INTRODUCTION
The Family Development, Population, and Family Planning Program (Bangga Kencana) is a strategic program especially in realizing the development of quality human resources by ensuring an ideal ratio of population growth with the environment’s support and carrying capacities. Several laws and regulations have been enacted to support the program, including Law No. 52 of 2009 concerning Population and Family Development, which stipulates population as a central point in sustainable development in Indonesia.
Population Control and Family Planning Affairs are mandatory governmental affairs that are not related to basic services. The authority over these issues is shared concurrently between the central, provincial, and district/city administrations, as stated in Law No. 23 of 2014 concerning Regional Government. This Law explicitly describes 4 (four) sub-functions which are jointly governed by the central and regional governments, namely, 1) Population Control, 2) Family Planning (FP), 3) Prosperous Family, and 4) the Management of Family Planning Field Officers (hereafter, PKB/PLKB)[1]. Meanwhile, FP service delivery standardization, and certification of PKB/PLKBs are stipulated to be the affairs of just the central government.
In order to implement these functions, the central government allocates transfer funds to the regions. According to Bailey (1999), the typology of transfers to regions consists of specific grants and general grants. As the name implies, specific grants have special characteristics, namely for spending on public goods which is specifically regulated by the central government. Based on Law No. 33 of 2004, Balanced Funding are funds sourced from the State Budget (APBN) which are allocated to regions to finance regional needs in order to implement decentralization.
Furthermore, both Physical and Non-Physical Special Allocation Fund for Family Planning Sub-Sector (DAK KB) or Family Planning Operational Assistance (BOKB) are allocated to local governments to achieve the targets of Bangga Kencana. Therefore, it is expected that the allocation of DAK KB and BOKB will be able to achieve the targets and goals of community development through Bangga Kencana. However, there is communication complexity involved in the planning and management of DAK KB and BOKB, with the engagement of various elements from the central and local governments.
Communications in community development involve collaboration between various parties. According to Oktarina and Abdullah (2017), communications require participation and cooperation from the actors involved. Communications will run well if the actors share an equal interest to the topic of the message conveyed.
Yusuf and Ridwan (2018) also argued that community participation is the key or the main engine that drives high and sustainable economic growth, which can be realized through proper communications management. Communication management is the process of using various communications resources in an integrated manner through the process of planning, organizing, implementing, and controlling the elements of communication to achieve predetermined goals.
Based on the context set out above, a study to determine the role of communications in social development pursued through the Bangga Kencana program is necessary. The purposes of this study are to examine the concepts and theories of development in the context of social development and to analyze the role of communications in social development through Bangga Kencana.
DISCUSSION
Development Concepts and Theories in Social Development Pursued through Bangga Kencana
Development and society are inextricably linked. Essentially, development aims to improve the welfare and prosperity of a society. Various concepts relating to development have emerged over time, including growth, reconstruction, modernization, westernization, social change, liberation, innovation, nation-building, national development, development, improvement, and coaching (Ndraha, 1990 in Suyono, 2010).
According to Kartono and Nurcholis, development is social planning carried out by development planning bureaucrats to introduce changes as part of the process of increasing the society’s welfare. Therefore, the development process must always entail the planning phase. Following this concept, social development through Bangga Kencana is planned including through the planning and allocation of DAK KB and BOKB.
An in-depth interview with Eko Yuliawan, S.E. (Policy Analyst, BKKBN Planning Bureau) revealed that the planning of Bangga Kencana in DAK KB and BOKB undergoes and lengthy and complex communications process. This begins with the correspondence between BKKBN and the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency, and the Ministry of Home Affairs in a Multilateral Meeting (MM) that aims to discuss the DAK KB and BOKB program and budget for the following year. Furthermore, the planning at the central level is communicated to local governments through meetings for the synchronization and harmonization of DAK proposals.
Aminah et al (2014) suggested that development theory experienced a paradigm shift along with the application of the communications model, namely: modernization development paradigm (1940-1960), dependency development paradigm (1960-1980), and multiplicity development paradigm (1980- 2000). In line with this view, Tikson (2005) divided development theory into 3 (three) classifications, namely: modernization theory, backwardness theory, and dependency theory.
According to Budiman (1996), the modernization theory consists of:
1. International division of labor theory, which emphasizes that international trade will benefit all parties, the price of goods will fall and reach their lowest point when there is free trade.
2. The modernization theory is founded upon the premise that poverty is mainly caused by internal factors (factors within the country). Therefore, in the modernization process, there is a shift from traditional to modern ways of life that leads to improvement. Modernization theory consists of several other theories, including:
a. The Harrord-Domar’s theory (Saving and Investment): economic growth is determined by high savings and investment, so underdevelopment problems are solved by seeking additional capital, both from the country and abroad.
b. Max Weber’s theory (Protestant Ethics): the role of religion is a factor that causes the emergence of capitalism in Western Europe and the United States. Faith drives Protestants to work hard to be successful. According to this theory, an individual should dedicate oneself entirely in spite of the material rewards. This theory formulizes that development is created from the combination of religion and economy.
c. David McClelland’s theory (Need of Achievement theory/ N-Ach): in a society where there are many people with high N-Ach, the society can be expected to produce high economic growth. The best way to grow N-Ach is through family, although it is extremely difficult to grow it on a large scale.
d. Rostow’s theory (Five Stages of Economic Growth): all societies have experienced the traditional age and eventually become modern. The five stages of development are the traditional society, the preconditions for take-off, the take-off, the drive to maturity, the age of high mass consumption.
e. Hoselitz’s theory (Noneconomic Factors theory): environmental factors that can be looked for in society are considered important in the development process.
f. Inkeles and Smith’s theory (Modern Humans): the human factor is an important component in supporting development. So, development is not just a matter of capital and technology, but people are needed to develop these material means.
