Literacy Paradox

During this keberaksaraan (Literacy) often become a key able to open the door for the arrival of modernization, participation, empathy, democratization, decentralization of knowledge, the improvement of living standard, especially economic, and the progress of a nation. UNESCO Report 2005, entitled Literacy for life no mention close relationship between illiteracy (ketidakberaksaraan) and poverty. In many countries, such as high poverty berangka, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Nepal, and Mozambique, the level of illiteracy is also high.

Unfortunately, UNESCO did not enter Indonesia to become one of the countries examined. If so, will certainly simpulannya other. Because based on data SUSENAS 2004, although the level keberaksaraan productive age population is very high, reaching 98.7 percent, had the same number also high poverty (23.4 percent).

Keberaksaraan well as the theme of debate, as well as a movement, this time into the middle of something that seksis. Diseminarkan everywhere. So the chat material intellectuals. Concern, not only political power holders (the party) but also the economy (the company). Until mothers officials feel it should be taking part to celebrate the joy of keberaksaraan it.

Social Audit

However, from riuhnya feast, one of the major issues the tour up. Whether because of forgotten or intentionally neglected. Namely concerning the measurements used to conclude whether a person or a group of people have been classified literit or not. Whether based on the level of literacy, the amount of shopping the book community (the purchasing power of the book), the number of new titles published, the number of book publishers, public access to books and newspapers, disandarkan in the interest of the community to read the book. Or other measures?

Mapping is not only, instead of measuring the parameters of the above by Daniel Lerner (1978) called the audit department (societal audits). Even through the audit department so that we will know how eratkah relationship between the level of progress of a nation with the standard keberaksaraan. So we are not trapped in pemitosan keberaksaraan.

Absences social audit will result in the determination of goals, targets, plans, programs and action keberaksaraan that is not right. So that the various forms of campaign keberaksaraan more nuanced thick reactive, short term, and tends to simplify the issue. One of penyederhaan is limited to interpret literasi (activities read) books. Sesanti complete with a cliche: to improve the nation's books.

Intellectual Snobisme

The absence of the audit department at one side and praise the book in terms of other birth to what is called by paradoxically keberaksaraan. In the paradox keberaksaraan all seems valid. As if trying to increase public interest in reading, The search for a new mode of contemptible practices (corruption) in the noble industry (book publisher). Figures statistics stated high level of literacy, it is only limited to the technically literate. While the functional and culture are still illiterate. Proved between the level of literacy and poverty equally high. A fond buy books in large numbers as though he was a zealous pendaras text, the fact that only the manifestation of the intellectual snobisme.

Keberaksaraan (book) to mark the object game. Bookmarks not be representative of a landmark. The book is considered as a marker memunyai citraan or fetisisme that profitable. The book has the symbolic capital (smart, tercerahkan, wise, broad-minded).

Symbolic capital in this consumer society able to provide reliable status-specific status of the individuals who mengonsumsinya. Medium establishment of personalities, style, image, lifestyle, and social status (Yasraf, 2004). In the consumer, buying books is no longer in disandarkan needs inspiration, contemplation, information, the achievement level of awareness is higher, but disandarkan the desire (desire) the only stop on hunt bookmarks (icon). Center of attention is not on the logic of consumption values but to sign on the logic value.

Again, with different kelisanan the menyaratkan of togetherness, dialogue, meeting the physical warm, intimate, and read - keberaksaraan suppose, to borrow the term given Ignas Kleden (1999), the invidualisme culture. Such readiness to enter into the world of self (contemplation), withdrawn after the uproar in the press of expansion in the role of the outside world (transformation). A methodology, a process that if not careful can slip on individualism in the shape of the most conservative: selfish, closed, sequestered, tercerabut from the roots of the environment.

If so, the strength literasi not to grow participation, and empathy. The exact opposite occurred, to reinforce passivity and egoism. (*)

Agus M. Irkham, instructors Literasi Indonesian Forum Read
(Source Jawa Pos, 9 November 2008)