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Abstract

Many recent studies show the development of an increasingly diverse elite characterized by the emergence of a new elite and, on the other hand, the collapse of the old elite. However, these studies mainly infer democratic political change as an explanatory factor. This article takes a different standpoint to explain why some local elites collapse, survive, and emerge as new elites. Specifically, this article describes the formation of the elite resource base and its accumulation by emphasizing the perspective of social changes. Resources become the basis of power that determines the position of the elite in society and the political arena. In the data-collecting process, this study conducted interviews with several patrons and local elites accompanied by the collection of other secondary data. Our findings explain that the factor of social changes at the local level becomes the driving force that determines the emergence and collapse of the elite at the local level. The changes in the social structure of society from feudal and hierarchical to modern-competitive society have transformed the composition of the resource base of elite power in society and determined the rise and fall of elite power. In addition, the changes in social structure not only encourage the emergence of other resource bases but also opens up opportunities for the elite to accumulate them. Three critical resources determine the elite's position in Biringkassi village, namely cultural, economic, and educational resources. These three resources determine the formation and shifts of the elite in society. The study asserts that although local political changes occur within a formal-democratic framework, local communities are still tied to a power base that persists outside that framework.

Bahasa Abstract

Banyak studi terbaru menunjukkan perkembangan elite yang semakin beragam, yang ditandai dengan munculnya elite-elite baru dan di sisi lain runtuhnya elite lama. Namun demikian, studi-studi tersebut kebanyakan menyimpulkan perubahan politik demokratik sebagai faktor penjelasannya. Artikel ini mengambil jalan berbeda untuk menjelaskan mengapa sebagian elite di level lokal runtuh, bertahan, dan muncul sebagai elite baru. Secara spesifik, artikel ini menjelaskan pembentukan basis sumber daya elite dan akumulasinya dengan menekankan pada perspektif perubahan sosial. Sumber daya menjadi basis kekuasaan yang menentukan posisi elite dalam masyarakat maupun arena politik. Dalam proses pengambilan data, studi ini melakukan wawancara kepada sejumlah patron dan elite lokal yang disertai dengan pengumpulan data-data sekunder lainnya. Temuan kami menjelaskan bahwa faktor perubahan sosial di tingkat lokal menjadi driving force yang menentukan muncul dan runtuhnya elite di level lokal. Perubahan struktur sosial masyarakat dari feodal dan hirarkis menuju masyarakat modern-kompetitif telah mentransformasi komposisi basis sumber daya kekuasaan elite dalam masyarakat sekaligus menentukan jatuh bangun kekuasaan elite. Selain itu, perubahan struktur sosial tersebut tidak hanya mendorong kemunculan basis sumber daya lainnya, tapi juga membuka peluang bagi elite untuk mengakumulasinya. Terdapat tiga sumber daya penting yang menentukan posisi elite di Kelurahan Biringkassi, yaitu; sumber daya kultural, ekonomi, dan pendidikan. Ketiganya menentukan formasi dan pergeseran elite dalam masyarakat. Studi ini menegaskan bahwa meskipun perubahan politik lokal terjadi dalam kerangka formal-demokratik, masyarakat lokal masih terikat pada basis kekuasaan yang hidup dan bekerja di luar kerangka tersebut.

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