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Positive Paradigm As The Barrier of Art
Positive Paradigm As The Barrier of Art
Susilo Pradoko
Department of Arts, Drama, Dance and Music, Faculty Languages and Arts,
Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Submitted: August 19, 2019. Revised: November 4, 2019. Accepted: December 28, 2019
Abstract
In the modern era, during the end of 17 century, appears empiric paradigm in the philosophy
field. This paradigm emerges due to the critic towards mythical social thought. The next step
appears positivism thought by Auguste Comte in 1830, which stated that Sociology based on
science analogy that can be learned in the form of empiric data with exact calculation; out of
this is rated as not scientific. The education field also trails the modern thought tradition, along
with Comte’s positivistic thought. This modern era eventually has been opposed by postmodern
philosophers. The frailties in the modern era are criticized by the appearance of the postmodern
paradigm. Positivistic thought, in reality, could not reveal study beyond human and society,
because this study is strong, and can only reach the ontologic stage, in substance of the object.
While this could not be revealed because its level involves human and society’s way of thinking,
primordial, tradition, and historical aspects, this study focuses on the weaknesses of positivistic
research. Then it will present post-positivistic-postmodern research through Hermeneutika and
Foucauldian Genealogy research.
How to Cite: Pradoko, S. (2019). Positive Paradigm As The Barrier of Art Creativity Interpretation. Harmonia: Journal of
Arts Research And Education, 19(2), 133-140.
Corresponding author:
E-mail: susilo_pradoko@uny.ac.id
133
134 Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 19 (2) (2019): 133-140
student is not likely non-living thing trea- “there,” in the area of his research. Un-
ted as an object. If it is not developed with derstanding the field of Hermeneutics is
postmodern philosophy, it turns into a ro- an action word which has a wide range
botic system. Children will be treated as a of explanation. It can solve many aspects
robot. The relationship that will occur is of the problem and explain all unclear as-
the researcher as the subject and children pects into the clearer one (Pradoko, 2015).
as the object. The observed student has no Deep understanding means able to reveal
fair position; they will only follow the pro- by producing deep descriptions toward
vided rules from the researcher. Meanw- the object of the research. For instance,
hile, post positivistic criticizes and tries to a forensic painter expert in USA could
improve this case with philosophical para- draw the criminal face precisely. He draws
digms that end with steps of socio-huma- based on the story told by the victim. What
nism research. was told caught in depth by the drawer so
Dilthey sees antithesis if the pattern it will produce precisely the criminal pre-
of Geistewissenchaften (re: natural science cise image? Referring the expert’s picture,
method) could be implemented in under- the police have caught 100 criminals.
standing mental life and human experi- Paul Ricoeur Hermeneutical Ana-
ence. The dynamics of human mental life lysis for research text in language can be
in the shape of a complex arrangement used for material art phenomenon rese-
of knowledge, feeling and willingness arch. The diagram for interpreting a text
and could not be ruled in the causality of in many connected contexts is presented as
norms and inflexible mechanistic thought follow:
using the quantitative pattern. Geistewis-
senchaften (re: natural science method) un-
derstands this life through formulas cate-
gory from the inside (intrinsic category).
Life is a human experience seen from insi-
de. Life should be counted from the experi-
ence of interpreting its ownself. It does not
only form the theory and scientific know-
ledge, but a critical history ratio also is not
a real critic. We understand ourselves, not
through introspection but history. Human Figure 1. Polysemical Text Diagram (Source
needs different interpretation model from Hoed, 2011)
nature occurrence model. It is a different
paradigm. (Poespoprodjo, 2004) The Ricoeur’s idea about text inter-
Study with post positivistic para- pretation can be used in studying social
digm is quite plenty nowadays: herme- phenomenon object in art material practice
neutic, phenomenology, ethnography, post and literature resource about it. We change
positivistic structuralism, structuration, the text with social phenomenon object in
Perce semiotics, Roland Barthes semiotics, art material. The context we need to con-
deconstructions, critical discourse analy- sider is the researcher, in this case, refers
sis, and foucault genealogy analysis. This to the artist. The environment is the sup-
research will only present two reasearch porting society that lives and lives the art
methods with postpositivism paradigm. material object. Society ethnic inhabit the
They are Hermeneutika Paul Ricoeur and area and geographics environment where
Faocauldian genealogy discourse analysis. society lives. Another text is theories con-
Hermeneutics is the study about in- nected with the social phenomena of cul-
terpretation, an interpretation process to tural art objects being studied and the lite-
understand the source of the problem, to rature source about it. Reader in this term
understand that a researcher should be
136 Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 19 (2) (2019): 133-140
is the researcher himself and artist experi- history) by Gadamer. History in Foucault
ences as an object, and artists living in that is no historical subject. It is a historian and
area (Figure 2). reminder society, disconnection, subject
eradication itself happens because subjec-
tivity will lead to domination (Hardiman,
2003; Kali, 2013). Genealogy, as the sear-
ching of origin, genealogy of idea, genealo-
gy tries to seek the depth of episteme and
put the fact fundamental in each epism in
every stage (Kali, 2013).
