shift
from rapid growth in technology followed by proficiency in using it. Presence technology is essentially to
facilitate human life. However, skill is not matched by the importance of awareness to defend the values of
local wisdom has led to the gap between indigenous and modernity. The importance of raising awareness of
the culture that holds many noble values in the modern era. Research on local wisdom is done in Kampung
Dukuh, Garut Indonesia by using descriptive analytic method, to be able to decipher the issues examined
analytically to detail through a qualitative approach. The results showed that raising awareness about the
importance of local wisdom values within a culture in the modern era can not be done only from the
community or indigenous peoples, but rather there must be outside of the role of indigenous peoples by means
of combining modernity with traditional culture that holds many local wisdoms that is useful for human life.
1 INTRODUCTION
Study on the culture that was widespread in Indonesia
has always been interesting to learn, especially if the
study that highlights to the pattern of every culture
that belongs to each area. Indonesia recorded as the
2nd country that has most multicultural in the world,
it can be proven by the large number of islands in
Indonesia which of course implies cultural
differences in each region (Foghani, Mahadi, and
Omar, 2017). Cultural differences in each region are
caused by several factors, the first is the geographical
environment, these factors illustrate that human
interaction with the environment will be instrumental
in providing the possibility for people to choose their
culture (Butarbutar and Soemarno, 2013), the second
is the essence of the nation as a shaper of culture are
contributing to the spread of culture to various
regions (Supriyanto and Arsana, 2015), as well as the
contacts between peoples with different cultures is the
third factor that has a major role in change and the
spread of culture in Indonesia (Fischer, 1980).
The existence of community or indigenous
community in the midst of modernity has provided a
great challenge for the existence of the culture (Liao,
Siegel, White, Dulin, and Taylor, 2016). Kampung
Dukuh, Garut Indonesia has lots of local wisdom
values are very important to be implemented in
everyday life. The indigenous people of Kampung
Dukuh described as community that replete with
simplicity (Rahman, 2017). They are not mutually
enrich themselves, even all the House, clothes and
their way of life ever be the same. The simplicity
which is described by the indigenous people of
kampung dukuh can serve as a true local wisdom that
can be useful in a life full of dynamism. However,
fierce modernity seems to deny all forms of local
wisdom contained in each local wisdom (Rhea,
1995). Previous research shows that the values of
local indigenous community discernment typically
only occurs at the community/communities (Nygren,
1999). Whereas, in daily lots of tourists visiting, the
thing that is unfortunate is, the number of tourists thus
affects the existence of local wisdom values
indigenous people of Kampung Dukuh. Such as, the
values of simplicity upheld been little implemented
and only visible in the inner of Kampung Dukuh only.
Demographically indigenous people of Kampung
Dukuh is divided into two parts, namely; namely;
inner and outer of Kampung Dukuh. The striking
difference is, Kampung dukuh outside is already
using electricity and modern equipment. Hile the
indigenous peoples of kampung dukuh in still holding
fast to values that they believe local wisdom handed
358
Komariah, S. and Asyahidda, F.
Local Wisdom in Modernity: Cultivating Culture Awareness through Information Technology.
In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Sociology Education (ICSE 2017) - Volume 1, pages 358-361
ISBN: 978-989-758-316-2
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved

down from their ancestors. However, the number of
communities that lived in kampung dukuh
experiencing imbalance, even tend to be more
indigenous communities living outside of kampung
dukuh and directly been affected by modernity. Even
more alarming is the response kokolot or traditional
leaders there who think that modernity can not be
prevented and as if to let the changes that occurred in
the village community of Kampung Dukuh (Li,
2016).
In a simple modernity is the change in all aspects
of human life in order to adjust to the challenges of
the age (Butarbutar and Soemarno, 2013). The
presence of technology as tools of modernity have
been giving a lot of changes in individual attitudes or
respond to life (Christoff, 1996). Moreover, the
presence of technology based information (social
media) seems to have shifted to the abundance of
local wisdom values that are essentially shared by
individuals even society itself (Ciszek, 2016). The
indigenous people of kampung Dukuh who openly
accept travellers from various backgrounds with any
form of modernity that they bring, thus becoming a
boomerang against the culture especially the
successor to their customs, namely the young
generation the indigenous people of kampung Dukuh.
