Perilaku koruptif dalam birokrasi desa

Dilema integritas dan dominasi budaya paternalistik

Abstract

This study examines the phenomenon of corruption at the village level in Indonesia which cannot be reduced merely to administrative failure, but rather constitutes a social product born from the strong grip of paternalistic culture and patron-client relationships embedded in rural community structures. Sociological analysis of various empirical studies demonstrates that the culture of ewuh pakewuh, which instills reluctance to questioning authoritative figures, has effectively paralyzed internal check and balances functions. The blurring of boundaries between private and public spheres alongside the dominance of patron-client relationships has created a social ecosystem where criticism of village heads is perceived as disloyalty. The formal state supervision system experiences paralysis because it fails to read and penetrate the dynamics of informal power that have crystallized over decades. This study concludes that combating corruption at the village level requires reconstructing community-based supervision systems and strengthening integrity education capable of negotiating the tension between cultural loyalty and adherence to formal legal rationality.