Journal of Islamic Science, Culture & Social Studies
Culture

Towards an Inclusive Creative Economy

Applying John Rawls’ Economic Justice to Empower Reog Ponorogo Artists

Aji Damanuri1 , Faruq Ahmad Futaqi2✉
12 Institut Agama Islam Negeri Ponorogo
Download
PDF
Published
27-01-2025
Pages
45-59

Abstract

Reog Ponorogo, a traditional Indonesian art form, plays a significant role in shaping the creative economy and cultural identity of the Ponorogo Regency. Despite their cultural importance and economic potential, the distribution of economic benefits among stakeholders remains unequal, leaving many artists economically vulnerable. This study explores the application of John Rawls’s principles of economic justice to address income disparities and foster an inclusive creative economy in the Reog Ponorogo ecosystem. Through a qualitative phenomenological approach, this research examines the lives of art actors and stakeholders, as well as the creative economic empowerment strategies implemented by the local government. The findings reveal a significant income gap between performers, who earn a modest income of 50,000–300,000 rupiah per performance, and entrepreneurs dealing with Reog attributes and souvenirs, who can generate a turnover of up to 100 million rupiah per month. Applying Rawls' principles of equal basic freedom and the difference principle, this study proposes policy recommendations and strategies to ensure fair access to opportunities, the equitable distribution of income, education and capacity building, market expansion, and policy support. By aligning these elements with Rawls' principles, the creative economy can celebrate cultural heritage, while promoting economic growth and social equality. This study bridges the gaps in the existing literature by integrating cultural preservation with economic empowerment, offering valuable insights for policymakers, cultural practitioners, and scholars in fostering an inclusive and sustainable creative economy.
Keywords: Reog Ponorogo creative economy economic justice John Rawls income disparity cultural preservation inclusive growth

