Javanese Culture as a Value System

I live in Central java where culture still has important role when we interact each other. Culture still decides whether it is right or wrong, whether it is proper or improper morally. I think it seems like an unwritten laws which also has some cultural or social punishment if we prohibit that rule. For example we will become disrespected people, if we do something improperly. Javanese culture guides us the way we speak, wear some clothes, and behave. It is considered as a “Culture as a Value System”. As a Javanese, I also have experienced Javanese culture as a value system which makes me more understand about that value. Culture always interferes the way I am speaking, which one is considered as proper clothes, and the way I behave. I can not ever avoid that “culture-guidelines”, if I still want to be accepted in my surrounding. Because in Javanese, collectivism is priority, every culture-guideline helps us to live in a pleasure as an achievement.

Culture determines us to wear proper clothes. One day I ever experienced wearing improper clothes in a formal case. I have a side job as a teacher where other teacher staffs are old people as the age of my parents about fourteens years old. Everybody wear formal clothes such as batik, cotton trouser. One day I do the job wearing a jean as a trouser because I do not feel confidence wearing kind of cotton trouser. All the teacher staff got surprised looked me wearing jeans, but they did not say anything, but they did not treat me well. They seemed like refused me to be there, if I talked to them; they will only answer at sufficiently. I feel like a disrespected boy. I really felt insecure and created such a horrible situation for me. Without saying anything to prohibit me wear jeans, I did not understand what that horrible situation means to me. After got back home I tried to share that experience to my mother. She answered that what I wore was considered as an improper thing that cause inconvenience situation for me as a social punishment for breaking some “unwritten rule”; most Javanese judge people by appearance (aji ning rogo soko busono)

Culture determine us how to speak properly. More over, Javanese has complicated language which has some different level; ngoko, kromo alus, and kromo inggil. With whom we speak to, it will be different in using those kinds of language. We must use basa kromo for older. One day I ever prohibited it. I spoke with older by using basa ngoko in order to create relax situation, but as a result the man who I talked to seemed like refuse talking to me on the next days. Actually, I have realized that use of language, but I tried to create friendlier atmosphere, as I used to speak to the other same age, I eager to apply “basa ngoko” with older in conversation in order to make it more “Santai”. On the other hand, if we use basa ngoko to the older, it sounds like we do not respect the older that we speak to (ngajeni=respect).

Culture determines us to behave properly (toto kromo). A concrete experience is I will behave differently if I behave in from of my parents than behave in front of my friends. For example the way I eat some food will be looks more smoothly if I do it in front of my parents or any other older people (tiang sepuh), then it will give me more freedom if I eat at foot-stall; gathering with my friends. I will eat while my foot steps on the chair and get some cigarette to smoke after eating. Just imagine if I do it in “Kumpulan RT” (local resident area meeting), every man who gather at that place will judge me as a bad mannered boy who can not respect each other. So I have to be situational to behave; with whom I gather will determine how I should behave.

I can conclude that I have to consider “Culture Value” in whatever I do. I live with people in surrounding, so I can not live separately from culture at all. Culture has controlled our live. I am a social creature; I can not live without anyone’s help, so I have to be accepted in my surrounding. I think considering “Culture Value” for whatever we do is the best way in order to be accepted in surrounding.

Taken from Cross Cultural Understanding (CCU) project