The Existence of Universal Humanism in The Reform Era of Indonesian Literary Criticism

Abstract

The aesthetic of universal humanism is a cultural production of power struggles in the arena of Indonesian literary criticism. The agent who played an important role in achieving universal humanism was the Cultural Manifest (Manikebu), which extended into the Jakarta Arts Council (JAC). This study highlights the reality of literary criticism in the reform era, without undermining the aesthetic history of universal humanism as a medium or discourse echoed by the Cultural Manifest group and succeeded after the collapse of the Old Order. JAC as an agent currently controls the arena of Indonesian literary criticism seeking to cultivate economic, social, cultural, and symbolic capital. These capitals are used as a tool in carrying out the practice of symbolic violence in the arena of literary criticism. This then it establishes a habitus which aimed at enacting the aesthetic standards of universal humanism literary criticism. The habitus space is seen through the contest and literary criticism class conducted by JAC. The contest initiates enactment on parties involved, both the contestant jury and/or supporters of JAC's literary criticism class, as well as participants who take part in the literary criticism contest.