Cultural Hegemony Through Language

This article about Cultural Hegemony Through Language is a transfer from the personal blog of the founder of I'MC Center, namely Djodjok Soepardjo, created on November 20, 2008, then we try to put it here as enlightenment for those of you who have visited this website.

1. Introduction

First, I'd like to thank the committee for giving me the opportunity to participate in this seminar. Furthermore, as I considered the seminar's theme, "Cultural Hegemony Through Language," I was reminded of several text messages I received.

"Thank God, I just left the hospital yesterday. Let's pray for each other, bro. I miss Rifqy. I invite you to stay at home sometime during the weekend."

AssalamuaLaikum.p Susy (pseudonym of SMS sender) is confused! Susy's mother and father currently do not approve of Susi's relationship because the results of her istiharah prayer were not good, so continuing it is not good. But Susy wants to break up and is still thinking about it, she loves the 8 years she spent with Mas. What does Allah mean by this p?!! even though last year Mas's parents were very welcoming to Susy. Thinking about this makes me feel suffocated.. "

The sentences above are two examples of text messages from two different people. I received these text messages a few days ago. This clearly demonstrates the hegemony of language resulting from texting culture. I find it concerning to read language that is forced to bend and squeeze itself into a form of communication. The implication is that the recipient sometimes has to think long and hard to understand the information conveyed by the sender.

The phenomenon above is a concrete example that we encounter all the time in our daily lives. We even engage in it ourselves. However, we know that the purpose of language is to convey information in a form of communication. If that communication is mutually understood, does a reality like the text message above still need to be questioned?

There are three issues that need to be considered when reading the theme proposed by the committee. First is the issue of the word "hegemony." The term "hegemony" comes from the Greek word "hegeisthai" (to lead or shidouken). This term is widely used by sociologists to describe an effort to maintain power. It refers to how a dominant group successfully influences the dominated group to accept the moral, political, and cultural values ​​of the ruling group. For example, the power of the New Order government was able to suppress all public aspirations, forcing them to obey and submit to the government at that time. At that time, those who "spoke out" were immediately silenced, those who "rebelled" were shouted at, those who "went berserk" were arrested, and some who "moved out" were even shot.

A famous figure in the field of hegemony is Gramsci (1891–1937). His analysis of hegemony was an improvisational attempt to adapt the concept of economic determinism and critique capitalism. Although Gramsci's analysis of hegemony focused on economic power, the concept of hegemony can be extended to social and regional areas, as exemplified above.

Second, the word "culture" is worth noting. It's often mentioned, but when asked about its meaning, not everyone can answer. It seems very simple, but I hope what I've explained here can raise our awareness of the essence of culture. Sometimes we're surprised when faced with reality, and our feelings tell us how striking the differences between ourselves and others are. We must realize that all of these things are fundamentally influenced by culture; in fact, that is the essence of culture. It's been said that culture is a difficult element to change in a society. In addition, there are four other elements that are difficult to change: race (racial trait), nationality (nationality), mentality (mentality), and sociality (sociality). Therefore, when there is an act of cultural hegemony through language, the "power" of that language is extraordinary. Generally, it is culture that regulates language as a tool for its preservation.

The third is "language." We already know the definition of language. Language is highly dynamic, following cultural developments. In cultural life, the first thing to be impacted by cultural development is language. Today, almost everyone has a computer. With the advent of computer culture, there are many negative impacts. My kanji writing skills used to be quite good. But now they have plummeted to a much lower level. That's because of the computer. Previously, the beauty of my kanji writing was highly valued because when sending letters, I was embarrassed if my writing was illegible. Now, I don't care about the beauty of my writing because I can freely choose fonts on my computer. So, the impact of cultural hegemony on language is very strong.

To further understand this problem, let us now look at how language is related to culture.

2. The Relationship between Language and Culture.

It is said that human history began with language. Many anthropologists have long defined humans as tool-making creatures (homo fabel). This means that the existence of tools or implements is a sign of life (culture). However, according to Claude Lévi-Strauss, as quoted by Maruyama (1995:43), this assumption has now been further refined.

Today, the boundary between nature and culture is no longer based on the existence of a tool, but on language. In other words, before forming humans as homo fable or homo sapiens (humans thirsting for knowledge), it is necessary to first form homo loquens (humans speaking). Because it is through language that humans can maintain their entire culture. If the nature of tools shows a transformation from nature to culture, then language is the most important tool created by humans for this process, and this is what makes possible the source of the concept for the creation of all tools.

Language is a physiological organ used instinctively and naturally. This is what distinguishes the essence of language from when we use our lungs to breathe or stand and then walk. My parrot can imitate greetings like "assalamu alaikum" and the words "you're ugly." But he can't form past tense or conditional sentences.

Since our birth in this mortal world, we have been surrounded by language, raised with it, thinking in it, and communicating with others using it. Because language is so ingrained in our lives, we often don't even think about it reflectively. In situations like this, we sometimes become frustrated by our inability to understand communication with people who speak the same language. This includes, for example, text messages, which are sometimes difficult to understand.

From the explanation above, we can understand the essence of language in human life. Because language reflects cultural traits, a nation's culture is reflected in its language.

3. The Relationship between Language and Humans

Changes that occur in humans, both in spiritual and cultural activities, are based on language. Here, to better understand language, I will provide an illustration.