Based on the above elaboration, Bangga Kencana can be identified as initially adopting the modernization theory. This is in line with the view of Jati (2015) who stated that the Family Planning Program (KB) derived from developmentalism in the developed countries, in which the orientation was to control the rate of birth or fertility rate. This idea was then adopted by developing countries to achieve their own economic growth. Low fertility rates would maintain the number of children under 15 years at an equally low level. As the result, the population structure would indicate a reduced dependency on children and adolescents below 15 years old and individuals over 64 years old on the productive age group – a condition also known as the demographic dividend phenomenon.
With respect to the social development program through Bangga Kencana, the targets that BKKBN has identified also lean towards the modernization theory. This was confirmed during the interview conducted for this study with said Eko Yuliawan. According to Mr. Yuliana, one of the targets in the DAK KB and BOKB planning is to increase the prevalence rate of Modern Contraceptive Rate (mCPR). There are several modern methods used, namely using the combined progestin and estrogen contraceptive pills, IUD contraceptives, one or two implants, and the female/male operative method.
The Role of Communication in Social Development through Bangga Kencana
Servaes in Aminah et al (2014) stated that the modernization paradigm considers development as a linear, cumulative, evolutionary, and unidirectional process. Furthermore, Aminah et al (2014) argued that communications are systematically directed to the success of development as a means of changing behavior. The role of communications (media) as a means of changing behavior through the dissemination of family planning program messages is performed through interpersonal communication and mass communications (posters, pamphlets, radio, and television). Therefore, communications and media are considered as the main instruments needed to achieve, maintain, and strengthen modernization.
The significant role of communication in social development can be seen from how communications can improve the quality of community life as the goal of community development. As stated by Jati (2015), in order to improve the life quality of community as well as reducing poverty, population growth needs to be regulated through the Family Planning program that is implemented to the village level through various programs, such as the community-based health service (Posyandu) and vaccination, and by collaborating with state corporatism channels, such as the Family Welfare Movement. These programs have been running for more than thirty years during the New Order era and are bearing their fruits today, namely a population structure that allows for demographic dividend to occur.
The role of communications in today’s social development can be seen in the development planning process. According to Mr. Yuliawan, DAK KB planning is currently proposal-oriented – the planning takes into account needs-based proposals brought forward by local governments, and planning is carried out jointly by different stakeholders, both the central and local government. According to Aminah et al (2014), in the 1980s-2000s era, participatory paradigm emerged to refine past approaches. This approach emphasizes on people, the authenticity of development vision, and attention to issues of power characterized by horizontal dialogue and communications. These are radically different than the top-down approach in the modernization paradigm.
Furthermore, Aminah et al (2014) stated that the participatory approach includes the concept of capacity building, human-centered development, and the concept of empowerment and social development. The same concepts can be found in the role of communications through Bangga Kencana in the post-New Order era, which means that today’s communications of social programs employ the participatory approach to pursue developmental goals of building the society’s capacity to realize their well-being and prosperity.
Hence, it can be concluded that communications’ role in changing community behavior is instrumental to the success of social development, especially in Bangga Kencana. Communications role can also be seen in the involvement of the society members in development planning and implementation. Communications is not a supplementary element, but is one of the components of development (Wardhani, 2002).
CONCLUSION
As discussed, the development concept applied in social development through Bangga Kencana is social planning carried out by development planning bureaucrats. Bangga Kencana also adopts the modernization theory, as demonstrated by the introduction of modern contraceptives in the program. Moreover, communications in Bangga Kencana as a tool of social development has been playing a significant role in changing people’s behavior and supporting the success of social development.
This article suggests the application of the modernization approach in social development through Bangga Kencana as well as DAK KB and BOKB planning, and to employ participatory communications in the process. This study recognizes the limited number of respondents as its limitation, and therefore suggests that further studies should include more respondents to gain a deeper understanding. Aside from BKKBN’s Planning Bureau, future studies can also consider interviewing respondents from the Bureau’s work partners, such as the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency.
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[1] Note: PKB/PLKB: Penyuluh Keluarga Berencana (FP Extension Officer)/Penyuluh Lapangan Keluarga Berencana (FP Field Extension Officer). Both work at the field level, distinguished by their status as civil servant (PKBs) and non-civil servant (PLKBs).
author by Fajar Adi
Postgraduate Student, Doctoral Program, Department of Communication Science and Community Development –
IPB University
Kampus IPB Dramaga, Bogor 16680
Email: fajar.fajar@apps.ipb.ac.id
Keywords: bangga kencana, communication, society, modernization, development