References

  1. Ajiprabowo, G. W., & Handriyotopo, H. (2020). DESIGN PROMOTION MEDIA FOR REOG PONOROGO WITH GRAPHIC MOTION OF WAYANG KULIT. ARTISTIC : International Journal of Creation and Innovation, 1(1), 25–37. https://doi.org/10.33153/artistic.v1i1.2993
  2. Alfiati. (2018). Relasi Nilai Agama Islam Dan Budaya Dalam Kesenian Reog Ponorogo. An-Nuha : Jurnal Kajian Islam, Pendidikan, Budaya Dan Sosial, 5(2). http://ejournal.staimadiun.ac.id/index.php/annuha/article/view/268
  3. Amin, G. (2023). Development of Cultural Tourism in Kutu Wetan Village with Community Involvement to Increase Local Wealth. Journal of Community Development in Asia, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.32535/jcda.v6i1.1987
  4. Bourdieu, P. (2018). The Forms of Capital. In M. S. Granovetter & R. Swedberg (Eds.), The sociology of economic life (Third edition). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429494338
  5. Bourdieu, P., & Nice, R. (1977). Outline of a Theory of Practice. Cambridge University Press. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=Hbw2AAAAQBAJ
  6. Coker, D. C. (2023). Economic Modeling in Rawls: The Original Position. Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics, 15(2). https://doi.org/10.23941/ejpe.v15i2.638
  7. Eich, S. (2021). The Theodicy of Growth: John Rawls, Political Economy, and Reasonable Faith. Modern Intellectual History, 18(4), 984–1009. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1479244320000475
  8. Ekoputro, W., & Nugroho, M. N. (2021). Tourism branding Komunikasi Pemasaran Ekonomi Kreatif sebagai Upaya Peningkatan Kesejahteraan Masyarakat Desa Wisata Budaya Plunturan, Kecamatan Pulung, Ponorogo. Representamen, 7(01). https://doi.org/10.30996/representamen.v7i01.5125
  9. Elviana, E., Winarto, E. D., & Avenzoar, A. (2021). UPAYA PENINGKATAN CITRA KAWASAN WISATA BUDAYA PADA SANGGRALOKA SEKAR WILIS PONOROGO. JURNAL ENVIROTEK, 13(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.33005/envirotek.v13i1.130
  10. Faculty of Fine Arts and Designs, Universitas Sebelas Maret UNS Indonesia, Munib, J. A., & Mahardika, D. F. (2023). Design of “Reog Ponorogo” Game Character Assets to Introduce Indonesian Folklore. International Journal of Social Science And Human Research, 06(04). https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v6-i4-08
  11. Fleay, J. J., & Judd, B. (2019). Uluru statement: A First Nations perspective of the implications for social reconstructive race relations in Australia. International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies, 12(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.5204/ijcis.v12i1.532
  12. Francis, J. G., & Francis, L. P. (2020). Fairness in the Use of Information About Carriers of Resistant Infections. In E. Jamrozik & M. Selgelid (Eds.), Ethics and Drug Resistance: Collective Responsibility for Global Public Health (Vol. 5, pp. 243–256). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27874-8_15
  13. Gerosa, A. (2022). The hidden roots of the creative economy: A critical history of the concept along the twentieth century. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 28(2), 131–144. https://doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2021.1933460
  14. Hartono, W. (2019). Space transformation of dwelling house of Reog community in Pendukuhan Gunungsari of Bejiharjo village of Gunungkidul district. ARTEKS : Jurnal Teknik Arsitektur, 4(1), 13–24. https://doi.org/10.30822/arteks.v4i1.74
  15. Horkheimer, M., & Adorno, T. W. (2002). Dialectic of Enlightenment: Philosophical Fragments (G. S. Noeri, Ed.; E. Jephcott, Trans.). Stanford University Press.
  16. Ihsan, R. P. (2023). KSP’s meeting to resolve UNESCO cultural heritage inclusion dispute. Antara News. https://en.antaranews.com/news/226141/ksps-meeting-to-resolve-unesco-cultural-heritage-inclusion-dispute
  17. Indraswari, C. (2022). True Self, Identity, and Peace Maker: Meaning of Reog Ponorogo. In R. Kertamukti, Y. Dwi Astuti, M. Johan Nasrul Huda, T. Yazid, H. Wai Weng, & N. Muthahari (Eds.), Proceedings of the Annual International Conference on Social Science and Humanities (AICOSH 2022) (pp. 161–168). Atlantis Press SARL. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-494069-87-9_20
