A disguised resistence of farmer organization: Understanding farmer social movement

Abstract

The establishment of farmer organization usually represents farmer’s response to the economic, social and politic al condition they faced. It is known that the government regime’s development paradigm, in fact, contributes to set a structural barrier in organizing the farmers at a community level. However, sometimes there are farmer organizations that still exist amidst the structural pressures. The response to that problem is developed through organizing, by applying a unique organization character that conforms to socio-economic and political context of the state. In order to understand such character as well as the strategy of farmer organization, a research question is needed. The research question is directed to; first how, why and in what condition that the farmer organization is established; second farmer organization character; and third farmer resistance character. The aim of th is study is to understand the development of people movement that is articulated trough the formation of organization. Social movement context is clearly emphasized in this research. From such description, it can be understood farmer dynamics in their community when they are faced supra local interest or even global interest. An understanding toward farmer organization character serves as a basis in analy zing the character of farmer’s resistance in response to the situation/problems. The social reality is analyzed using critical theory in the interpretativecritical domain. In the critical paradigm, this choice is a methodological choice. With this theoretical support, social reality is concluded within an effort to understand the meaning behind the social reality or social phenomenon itself. Data is analyzed using three-way activity, i.e.: data reduction, presentation, and conclusion or data verification. Farmer as a social entity is faced to a structural pressure that obstructs the social transformation movement. Farmer oppression in the socio economic and politic al condition gives an opportunity to form an organization. The complexity of farmers’ problems –at a certain level- is reaching a stage where farmer organizing is needed. In that case, socio economic and political context hindered the organizing effort in one side, but on the other side it also dominated the reason of the farmer’s organization formation. The important aspect of the organization formation is the effort to strengthen farmers’ position and status. Referring to the problems, it is only natural that the farmers’ response is manifested in the choice of organization’s character. Therefore, it is no wonder that the farmer is approaching with a community development (CD) strategy. Farmer problem that mostly is economic one, demand a form of organization that is able to accommodate such need. A respond to exploitative relation is loaded with a compromise to practical needs. The character of production organization that is directed to the production center orientation is a response to the real problems. The above strategy is chosen, basically, to prevent a resistance from the government. Production oriented development have become the development ideology for the last 30 years. A critique toward this paradigm is community development (CD) approach. Unfortunately, CD creates dependency to the elite structure and program, elite domination and effort to integrate farmer to high capitalistic condition. Besides that problem, CD maintains community stability and avoid s social change and movement. Looking to this fact, farmer organization that became a case study develops a new paradigm for the community development, which more adhere to the people center development. This effort is manifested by establishing a self govern, farmer authority. In practic e, the choice of people center development paradigm is manifested in community development strategy. The difference between the earlier CD with the CD as the strategy that oriented to the people center development lies on the result. CD as the strategy is not resulting dependency, but achieving an access and control to the resources. The explanation above intents to show that farmer is achieving certain ways to reach organization goals. A resistance to a dominating paradigm is done through a hidden tactic. This disguised resistance indicates a hidden strategy that is used by the farmers to reach organization agenda. The disguised resistance is a model of alliance between maintaining social existence and the effort to a social deconstruction. Resistance has been done under the government development propaganda while doing the redefinition of the propaganda into a more oriented people center paradigm.