INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN THE ERA OF REGIONAL AUTONOMY

Abstract

This research goes from the assumption that regional autonomy is interpreted domestically, not within the national framework. As a result it creates various problems in the autonomous region. Among these problems is intercultural communication. This study assumes that cultural differences have the potential to cause problems in intercultural communication. It is motivated by: First, the world view, cultural values, history, and social organization, shared by each ethnic group, influence closed and open intercultural communication in the context of returning to nagari, ethnicity and the application of adat basandi syarak, syarak basandi Kitabullah ( ABS-SBK). Second, withdrawal, prejudice, ethnocentrism, stereotypes, social distance and discrimination are inhibiting factors of open communication between ethnic (ethnic of native Minang and ethnic of Javanese) in Lunang village in the era of regional autonomy. Third, ethnic of Minang immigrants appear as a cultural mediator in the midst of communication problems between ethnic of native Minang and ethnic of Javanese. Data source in this research is qualitative data. With the reason that the components of data sought include aspects of community life, namely what is said and done by the informants, then all components are read by ethnography method and analyzed by communication theory. Ethnographic methods are used to describe how ethnic groups differ cultures, and communicate in the era of regional autonomy. The conclusion of the research is that the difficulty of recognizing cultural differences, causing serious problems and threatening the effectiveness of intercultural communication.