  18. Kabuk, V. S. (2020). Ethical standards for distribution of Covid-19 relief aid. International Journal of Humanities and Innovation (IJHI), 3(4), 154–159. https://doi.org/10.33750/ijhi.v3i4.100
  19. Kementeria Luar Negeri Indonesia. (n.d.). Reog Ponorogo Yang Menjadi Nominasi Tunggal Budaya Tak Benda di UNESCO. Kemlu.Go.Id. https://kemlu.go.id/capetown/id/news/18450/surat-edaran-nomor-1-tahun-2022-tentang-protokol-kesehatan-perjalanan-luar-negeri-pada-masa-pandemi-corona-virus-disease-2019-covid-19
  20. Kementerian Luar Negeri Repulik Indonesia. (2023). “Jiwa Jagad Jawi” Meraih Gold Award dalam ITFFA 2023 di Cape Town. Kemlu.Go.Id. https://kemlu.go.id/capetown/id/news/24433/jiwa-jagad-jawi-meraih-gold-award-dalam-itffa-2023-di-cape-town
  21. Killen, M., Yee, K. M., & Ruck, M. D. (2021). Social and Racial Justice as Fundamental Goals for the Field of Human Development. Human Development, 65(5–6), 257–269. https://doi.org/10.1159/000519698
  22. Kurnianto, R., Iman, N., & Laksana, S. D. (2021). Development of Character Education Model for Gender Perspective Jathil Obyog Reog Ponorogo Dancers. Proceedings of the 2nd Borobudur International Symposium on Humanities and Social Sciences, BIS-HSS 2020, 18 November 2020, Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. Proceedings of the 2nd Borobudur International Symposium on Humanities and Social Sciences, BIS-HSS 2020, 18 November 2020, Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia, Magelang, Indonesia. https://doi.org/10.4108/eai.18-11-2020.2311646
  23. Kurniawan, G. P., & Sitaviana, S. (2022). THE REALIZATION OF EDUCATION AND TOLERANCE IN THE FRAME OF DIVERSITY THROUGH REOG PONOROGO FESTIVAL. At-Tajdid : Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pemikiran Islam, 5(2), 42. https://doi.org/10.24127/att.v5i2.1841
  24. Kusbandrijo, B., Tjahjono, E., & Rochim, A. I. (2018). PENGELOLAAN KAWASAN WISATA TERINTEGRASI DI KABUPATEN PONOROGO DENGAN PENDEKATAN CITY MARKETING. DIA: Jurnal Ilmiah Administrasi Publik, 16(1), 50. https://doi.org/10.30996/dia.v16i1.1927
  25. Merkel, J. (2019). Book review: Mark Banks, Creative Justice: Cultural Industries, Work and Inequality. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 22(1), 128–130. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367549418764056
  26. Miaji, Y., & Hassan, S. (2010). Breaking the Legend: Maxmin Fairness notion is no longer effective. International Journal on Applications of Graph Theory In Wireless Ad Hoc Networks And Sensor Networks, 2(2), 25–32. https://doi.org/10.5121/jgraphoc.2010.2203
  27. Moustakas, C. E. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Sage.
  28. Nath, R. (2020). Rawls on Global Economic Justice: A Critical Examination. In R. Nath, John Rawls (pp. 313–328). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190859213.003.0027
  29. Ningrum, R. T. P. (2020). POTENSI MODAL SOSIAL MASYARAKAT DAERAH PASCA BENCANA DI KABUPATEN PONOROGO (INISIASI MODEL AGUNAN ALTERNATIF BERBASIS MODAL SOSIAL). I-ECONOMICS: A Research Journal on Islamic Economics, 6(1), 47–70. https://doi.org/10.19109/https://doi.org/10.19109/ieconomics.v6i1.5328
  30. Nurullita, D. (2021). Violation of justice in American police department as reflected in the film Changeling. COMMICAST, 2(1), 35. https://doi.org/10.12928/commicast.v2i1.2726
  31. Oakley, K., & Ward, J. (2018). Creative Economy, Critical Perspectives. Cultural Trends, 27(5), 311–312. https://doi.org/10.1080/09548963.2018.1534573
  32. O’Neill, M. (2022). Social Justice and Economic Systems: On Rawls, Democratic Socialism, and Alternatives to Capitalism. Philosophical Topics, 48. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48652125
  33. Pebri. (2022, September 14). Reog Ponorogo Submitted as UNESCO Intangible Heritage. OBSERVER. https://observerid.com/reog-ponorogo-submitted-as-unesco-intangible-heritage/.
  34. Piaggesi, D., Landazuri, H., & Jia, B. (Eds.). (2022). Cases on Applying Knowledge Economy Principles for Economic Growth in Developing Nations: IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-8417-0
  35. ponorogo kreatif. (2023, February 7). Ponorogo Officially Enters Indonesia’s Creative Regency/City Network. https://www.ponorogocreative.id/2023/02/07/ponorogo-officially-enters-indonesias-creative-regency-city-network/
  36. Putri, E. (2017). The Most Beautiful Traditional Dances From Indonesia. Culture Trip. https://theculturetrip.com/asia/indonesia/articles/the-most-beautiful-traditional-dances-from-indonesia/
