Benefits of Gotong Royong – Who doesn’t know what mutual cooperation is? Indonesian people are certainly familiar with this one verb. Because, the Indonesian people themselves are famous for their hospitality and good nature that likes to help. So, what exactly is the meaning of gotong royong?
Mutual cooperation is one of the characteristics of the Indonesian people, especially Bulukumba. In accordance with what is stated in the 3rd Pancasila precept, namely the unity of Indonesia. The behavior of gotong royong or mutual assistance has existed and been owned by the Indonesian people since ancient times. Gotong royong is a national and cultural personality that is inherent and rooted in people’s lives.
Meaning of Mutual Cooperation
Gotong royong is an activity carried out jointly and has a voluntary nature. So that the activities carried out can run smoothly, light, and also easy. One example of what can be done in mutual cooperation is building public facilities, cleaning the village environment, or community service.
This mutual cooperation attitude should be shared by all elements and layers of society in Indonesia. Because, by having this awareness, all levels of society will find it easier to carry out all activities by mutual cooperation.
That way, all the things that will be done will be easier and also quickly completed as well as smoother and more advanced. Not only that, with the awareness of all levels of society in implementing the attitude of mutual cooperation, an increasingly close brotherhood relationship will be created.
As the times progress, many cultural values enter and become a part of the life of Indonesian society. In addition, people’s lives gradually began to change. From an agrarian economy to an industrial economy. Today, the industrial economy is more developed and advanced. Therefore, many living arrangements are based on economic considerations. So that many people who have a materialistic nature and the value of mutual cooperation that used to be very attached to it are now starting to fade.
Understanding Gotong Royong According to Experts
1. According to KBBI
The definition of gotong royong according to KBBI is cooperation or mutual help, and mutual assistance among members or a community
2. According to Koentjaraningrat
Gotong royong is a collaboration, where a person is said to have faith if he loves his brother as he loves himself.
3. According to Sakjoyo and Pudjiwati Sakjoyo
They revealed that gotong royong is a tradition of mutual help between people in various fields of social activity. Whether it’s based on neighbor relations, kinship, and based on practical efficiency and there are also other cooperative activities.
4. According to Koentjaraningrat
He revealed that gotong royong is a concept that is closely related to the life of people who work as farmers in an agrarian society. Gotong royong is a system for deploying additional personnel outside the family to fill deficiencies in farming production activities.
5. According to Mubyarto
Gotong royong is a joint activity to achieve a common goal.
Benefits of Gotong Royong
The following are some of the benefits we can get if we apply this attitude to social life.
1. So that the environment around us can look cleaner, more comfortable, and more beautiful
2. A sense of solidarity can be established within the community
3. In order for our life in society to be better with mutual cooperation
4. General activities or activities can be completed more quickly without the need to spend a lot of RT/RW funds and cash. If it is in the form of physical development, of course with mutual cooperation it will greatly save the budget. This is because the costs that were previously for labor will be reduced because these activities are carried out in mutual cooperation.
5. With gotong royong, brotherhood and togetherness among citizens will be tighter. All neighbors know other neighbours, officials know workers, traders know drivers, the rich know neighbors who are less affluent, and so on.
6. The security of the environment around the house is safer, because all residents already know each other. So if later there are suspicious people entering residential areas, it will be easier for residents to detect them.
7. Peace and serenity in social life will be felt more, because all residents already know each other.
8. Mutual cooperation knows no difference. So when it will be done, everything feels the same.
Types of Mutual Cooperation
You need to understand that gotong royong is divided into several types, according to what is being done. Here are some types of mutual cooperation that you need to know.
1. Community Service
Community service is one of the activities or activities carried out together in the surrounding community. This activity is a form that can increase the sense of mutual help between people and mutual care.
Community service is usually carried out when there is a cleaning of the neighborhood or when there is an event on August 17th. With community service, we will get to know our neighbours, RT/RW, and local residents where we live. Of course this can foster a sense of mutual care between neighbors and residents.
2. Disaster Response
The second type of mutual cooperation is disaster response. Where this activity is a process of response from the community to work together in dealing with a disaster or calamity. Disaster response usually starts with small things such as caring for the surrounding community who are experiencing difficulties, helping others, and so on.
3. Deliberation
Not many of us know that deliberation is a type of mutual cooperation. Why is that? Because deliberation is a way or media to reach consensus or agreement. With deliberations, the community can gather and discuss the problems being faced. Then from this activity, an agreement will emerge regarding the solution to be carried out.
With deliberations, the community can also exchange ideas, thoughts and opinions that aim to reach a consensus. The hope is that the agreement will benefit all parties involved.
4. Great Harvest
The main harvest is usually done during the harvest season. This activity is a condition of the harvest season on a fairly large scale from all agricultural fields. Usually, the harvest season is done twice a year or depending on the farm.
During the harvest season, usually the community will work together to help with the harvesting process. Later they will share some of the harvest to the people who help. So, this will certainly increase the sense of caring and sharing between each other.
5. Study Together
Studying together is also a type of mutual cooperation. Where in this activity students and students carry out a collaboration in solving a problem or material that is considered difficult. By studying together, it will be easier for us to understand material that we think is difficult. Because, we can ask directly to friends who already understand.
Characteristics of Gotong Royong
The following are some of the characteristics of mutual cooperation that you need to understand.
1. Gotong-royong is one of the basic characteristics that is a pre-eminence of the Indonesian people and is not shared by citizens of other countries.
