2 SOCIOCULTURAL LITERACY
DIMENSIONS
2.1 Sociocultural Literacy Dimensions
Alwasilah (2012) states that literacy is mastery
reflection and cultural appreciation. He argues that
reading and writing always exist in a culture system
(faith, attitude, ways, and goals of culture).
Language education deservedly teach cultural
knowledge. Being unconcerned on culture
contributes to language de-contextualization of the
culture. Using a language is a submission towards
conventions agreed by people as language users and
language natives as models. The use of symbols or
gestures is so cultural and conventional and ought to
be integrally taught.
Kucer and Cecilia (2006) clarify that
sociocultural dimensions in literacy move our world
from texts and minds to literacy phenomena as
literacy practice involving the use of printed writing.
Petersson et al. (2009) see that educational
context, such as reading and writing skill acquisition
and other cognitive skills, is a structural process of
cultural transmission prioritizing crucial aspects of
cultural socialization.
Sociocultural dimensions in literacy focus on the
social identities and various group activities in
utilizing literacy to negotiate and comment on their
transactions with the world. It would rather focus on
multiliteracies, perspectives, and ideology than truth
(Kucer, 2014).
Kucer clears up the idea by saying that the
Sociocultural dimensions of literacy focused on the
social identities and how various groups use literacy
to negotiate and critique their transactions with the
world. Multiliteracies rather than literacy and
perspective and ideologies rather than truth (2014).
2.2 A.A Navis and His Short Stories
Hasanuddin (2013) mention that A.A. Navis is man
of letters famous for “the number one insulter”.
Further Hasanuddin (2013) clear up that the tittle is
connected with his writing style and critical
attitude towards various life problems and social
matters.
Navis’ short stories are collected in five
antologies, namely “Robohnya Surau Kami”,
“Hujan Panas dan kabut Musim”, “Jodoh”, “Kabut
Negeri Si Dali”, and “Bertanya Kerbau pada
Pedati”. Sastrosatomo (1994) states that as an heir
of Minangkabau culture, all Navis works is full of
Minang nuance, but they also have globality or
universality of human life reflection in Indonesia.
While Agusta (1994) says that Navis works are
commonly based on human daily and recent lives,
with limited problem element networks.
Sastrosatomo (1994) mentions that the short
story entitled “Robohnya Surau Kami” is one of
Navis’s most spectacular works causing pros and
cons in Indonesia’s religious society, that how
conservative it is when most of the Moslems
interpret worship verbally. “Hujan Panas dan Kabut
Musim” contains ten short stories, which based on
myths connected to natural phenomena, culture,
and social (Adilla, 2003).
Hasanuddin (2013) inform that the short story
entitled “Jodoh” won the first prize on golden
windmill contest held by Nederland Wereldomroep
radio in 1975.
The anthology “Kabut Negeri Si Dali” contains
15 stories which mostly talk about bitter humor,
humanity irony from combat brutality, humanity
touch pawned for wars, desire, and power,
connected to military through wars, colonialization,
and politics (Adilla, 2003).
In Adilla’s explanation (2003), “Bertanya
Kerbau pada Pedati” is Navis’s fifth anthology
loading ten titles which mostly seem very symbolic
in narrating human attitude in the real world by
paroding human behavior in another world. To
Hasanuddin (2013), the short stories of “Bertanya
Kerbau pada Pedati” anthology had early been
published by several mass media.
3 RESEARCH METHODS
The present research employed qualitative-
descriptive method. The data were analyzed to and
fro based on sociocultural literacy dimension
indicators from Kucer (2014). The data were taken
from Navis’s short stories, including: “Jodoh”;
“Politik Warung Kopi”; “Orang dari Luar Negeri”;
“Baginda Ratu”; “Kisah Seorang Amir”; “Pak
Menteri Mau Datang”; “Orde Lama”; “Pelamar”;
“Efendi”; “Orang Baik yang Malang”.
The indicators taken from Kucer (2014) were
listed below:
As skilled readers and writers in the process of
social-culture;
Less reading resources at home and less
reading habit are someone’s causes
contributing to reading and writing
difficulties;
Literacy practice in educational institutions
reflects middle class norms, values and