There was a person who had just moved house, in a new place he saw 4 cats. Because some of his neighbors who liked cats fed them, he assumed the cats were not stray cats or pets. The person who had just moved in immediately took care of the cats. He observed each cat. Not only the color of their fur or the shape of their bodies, but also their movements, facial expressions, and even their differences in character he knew. He gave each cat a name. Not long after, the incident was known by a neighbor who did not like cats. The person grumbled, "how come cats are given names?" The person who had become the owner of the cats was shocked to hear the person's grumbling. He felt surprised, because for him giving names to cats was a normal thing. This was the first time he knew that there were people who felt strange about giving names to cats. The person who had grumbled, finally after reading a book also learned that all domestic cows in America were given names. "I just knew" he thought.

To a grumbling person, the cats that occasionally run near him are just like stones on the street. But to someone who has become a cat owner, the differences in each color, the sound of their meows, the width of their eyes, and the length of their whiskers, he considers them to be similarities found in cats.

By ignoring the differences between each cat and the similarities between cats, we abstractly form what is commonly called a "concept" in linguistics. So, what is called a "cat" can be said to be a symbol formed in a concept. Culture, likewise, is a set of actions that have been formed in the human mind and implemented in life through the concept of language.

If we pay attention, language has various functions. When our foot is stepped on, we spontaneously say "ouch! It hurts." Then the person who stepped on it also spontaneously says "oh, sorry." This is the first function of language. From this incident, communication is born between people around them. This is the second function of language. "The wonton noodles I ate in the cafeteria yesterday were delicious." This is the third function of language. Even though we don't have "wonton noodles" in front of us, we can imagine "wonton noodles" with the concept that has been formed in our minds. By acquiring this third function of language, humans live their lives, including conveying their cultural heritage.

As long as there's no "here, now," everything is just a concept in the mind. This is what we need to pay attention to in language activities. "My parrot at home can say 'assalamu alaikum'." What can someone who has never seen a parrot imagine? Awareness and understanding of a concept are crucial in language life. Because human existence and the existence of society always interact with language activities, and this is an inseparable bond.

4. Cultural and Linguistic Hegemony

If the language used can transform one condition/situation into another, that is the mystery of language's power. This manifestation can be seen in the ability to communicate objectively when someone is detached from the cultural context of their society.

A society that possesses the power of language is one that consistently uses it. It relies on language for its survival and believes in its power. For such a society, language truly functions in all aspects of life. They understand precisely how language can transform the quality of their lives.

We are now entering an era of globalization. A society that still doesn't believe in the mysterious power of language will be unable to keep up with the developments of this era. A society that only uses language for specific aspects of life will be unable to absorb important information in this era. A society that refuses to open itself through its linguistic identity will find it difficult to communicate with the global community. This phenomenon is the genesis of language hegemony.

Language is no longer used as a tool to build a nation's image or preserve its cultural values. It has been corrupted by the insolence of human desires. Language is like a newborn baby. It is pure and filled with sacred values. It's up to what kind of spirit is put into it. If the spirit of the devil is put into it, the language of the devil comes out. If the spirit of the angel is put into it, the language of the angel comes out. Therefore, it is necessary to truly reflect on how language has the power to transform every aspect of its speakers' lives when used according to its nature. What is the nature of language? The nature of language is essentially the nature of humanity itself.

From the explanation above, I would argue that if hegemonic actions occur against culture, they will also result in hegemony against language, as language is an inseparable aspect of culture itself. Therefore, awareness of the power of language can be used to prevent hegemonic actions.

5. Conclusion

We live in a society that demands a lot of talking. This demand is inseparable from the mental and spiritual conditions of our society, and perhaps it has even become a part of our culture. Even if we talk a lot, we still don't understand, let alone if we don't talk much. Furthermore, our language demands and is suited to explaining things. We often hear the question at the end of a conversation, "How is it! Ladies and gentlemen, is that clear?" Why not ask, "Do you understand?"? Perhaps asking, "Do you understand?" might be perceived as "innocent" (Lu, guoblog), which is why many people choose to ask, "Is it clear?"

In Japan, this isn't the case. They don't need to speak, so they don't speak. This means they understand even without speaking, especially if they talk a lot. This is related to the culture and character of the language itself. Below, I've provided an example of a Japanese character.

“yappari, kono hon omoshirokatta”
(As, I expected, this book was interesting)

The word "yappari" isn't just a translation for the example sentence above. It can also be translated as "As you said,___" or "As people said___." Notice how the Japanese use just one word, "yappari," for the above expression. Why don't Japanese people say "as I expected" or "as people said"? Japanese speakers don't need to explain, as the intended meaning is already understood by the person they're speaking to.

Cultural hegemony is synonymous with linguistic hegemony. To prevent this, language must be used in accordance with its essence. Furthermore, the mental state of language speakers plays a significant role in the integrity of their culture and language.

Reference

-Djodjok Soepardjo. (1999) “Japanese Communication and Personal Relationships” in Contemporary Japanese Culture. Bintang.
-Nancy Bonvillain. (1993) Laguage, Culture, and Communication ~The meaning of Messeges~. Pearson Education LTD. London.
-Neubert, Albert.(1985) Translation Across Language or Across Culture? in Scientific and Humanistic Dimensions of Language. Kurt R. ed.
-Youko Ujie (1996) Gengo Bunka Gaku no Shiten (Cultural Linguistics). Aufu.
-Susumu Yamauchi (2003) Gengo Kyouiku Gaku Nyuumon, Oyougengo Gaku o Gengo Kyouiku ni Ikasu Taishuukan shouten
-Strinati, Dominic (1995), An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture, Routledge, London.