2. With gotong royong, many people have a high sense of caring and togetherness is created in every activity carried out together.
3. Has a noble value from ancient times to the present for generations.
4. Gotong royong highly upholds human values and cares for others. In gotong royong activities, all activities and work will be carried out together. Without discriminating or looking at the position and degree of a person.
5. Gotong royong also has the meaning of helping each other to achieve harmony and also happiness in living life in society.
6. Mutual cooperation activities are also carried out voluntarily. So don’t expect anything in return.
Collaborative Goals
One of the goals of having gotong royong is its value. Where there will be enthusiasm that can be manifested in the form of individual actions or behavior. They will unite to carry out an activity together for the common good without expecting anything in return or reward.
The following are the values contained in mutual cooperation activities, including:
1. Togetherness
In gotong royong activities, it will reflect the togetherness that is created in the community. That is, the community voluntarily and jointly helps other people as well as for the public interest that can be used together.
2. Unity
Togetherness that is created from mutual cooperation activities is also able to give birth to unity among citizens. With this unity, the community will become closer, stronger, and able to deal with problems that arise in their neighborhood.
3. Willing to Sacrifice
With gotong royong activities, it will foster an attitude of self-sacrifice. The sacrifice in question can be anything. Such as energy, time, ideas, even money. All sacrifices made purely for the common good. Communities are willing to make sacrifices and put aside personal interests to meet the needs of the common community.
4. Please Help
One of the goals of gotong royong is to foster an attitude of mutual assistance between communities. Where people want to help and help others in need. It is their help that will benefit others and also themselves.
5. Socialization
By doing these activities, people become aware that we are social beings. Where activities help each other can make people know each other. So that the socialization process can be maintained.
The Goals of Mutual Cooperation for Self and Society
1. The purpose of mutual cooperation is to invite the whole community to always work together in order to increase togetherness. Because, as a social community, of course we cannot live without the help of others. In a sense, we will always need other people in our lives.
2. Working together is also able to make the community more cohesive and can get to know each other. With these activities, it will be easier for people to help each other. For example, when we are going to build a house, harvest agricultural products, work on the fields, help neighbors who are having a celebration, and also help each other in advancing the country. In this way, all the tasks we will do will definitely feel lighter and easier to complete.
3. Making all work and any activity easier and lighter.
4. Creating unity and integrity among citizens.
5. Can save expenses or budget.
6. Can complete a job more quickly and efficiently.
7. This activity is able to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood among members of the community. Where they can gather with anyone who is in the implementation of mutual cooperation.
Efforts to Preserve Mutual Cooperation
This is one of the hopes of all community members so that the spirit of gotong royong will always exist and be sustainable. Don’t let it fade away with the advancement of the times in the digital era. Therefore, we need some efforts to preserve the mutual cooperation behavior so that it can survive. Here are some efforts we can do to preserve this attitude.
1.In preserving the attitude of gotong royong, we need the awareness of all parties or members of the community to have an attitude of being willing to sacrifice for the public interest.
2. Reducing and minimizing some of the assumptions that reveal that mutual cooperation behavior is not an important thing to do. In this way, it is possible that the community will be motivated and made aware that instilling an attitude of mutual cooperation is important and needs to be done.
3. There is no community that uses certain things or cases, for example Race, to ride it with mutual cooperation behavior. If this is done, it will hurt and tarnish the values contained in the mutual cooperation attitude.
4. Reducing the distance that exists between layers or members of society. With this, of course, when mutual cooperation is carried out, each individual has the potential to feel awkward.
5. We need the government’s role to always voice the importance of mutual cooperation.
6. The government can set an example for the community so that they always carry out the habit of mutual cooperation by being active directly in the field.
7. The government needs to give gifts or rewards to certain parties who always want to preserve the culture of mutual cooperation. If this is done, it will provide motivation and enthusiasm so that people always preserve this culture.
Obstacles of Mutual Cooperation in the All-Digital Age
Making good things and perpetuating mutual cooperation is not easy to do. One of them is to maintain the spirit of mutual cooperation in the community. The following are some of the obstacles that may be encountered related to the attitude of mutual cooperation in society.
There is a response that reveals that the Indonesian nation’s gotong royong is mutually beneficial. While this is now something that is difficult to obtain or obtain. Where now, the majority of people will do mutual cooperation if there will be rewards that will be received later.
The increasing trend of increasing the number of cases of violence and other conflicts related to religion has become a separate record for the Indonesian people. We need to understand that with this conflict, it will become a separate threat in the future for the integrity of our nation.
1. The values and characteristics of mutual cooperation that have existed and been developed since the beginning have not been thoroughly explained. So that it will have an impact on students’ understanding which is only half about this mutual cooperation attitude.
2. There is a lack of understanding on the part of the community that it is no longer relevant to use the principle of gotong royong. So that all parties in society consider this to be something that is right and not wrong.
3. The social feeling that was once ingrained in Indonesian society has now begun to fade. Both in urban and even in rural areas. Maybe in urban areas we can still understand. Because, they have experienced a fairly heavy lifestyle. Without money, they will be miserable and even starve. Meanwhile, living in the countryside still has the convenience of surviving, even though it is included in the class of people who cannot afford it.
4. Lack of role from the government itself. Where they never go directly to the field or into the community to improve and awaken the social spirit that has long faded.
Those are some explanations about the importance of gotong royong in Indonesian society. Do you still maintain the attitude of gotong royong where you live?