Michel Foucault presents the pro-
Figure 2. The understanding of Hermeneutical
cess base to study discourse in historical
text process by Paul Ricoeur implemented in
art material object phenomenon
through 4 stages, they are: Discontinuity
arrangement in history, ideas are catego-
In a text, meaning study turns into art rized which element is suitable for each
material phenomenon, considered context arrangement. The next step is to determine
for the sharp of art phenomenon analysis is the border of how this specific relation ty-
practice of art in local society suitable with pes. The process continued by describing
research area, artist, natural environment, among different arrangements and desig-
social and culture, cultural knowledge, ning part by part.
another material outside of research ran- Discontinuity study is done in 3
ge, dialectical relation among researchers, ways: Having prediction enables us to
spectators, artists, and supporting society look for level analysis possibility and time
to the material art subject. Various context periodization at each level; Looking for
problems to solve a social material art ob- direction distortion from a constant move-
ject phenomena will allow understanding ment or end of the pendulum movement.
and better result interpretation, and the In short, discontinuity is the moment whe-
detail on doing context to many aspects re the causality cycle paralyzed; Discontin-
produce holistic and profound research. uity personalizes a form, and specific fun-
Research shows that invisible is re- ction depends on the historical stage being
vealing, analyzing ideas. This idea could conducted by the historian.
not be seen in a glace. It needs an analy- The absence of total historical union
sis, searched to find the expression and into new history talks about division, bor-
evidence-based on the experienced and ders, level differences, movement, chro-
observed. This research can be conducted nological explanation, particular forms of
by the archeology method with Foucauldi- various rehandling forms of events, and
an genealogy analysis system. relation type possibility.
Genealogy, as Foucault to study A new history from archeology idea
about history through discourse analysis knowledge system immerses six conse-
and to observe not who owns power but quences: Corpora are forming from co-
how the authority rolled through interacti- herence documents and homogeneity;
on. (Kholifah, 2018) Principal forming about element choices
Foucault Genealogy is likely history analysis; Defining the analysis level of re-
draws kinds of the science field, discour- levance element; Typical characteristics
se, and objects. This history does not crea- analysis method, complexity factors based
te the meaning based on causal continuity on analyzed differences; Group limitation
which leads to telos. In fact, genealogy is and sub group from analyzed elements;
a historical continuity disconnection (rap- Relations certainty possible to put charac-
ture) stated as wirkungsgeschicte (effective ter to a group (Foucault, 1976).
Susilo Pradoko, Positive Paradigm As The Barrier of Art Creativity Interpretation 137
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION vistic research are that they cannot penet-
rate historical aspects. Physical research at
Auguste Comte brings positive idea the time of the study being viewed. When
based on empirical observation through it is in contact with humans, physical ma-
laboratory model is a piece of real evi- terial will no longer be answered by positi-
dence visible, observable, touchable, and vistic research methods. For example is the
countable. This is what he calls a positive wedding ring, when it is connected with
idea for constructing social hegemony. The human thought, it will be more complex
science is known as social physics or socio- and very relative. Girl A was married with
logy. An unprovable idea empirically is a 5-gram ring weighing 24-carat gold at
considered unscientific. The characteristics the price of buying 3.5 million. After get-
of science are as follows: (1) Empirical cal- ting married for four months the ring was
culation in science is accepted. (2) Science wanted by someone for 7 million but was
considered as the highest knowledge with not given. On the other hand, girl B, when
the condition that is passing the modern married, had 3.5 million-ring from her bri-
empirical paradigm. (3) A Scientific met- degroom. After getting married for four
hod with empirical study implemented in months, the wedding ring reminded her
human social life as firm sociology. (4) So- for nothing but sadness, so it was worth-
cial scientific ideas can be implemented to less to her, the ring became a sign of suf-
control the individual and society. Social fering for her. This is the example of social
problems and conflict can be defined and sciences must have their methods. The
solved one by one with expert skill similar point of all that is positivistic science needs
science experts involved in solving engi- to be refined with other types of research
neering technology. This social scientific for the children of this nation, especially in
project is known as social engineering. the world of art education.