Forms of modernity brought in by tourists has given
great hope for the younger generation of indigenous
people of kampung dukuh that by leaving their
territory they will be more developed and developing.
Without thinking of the loss of their original cultural
existence because no successor capable of
maintaining and developing the culture.
In fact, now this world is getting eroded by
modernity with the development of science and
technology rapidly growth (Matusov and
Marjanovic-Shane, 2016). On the other hand
awareness of the importance of defending the values
of local wisdom contained in an area especially in the
indigenous communities of kampung dukuh, Garut
Indonesia not only the task of society but also the task
of travellers visit there (Bardy and Rubens, 2017). So,
bring up an idea about digitizing local wisdom where
the values contained in an area and then processed
and collaborated with technology-based information
in continuity in awareness about culture that not only
comes from the public/community custom of course
but also the awareness that comes from outside the
community/indigenous communities. So the
existence of a local wisdom can awake amidst fierce
modernity.
2 METHODS
This research focuses on the study of the values of
indigenous local wisdom of Kampung Dukuh
henceforth made into a pilot project for the
development of tourism and information technology-
based education of local wisdom. Therefore, the
research was designed using a qualitative approach.
This research uses descriptive analytic method, i.e.
the method outlining and peeling the problems
examined in detail until the analytical approach
through qualitative (Cresswell, Plano-Clark,
Gutmann, and Hanson, 2003). As for the step that is
carried out in this study is, observation and fieldwork
conducted in indigenous communities of kampung
Dukuh, Garut Indonesia Besides literature study was
also used to search for any values that actually
contained in the Kampung Dukuh which can be
beneficial to life on a modern order as it is currently,
then deep interview to some custom character, the
community of Kampung Dukuh, and tourists to
explore the impact of modernity happened on
indigenous peoples Kampung Dukuh.
3 RESULTS
Cultural preservation in kampung Dukuh is not just
done by the people of kampung Dukuh, but also aided
by the Government. To keep the preserved, the
community kampung Dukuh instill some rules to the
visitor to follow. The Government joined with the
preserve provides some help as when the presence of
a fire accident in kampung dukuh, authorities
immediately provide assistance to rebuild houses in
kampung Dukuh, other than that of the community
also still keeping preserved like children who remain
recite only use lamp oil, and others. In kampung
Dukuh in also still keeping preserved such as
maintaining the lack of electricity, electronics, a
potluck, it is because of the confidence of the
community of kampung Dukuh such as: “arurang
mah teu ngurusan dunya, nu penting mah akherat
sabab nu kararitu mah urusan dunya”. That’s term
mean residents of kampung dukuh does not manage
the Affairs of the world, the most important were the
Affairs of the hereafter.
But in practice, there are factors barrier to the
preservation of the indigenous people of Kampung
Dukuh, caused among other things by tourists and the
indigenous people of Kampung Dukuh itself where
some travellers who do not comply with the rules
already given by the people of kampung dukuh so
burdening local people. Also from nature such as the
presence of fires that have occurred in kampung
Dukuh several years ago. It spent a few existing
original home in kampung Dukuh so the community
that builds the host again. In addition, the role of local
youth who are less against the preservation of the
local wisdom of the community of kampung Dukuh
due to absence of advice from the Chairman of the
Local Wisdom in Modernity: Cultivating Culture Awareness through Information Technology
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Customs to the youth in order to preserve the local
wisdom of the community of kampung Dukuh. Even
when asked to one of their citizens to answer “upami
murangkalih alim di dieu mah, bumina paling
dipasihkeun kanu hoyong ngarawat” or that’s term
mean they're not trying to let the youth of kampung
dukuh can preserve the culture, even tend to let that
change happens by itself. The existence of these
responses seem that the existence of a sense of lack
of youth against the preservation of the local wisdom
of kampung Dukuh indigenous communities.
