The Role and Significance of Law No. 24 / 2009 and its Implications for the Javanese Language: A Case Study in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

Calls for more holistic research, especially ones that deal with law and its implications for local languages, have increased in recent years. The present study used narrative research design to investigate the beliefs and experiences of one participant about his role in preserving a local language in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. In other words, the purpose of this study was to describe the life of the participant, collect and tell stories about the participant’s life, and then write narratives of his experiences by proposing two research questions: (1) how can the possible impacts of Law No.24 / 2009 on Javanese language be managed? and (2) what specific strategies have the potential to result in more effective Javanese language preservation and promotion in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia? The findings revealed that revitalization and development of Javanese language and literature and also provincial government responses to Javanese language and script crisis could be considered as solutions. More specifically, fostering cultural activities with stakeholders in both academic and non-academic domains was the way to prevent the possible negative effects of Law No. 24 / 2009 on Javanese language. It was also observed that initiating an Act could be the best strategy to revitalize Javanese language and script. These findings suggest that Center for Language and the provincial government have an important concern to respect Javanese language and culture.