Empirical positivistic research is Humans are not robots; positivistic
not appropriate for research which aims research starts from research in the natu-
to uncover human thinking and let alone ral sciences which are inanimate objects,
artistic creativity. Besides having a visible objects that are considered unable to com-
physical appearance, humans also have in- municate with humans. Positivistic rese-
visible thoughts processed in the brain sys- arch is research that has a philosophical
tem which has data and networks in a pri- paradigm of objectivities, nature as ob-
mordial way. Humans have been complete jects freely treated by humans. This logic
since they were born until adulthood; it is is not appropriate for students, especially
bound by the cultural contextual where students in the arts. Humans are not ina-
humans exist. Empirical research is only nimate objects, so humans must be seen as
able to see the basic surface without being fellow-subjects. Positivistic research that
able to uncover beyond existing thoughts dominates the research methods, media,
in humans. Like we examine a wedding and student-teacher interaction needs to
ring, empiricists will only be able to phy- be reconsidered, or at least developed, to
sically examine the ring. According to the explore inter-subject research, not sub-
positivistic thinking of the paradigm pro- ject and object research. During the rese-
posed by Benton and Graib, the things to arch, which glorifying the paradigm of
be examined will be about: What is the dia- the subject and object, students will be
meter, radius of the wedding ring circle? formed as robots. This kind of research
What color is the ring? How many grams never, in-depth, studies the construction
does the ring weigh? What chemicals are of children’s thinking, what construction
the rings mixing? How many carats of is needed for children and what is actually
gold content does it contain? What is the their creativity and independence. Rese-
current price of the wedding ring? arches that objectify students will cause a
The weaknesses of calculative positi- lack of excavation in students’ reasoning
138 Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 19 (2) (2019): 133-140
and student creativity. One example in ex- in various ways, but unfortunately, no one
perimental research, students didn’t have cared, so the person was annoyed. In the
their bargaining position as they were tre- end, the person sees the disaster as an indi-
ated like objects. cator of self-introspection and helps him to
Humans exist in this world, ontolo- keep on remembering his creator (Sulastri,
gically and ontically. Ontological means 2016). The process of searching for conno-
the nature of being seen by the physical tative meaning is carried out with various
body. Ontic is being seen from the primor- aspects, as has been described in the chart
dial historical aspects that are inherently Paul Ricoeur used to study the text and
contextually integrated with the axiologi- then adopted by revealing the art pheno-
cal traditions experienced in their cultural menon/art material.
environment. Ontologically, the human Research of song meaning that
body is often examined using positivistic doesn’t implicitly appear in its poetry is
empirical research methods. While the pri- also conducted by Ayu Rachma Purnama
mordial ontic reach of human thought, in Sari, a thesis with A. M. Susilo Pradoko as
the context of cultural values, will be un- the supervisor. The title of the research is:
reachable only by quantitative-empirical “Educative Values and Implementation of
research. Many things of human thought the Senjang Petuoh Lame Song at Sanggar
with its cultural complexity do not neces- Senjang Budayo Sekayu, Musi Banyuasin
sarily appear in research expressions. Hu- Regency, South Sumatra Province”. After
man thoughts and culture must be explo- conducting the research by using herme-
red with research methods that do reveal neutic analysis of Paul Ricoeur, revealing
the realm of human ontic. An alternative the denotative and connotative meaning
to answering the problem is by conduc- of the text as well as doing ethnography in
ting studies that can reveal beyond begins his society, the results of the study showed
with the signs that are expressed. Two that the song of the lunar gaps is closely re-
examples of revealing beyond research lated to the culture of the people. The song
are Paul Ricoeur›s hermeneutics research has meaning: manners, hard work, respon-
and archeological discourse analysis of sibility, friendliness, divinity, discipline,
thought studies with genealogy by Michel and prohibition of drugs (Purnamasari,
Foucault. 2018). The meaning of the song values has
Research revealing the empirical also been implemented in concrete actions
facts behind the text as an example in this at Sanggar Senjang Budayo Sekayu, Musi
paper is the research by Sulastri with her Banyuasin Regency in which the study of
supervisor, A.M.Susilo Pradoko, entit- implementation was strengthened through
led: “ Review of Berita Kepada Kawan by ethnographic observation.
Ebiet G.Ade’s Work from a Hermeneutic In the applied example of this pa-
Perspective.” To summarize, the purpo- per, the object of study will be a material
se of research in number 3 was to reveal culture in the form of the Ramayana Re-
the denotative meaning contained in the lief at Prambanan Temple from 856 AD to
song Berita Kepada Kawan. In number 4, it the 1996 or IX century to XX century. The
reveals the connotative meaning contained following research reveals the archaeolo-
in the song Berita Kepada Kawan. gical meaning of epistemology of thought
The results of the research of the regarding the influence of Hindu power,
denotative meaning of the song are about the influence of Islamic power, the influen-
someone who tells the story of his lonely ce of colonial power and the influence of
journey to a disastrous place. The result independence in responding to material
of connotative meaning is someone who culture in the form of Relief Ramayana
sympathizes and empathizes with a natu- Prambanan Temple. After conducting this
ral disaster that befell his homeland. The Foucauldian-genealogy-based research,
person helped the victims of the disaster we get archeology of thought that differs
Susilo Pradoko, Positive Paradigm As The Barrier of Art Creativity Interpretation 139