According to the exposure of the tourists about
how to keep the existence of Kampung Dukuh in later
life must come from the people of Kampung Dukuh
itself. The community of Kampung Dukuh should
still continue to maintain and comply with a variety
of existing customs regulations in Kampung Dukuh.
Because of the existence of Kampung Dukuh
Customs relies heavily on the behavior of the people
themselves. When society do not comply with the
regulations and do not maintain local wisdom
previously existing, then the local wisdom that
became the hallmark of Kampung Dukuh itself will
disappear due to behavior the people. In order to
continue to be able to be the attraction of many
tourists and people who came for a visit and get to
know how the Kampung Dukuh this with different
characteristics that exist in Kampung Dukuh., then
the Kampung Dukuh indigenous peoples should be
care to implement the local wisdom in life activities.
In addition, the influence of outside factors i.e.
tourists that come to Kampung Dukuh, are expected
to obey the rules of existing customs and not bring
bad influence or a negative impact to the community
of Kampung Dukuh, which can cause the people of
Kampung Dukuh being against the rules. In addition,
it should be a good cooperation between citizens (the
community of kampung Dukuh) and also tourists
visiting kampung Dukuh. With the grant of a good
understanding of the citizens regarding the regulation
of kampung Dukuh will keep state around, so that
together keep the kampung Dukuh in order not to be
a fire like that a few years ago. And for the youth to
be given an understanding of how important it is to
preserve the local wisdom of the community of
kampung Dukuh in order to remain a hometown
tradition.
4 DISCUSSION
The research was based on a sense of love at the same
time concern on local wisdom values that are
widespread in Indonesia, because in the midst of this
global life values contained in local culture began to
be abandoned due to a variety of factors, one of which
is the fast advancement of technology (Brueggemann,
Strohmayer, Marshall, Birbeck, and Thomas, 2017).
Weak foundations of information technology-based
local wisdom education makes the position of local
wisdom values especially in the indigenous
communities of Kampung Dukuh are in tight
competition advances (Bardy and Rubens, 2017).
Need for awareness to permanently change the
mindsets of society particularly in respect of local
wisdom values as a philosophy of life that aims to
answer positively fierce global challenges (Barrera
Bassols-and Zinck, 2003). The values of the
notability of local wisdom can be selling value for the
State and society in interaction with the outside
world, therefore, in answering the challenges of
global competition it is need for collaboration
potential countries focusing on local wisdom
(Christoff, 1996).
Heritage describes ethnomethodology as a study
of the ' collection of knowledge of common sense and
a series of procedures and considerations [methods]
used by the lay members of the community to
interpret, finds its way in, and the Act on the
conditions they face ' (Englund and Leach, 2000).
With that information technology-based education
and local wisdom is "power" that required indigenous
peoples and individuals to be able to answer the
challenge of the times and fierce technology
(Jackson, 2004).
The role of information technology in the times
like this already very attached to once in human life
(Sharma and Monteiro, 2016). Because information
technology is a set of tools that helps humans to work
with the information and carrying out the tasks related
to the processing of information (Hague and Keen
1996). In scope and concern a much broader, we as a
people who understand the obligation to assist in
harnessing information technology for the benefit of
education.
5 CONCLUSION
Rapid flow changes especially the changes based on
information technology to make the position of local
wisdom in Indonesia is getting isolated. Need for
awareness to be able to preserve local wisdom that is
widespread in Indonesia, especially the local wisdom
of indigenous peoples residing in Kampung Dukuh.
From the results of the research have been presented
above indicating that the preservation of the
indigenous local wisdom of Kampung Dukuh
couldn't be done in one direction or of the surrounding
community, but there has to be an external role to
keep and their preservation. Because, it is feared local
ICSE 2017 - 2nd International Conference on Sociology Education
360

wisdom values will join eroded if rely solely on its
internal role alone preserve. Moreover, the attitude of
the indigenous people of Kampung Dukuh who tend
to let modernity occurred in its territory. Therefore, in
order to maintain the local wisdom of researchers as
external parties working to optimize the community
of Kampung Dukuh local wisdom with modernity
that is between collaborate technology with education
and wisdom local.
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