As Pandemic Subsides, Social Ties Crumble

When the pandemic first emerged, community ties grew stronger. However, now that the pandemic is subsiding, society has grown less cohesive.

ADRYAN YOGA PARAMADWYA UNTUK KOMPAS

Online motorcycle taxi drivers in the Slipi area, Palmerah District, Central Jakarta, on Monday (3/10/2022). According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), there was inflation of 1.17 percent with a Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 112.87 in September 2022. This had an impact on decreasing the purchasing power of daily informal workers, one of which is online motorcycle taxi drivers.

As seen last year, the three determinants of health, economic and sociopolitical aspects are all intertwined in shaping the country in its pursuit of prosperity in the coming years. This time, however, the various issues that came with the dynamic health situation, as well as economic and sociopolitical conditions, are clearly different and more complex compared to the problems and challenges faced in the past year.

The differences and complexities of these issues in turn determine the nature of the relationship that is developing between the state, the public and the business world. Each government policy and how it performs in responding to these issues, for one, will always confront reactions that are not always the same otr congruent. Likewise in 2023, the complexity of future problems and future policies that are implemented, and the reactions to them, will still drain energy from all walks of life.

Looking back on 2022, the country’s struggle in the pursuit of social welfare was more fervent than it was in the previous year. From the health perspective, the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been the biggest obstacle to conducting activities for several years, is starting to come under control. After Covid-19 infected more than 6.6 million people and claimed more than 159,000 lives, the pandemic is finally subsiding.

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Over nearly three years of the Covid-19 pandemic, the people struggled with various health issues. The government made many efforts to curb and overcome the threat of Covid-19. Thus far, the results have been satisfactory. Compared to 2021, the number of infections and deaths across all regions of the country has decreased significantly.

Of course, there are still new variants that have just been detected. Data from the Kompas Covid-19 Handling Index, for one, recently showed a significant increase in cases. However, research has also shown that the government still has Covid-19 under control. Based on the conditions experienced throughout the year, it can be predicted that Covid-19 will still remain under control in 2023. It is no exaggeration to say that the end of the pandemic is near.

Dynamics

Throughout 2022, we have started returning to our normal lives with the easing of various physical restrictions. The economy should be optimistic. But soon after, it turned out that a country’s efforts to achieve its aspirations of prosperity would not be smooth. While the Covid-19 pandemic began to subside, a separate external issue suddenly arose, namely the war between Russia and Ukraine that led to the suppression of global and domestic economic activities.

Even under pressure from the global economy, Indonesia has proven able to maintain its growth. The national economy made many adjustments, such as increasing fuel prices, maintaining the availability of staple food supplies, trying to control the surging prices of basic necessities and expanding subsidies to include the lower economic class.

As the 2024 elections approach, political forces are growing increasingly competitive about gaining as much support as possible.

The people, of course, were angered by these policy adjustments. Various survey results revealed growing public dissatisfaction with the country’s economic performance. Public support for the government also declined, especially in managing pricing policies for consumer goods.

On the other hand, the political dynamics are also becoming more heated. As the 2024 elections approach, political forces are growing increasingly competitive about gaining as much support as possible. The upcoming end of the President’s term in 2024 has led to the emergence of various presidential hopefuls who already have competitive support. The same can be said for the recent competition developing between political parties.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Vegetable sellers wait for buyers at the Smep Market, Bandar Lampung City, Lampung (15/10/2022). Four weeks after the increase in fuel prices, the level of public spending was slightly lower. Growth in household consumption has the potential to slow down.

Although competition has grown fiercer, the political landscape is still conducive. Throughout the year, no political conflicts have occurred that could potentially escalate horizontally. The government has received relatively high public support for maintaining the political climate.

Nonetheless, as regards social life, other social issues pose threats that cannot be underestimated. This year, as the threat of the pandemic faded, the rift in society has widened. According to the results of a comparative public opinion poll conducted by Kompas Research & Development (Litbang), the research arm of the Kompas daily, social cohesiveness is on the decline.

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> Global Situation Affects National Economy

Using several questions adapted from the indicators of a study by Borkowska & Laurence (2020) of the University of Essex in England on the degree of social cohesion, Indonesians averaged a score of 15.7 in November 2022. On the one hand, respondents scored the highest of 25 on the cohesiveness scale, which indicates that social ties are very strong. On the other hand, the lowest score was 5, which indicates a very tenuous degree of social cohesion.

These scores illustrate that the social bonds formed between individual Indonesians fall in the middle range. The problem is that, compared to the cohesiveness score of the previous survey, this marked a significant decrease, meaning that social bonds are becoming increasingly tenuous.

Decline

A decline in the degree of social attention was found in almost all indicators in the latest poll. With regard to indicators of attitude, for example, only half of the respondents felt that they shared a similar fate with other people in dealing with ongoing conditions. However, in the previous survey when the pandemic was a greater threat, more than three-quarters of respondents stated that they shared a similar fate with others in dealing with ongoing conditions. The pandemic had forced everyone to experience the same situation, regardless of the different environments they lived in. However, this time, when the pandemic is subsiding and people’s lives are beginning to return to normal, a gap has formed, dividing society into different conditions.

Frankly, no worrying conditions were found in the other indicators. As regard community ties, the majority of respondents still felt there was still harmony between household, and that division among community members was relatively small. In fact, they perceived community life as relatively harmonious.

The pandemic had forced everyone to experience the same situation, regardless of the different environments they lived in.

Relatively high social ties were also reflected in daily behavior, with no less than eight out of every 10 respondents saying that they often greeted their neighbors.

There was still verbal communication, but despite these relatively positive results, the figures still showed a decline compared to the results of the 2021 survey.

All social dynamics in 2022 reflect what is coming in 2023. A decline in social cohesiveness indicates a potential in providing fertile grounds for conflict. That is why social ties must not fray with the advent of the 2024 general election, an arena for contesting the presidential, legislative and regional leadership. (LITBANG KOMPAS)

This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia.