SOCIAL PRACTICE OF PEDAGANG ACUNG (VENDORS) AT KINTAMANI TOURIST AREA, BANGLI, BALI Ni Made Ary Widiastini Department of Diploma 3 in Hotel Management Faculty of Economics and Business, Ganesha University of Education, Singaraja I Wayan Ardika Nengah Dasi Astawa I Gede Mudana e-mail: ary.widiastini@gmail.com ABSTRACT This present study is intended to explain the social practice performed by the pedagang acung (vendors) at Kintamani Tourist Area, Bangli Regency, Bali Province. In selling their commodities, the vendors cannot be separated from those who are involved in the development of tourism. In this present study the data were collected through observation, interview and library research. The data were eclectically analyzed using the theory of social practice and some other supporting theories. Such theories were used to identify various forms of the social practice performed by the vendors. The result of the study showed that in practice the vendors interacted with various parties involved in the development of tourism at Kintamani, Bangli. The consequence was that they fought for the capital as they had different interests. Having a limited amount of capital caused them to be marginalized by those who had bigger amounts of capital. The economic, social and cultural capitals they had caused them to be suspected of the sources of the problems in the development of tourism at Kintamani. They should not have been negatively viewed but should also have been positively viewed. In other words, they should have been viewed as those who ran entrepreneurship with limited amounts of capital who could also reduce the rate of unemployment and contribute to the economic development in Bangli Regency in particular and Bali Province in general. Keywords: Vendors, Social Practice, Tourism, Kintamani INTRODUCTION Vending, as a profession, which has been undertaken by the local people living at Batur Village, has not only benefited them economically but has also led to various economic, social, cultural, political and environmental problems. Kintamani with its beautiful mount and lake has inspired many people to excavate the potentials it has. Many local people, who used to work as farmers, have been working as vendors. They sell their commodities to the tourists who visit Kintamani. Such a phenomenon supports what is stated by Wirakartakusumah (1987: 33-47) that there are several factors which can cause people to change their professions. Such factors are as follows (1) the economic factor, (2) the social factor, (3) the natural factor, (4) the educational factor and so forth. Such a phenomenon can also be seen at Kintamani as one of the tourist destinations in Bali. Many local people have worked as vendors, as, in their opinion, vending can benefit them more than working as farmers. What they can produce from farming cannot meet their various needs. The reason is that what they can produce cannot be entirely consumed; some should be left for the following growing season. In addition, they have to wait for a relatively long time before they can harvest what they plant. Therefore, they should have other jobs; otherwise, they cannot fulfill their daily needs. Most of them have chosen to work as vendors as an additional job, meaning that vending can strengthen their economy. In this context, vending at Kintamani tourist area is also the economic basis for the families living there. The phenomenon of being involved in the informal sector by working as vendors, who sell their commodities to tourists, is interesting to be investigated. The reason is that many local people have chosen such a profession in order to be able to meet their primary, secondary and tertiary needs. Cukier and Wall (1994: 464-476), in his article entitled “Informal tourism employment: vendors in Bali, Indonesia”, stated that vending can sufficiently benefit people; therefore, those who have limited capital have chosen such a profession. In this present study what is explored is the social practice performed by the vendors at Kintamani tourist destination from the perspective of cultural studies. RESEACH METHOD In this present study, the main instrument used was an interview guide. Those who were involved in vending enterprise interviewed were the vendors, the product suppliers, the village government, the regency government, the provincial government, the local leaders, the tourism observers, and those who were involved in the tourism businesses. The data were descriptively and qualitatively analyzed, and the result of the data analysis was informally presented, meaning that the result of the data analysis was descriptively analyzed based on the norms referred to in the cultural studies. DISCUSSION Vendors are not only in Bali, but they are also found in almost every tourist area in Indonesia; however, they are differently named. Their existence has been explored by several foreign researchers, as stated by Timothy and Wall (1997) in their book entitled “Selling to Tourist Indonesian Street Vendors”, that working in informal sectors such as working as vendors at tourist destinations has economically and significantly contributed to the economic development. In Bali in general, and at Kintamani tourist destination, Kintamani, Bangli regency in particular, there are so many people who have chosen vending as a profession, meaning that the space of meaning has been fought for economically, socially, culturally, and politically in every activity the vendors do. The social practice which is performed at Kintamani tourist area, Bangli Regency, is internal and external in nature. In practice, the vendors are involved in the activities in which the other parties are also involved such as their group, the other group of vendors, the government, the product supplier, the restaurant owners, the tourist guides and tourists. In practice, the vendors at Kintamani tourist destination establish three groups; the Lake View group, the Garden View group, and the groups in every restaurant. Each group has an area where they vend their commodities, based on the agreement they have made since they were under the supervision of Bintang Danu Foundation. As stated by Takwin (2009: xix), the habitus as the basis of the domain caused people to spontaneously make contacts with others, as can be seen from the process through which the groups of the vendors were established. As far as the vendors at Kintamani tourist destination are concerned, the groups were established based on their geographical and psychological proximities. In practice, each vendor sells his/her products from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm, although many start selling their products earlier or go home later; this only contributes to the turnover they earn. The commodities they vend are based on the blue cards they receive from the Bintang Danu Foundation. This policy is still prevailing, causing the competition among the vendors not to be too high. The express boundaries of the areas where they may vend their commodities have also caused the competition among the groups of the vendors not to be high either. Although the competition is not too high, they often have to run after the tourists who happen to be in their areas in order to gain maximum profit. The government, as the party which has the authority to regulate the vending practices, does not provide any good space to the local people with limited capital to be independent in entrepreneurship. Therefore, in this present study the concept proposed by Bourdieu in Jackson (2010: 139) concerning the ideological superstructure was used to understand the actions taken by the government. The intention to minimize unemployment as the job opportunities are limited has caused the government to give non-formal permit to those who intend to undertake entrepreneurship, that is, to those who intend to work as vendors. The government’s attitude to allow those who would like to undertake non formal businesses may lead to a condition in which the vendors are marginalized due to various reasons as a form of the game of power played by the government. The phenomenon which is interesting to be explored is the existence of the product suppliers to them no firm attention has been paid by the government. Based on the result of the data analysis in the present study, it was found that their existence had mainly caused the vendors to keep under pressure. The vendors had to pay off the products from the suppliers; therefore, they had to sell their commodities aggressively; otherwise, they would not gain their capital back. The information obtained from the interview showed that those who gained the highest benefit from the vending activities at Kintamani Tourist area were the suppliers. The reason was that they took such commodities from the producers and they did not take any risk as the vendors were supposed to pay off the products they had taken from them. As stated by Plummer (2011: 285) that the social capital refers to the relation among individuals in which confidence plays an important role. Therefore, it can be understood that a supplier who did not allow the vendors to pay off the products he/she supplied to them in installments means that his/her confidence to the vendors was low. The vendors, as the party that has the smallest capital, should be faithful to the regulations applicable to them, including to the regulations issued by the restaurants where they are allowed to sell their commodities. Many restaurants at the Kintamani tourist area allow the local people to work as vendors. In practice, there is a mutual symbiosis relation between the restaurants and vendors; such a relation is in the form of the patron-client relation. As stated by Scott (1981: 257) that the goods or services which are exchanged for between the patron and the client are not the same; the reason is that the nature of the relation between them is based on their different needs; similarly, the nature of the relation between the vendors and the restaurants are not equal either. The image of the restaurants is good as they have prepared space for the local people where they can earn their income by selling souvenirs. The practice of entrepreneurship at Kintamani tourist area is also performed by the tour guides who cannot be separated from the existence of the vendors either. Unconsciously, the tour guides often consider that the vendors, whom should be appreciated for being the host, the source of problems. As stated by Takwin (2009:xx-xxi) that every domain requires that every individual should have specific capital in order to be able to survive. The tour guides and vendors should too. However, tourism requires that everybody should have a strong cultural resource, causing the vendors to have to accept their defeat. Plummer (2011:229) stated that the cultural resource includes the accessibility to information, knowledge, skill and education. In this case, the tour guides have such elements of the cultural resource, making them easily make tourists not to believe in the vendors. In this context, although based on the formula proposed by Bourdieu that the habitus and domain are controlled by local people, the limited elements of the cultural resource, as stated by Plummer (2011:229), have caused the vendors to be marginalized in their own area. In practice, the vendors are under various pressures; they are considered the sources of the problems at Kintamani tourist area, Bangli. In many articles and studies, it is stated that the vendors at Kintamani are the social pathology of the Kintamani tourism. Furthermore, Dwitahadi et al. (2016), in her article entitled “Perlindungan Hukum Terhadap Hak Wisatawan Berkaitan dengan Kenyamanan Wisatawan di Kawasan Wisata Penelokan Kintamani Bangli” (the Legal Protection of What Tourists Are Entitled to Are Related to the Comfort of the Tourists at Penelokan Tourist Area, Kintamani, Bangli), stated that the Act Number 10 of 2009 concerning Tourism only sides with tourists, and that no attention is paid to what is needed by the local people who are also entitled to the positive impact the development of tourism in their own area. The concept that vending is a solution to unemployment has never been taken into consideration, although vending makes the local people able to fulfill what they and their families need; as a result, crimes can be minimized. As stated by Wayan Yarmi (40 years old) that vending made the local people able to meet their daily needs and, as a result, stealth could be reduced. Therefore, the entrepreneurship which is undertaken by the vendors should be viewed as a positive thing so their existence will not be marginalized. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION In practice, the vendors at Kintamani tourist area should compete against the other parties that are involved in the development of the tourism at Kintamani, Bangli. Apart from the competition among them, the competition also takes place between them and the other parts that also have various interests in the development of Kintamani and with whom they share the shame arena such as the tour guides and product suppliers. In practice, the vendors become marginalized as the economic, social and cultural capitals they have are limited. In spite of that, many local people still undertake their entrepreneurship as vendors. As stated by Timothy and Wall (1997: 322-338), who particularly explored the street vendors in Indonesia in general and in Yogyakarta in particular considered that the employment in the informal sector at the tourist area should be supported as their existence is important in the macro economic development. It is also suggested that those who consider that the vendors are the sources of problems should wisely try to understand their existence. In this way, the development of Kintamani as a tourist destination can be benefit and enjoyed by every party in general and the local people as the host in particular. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In this opportunity, the writer would like to thank Prof. Dr. I Wayan Ardika, M.A., Prof. Dr. Nengah Dasi Astawa, M.Si and Dr. I Gede Mudana for their guidance during the completion of this present study entitled “The Social Practice of the Vendors at Kintamani Tourist Area, Bangli, Bali” as the dissertation which could be well completed. The writer would also like to thank the management of the doctorate program in Cultural Studies, Udayana University for the contribution given to the writer during the completion of the article and dissertation. The writer would also like to thank the Directorate General of Higher Education for the financial assistance provided to the writer during her study. BIBLIOGRAPHY Cukier, Judie dan Wall, Geoffrey. 1994. Informal Tourism Employment: Vendors in Bali, Indonesia. Tourism Management. Volume 15. Issue 6. Page 464-476. Jackson, Peter. 2010. “Pierre Bourdieu”. Dalam Jenny Edkins dan Nick Vaughan Williams ed. Teori-Teori Kritis Menantang Pandangan Utama Suti Politik Internasional. Teguh Wahyu Utomo Penerjemah. Yogyakarta: Baca. Plummer, Ken. 2011. Sosiologi The Bacis. Jakarta: Raja Grafindo Persada. Rhisma Dwitahadi, Ida Ayu Made. R.A. Retno Murni A.A. Sri Indrawati. 2016. Perlindungan Hukum Terhadap Hak Wisatawan Berkaitan Dengan Kenyamanan Wisatawan Di Kawasan Wisata Penelokan Kintamani Bangli. Kertha Semaya. Vol.4, no.1, Pebruari 2016. Dalam http://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/kerthasemaya/article/view/18913/12389 Takwin, Bagus. 2009. “Proyek Intelektual Pierre Bourdieu: Melacak Asal-Usul Masyarakat, Melampaui Oposisi Biner Dalam Ilmu Sosial”. Dalam Richard Harker, Cheelen Mahar, dan Cris Wilkes. (Habitus X Modal) + Ranah = Praktik Pengantar Paling Komprehensif Kepada Pemikiran Pierre Bourdieu. Yogyakarta: Jalasutra. Hal. xv – xxv. Timothy, Dallen J. dan Wall, Geoffrey. 1997. Selling to Tourists Indonesian Street Vendors. Annals of Tourism Research. Volume 24. Nomor 2. Page 322-340. Wirakartakusumah, M. Djauhari. 1998. Bayang-Bayang Ekonomi Klasik. Jakarta : Dirjen Dikti Depdikbud.