  37. Rahimsyah, M. B., Tasrif, M., & Hidayat, K. (1990). Asal-usul Reog Ponorogo. Penerbit Karya Anda.
  38. Rawls, J. (2005). A Theory of Justice: Original Edition. Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvjf9z6v
  39. Rawls, J. (2017). A Theory of Justice. In L. May & J. B. Delston (Eds.), Applied Ethics (6th ed., pp. 21–29). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315097176-4
  40. Raymond, F. E. (2006). Is Sustainable Development Compatible with Rawlsian Justice? Contributions in Theoretical Economics, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.2202/1534-5971.1258
  41. Reog Ponorogo. (n.d.). http://ereyog.com/index.php
  42. Reog Ponorogo—Inside Indonesia: The Peoples and Cultures of Indonesia. (n.d.). Inside Indonesia. https://www.insideindonesia.org/reog-ponorogo
  43. Rokhmansyah, A., Nuryatin, A., Supriyanto, T., & Setyaningsih, N. H. (2021). Evaluation of Reading materials for students in schools. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences, 16(3), 1097–1105. https://doi.org/10.18844/cjes.v16i3.5828
  44. Salako, S. E. (2017). Climate Change, Environmental Security and Global Justice. International Law Research, 6(1), 119. https://doi.org/10.5539/ilr.v6n1p119
  45. Schumpeter, J. A., & Swedberg, R. (2005). Capitalism, socialism and democracy (Transferred to digital print). Routledge.
  46. Sejarah Reog Ponorogo. (n.d.). https://disbudparpora.ponorogo.go.id/tag/reog-ponorogo-road-to-ich-unesco/
  47. Septi Wahyu Setyaningsih Sugiyo, Hartono Hartono, & Wadiyo Wadiyo. (n.d.). Creative Adaptation of Singo Santoso Sakti Dance Group in the Development of Reog Ponorogo Art in Kreteg Hamlet, Lerep Village, Semarang Regency. Catharsis: Journal of Arts Education Published by Arts Education, Postgraduate Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia, 8(2), 2019.
  48. Sternberg, R. (2017). Creativity support policies as a means of development policy for the global South? A critical appraisal of the UNESCO Creative Economy Report 2013. Regional Studies, 51(2), 336–345. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2016.1174844
  49. Sulton, Utami, P. S., & Wulansari, B. Y. (2021). The Development of Adobe Animate Application in the Form of a Digital Learning of Wayang Golek Reyog Ponorogo to Introduce the Characters of Patriotism in Early Childhood in the Era of Covid-19 Pandemic: Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Character Education (ICCE 2020). 1st International Conference on Character Education (ICCE 2020), Semarang, Indonesia. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210204.028
  50. Taekema, S. (2018). Theoretical and Normative Frameworks for Legal Research: Putting Theory into Practice. Law and Method. https://doi.org/10.5553/REM/.000031
  51. Tepper, S. J. (2002). Creative Assets and the Changing Economy. The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society, 32(2), 159–168. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632920209596971
  52. the Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand, & Whitehead, J. (2017). The Influence of Distributive Justice on Agricultural Environmental Sustainability. International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, 8(10), 736–741. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijesd.2017.8.10.1048
  53. Thứ năm. (2020). The State’s Role in Ensuring Fair Income Distribution in Vietnam Today: Some Issues from the Theory of Justice as Fairness by John Rawls. Tạp Chí Khoa Học Xã Hội và Nhân Văn (VNU Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities). https://jossh.vnu.edu.vn/vi/noi-dung/nam-2016/the-state-s-role-in-ensuring-fair-income-distribution-in-vietnam-today-some-issues-from-the-theory-of-justice-as-fairness-by-john-rawls-543.html
  54. Vita, Á. D. (2014). Critical theory and social justice. Brazilian Political Science Review, 8(1), 109–126. https://doi.org/10.1590/1981-38212014000100005
  55. Wulansari, N. I., & Admoko, S. (2021). Identification of Physics Concepts in Reog Ponorogo’s Dhadak Merak Dance as A Source of Learning Physics: An Analytical Study. Berkala Ilmiah Pendidikan Fisika, 9(1), 105. https://doi.org/10.20527/bipf.v9i1.9862

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

© 2025 Aji Damanuri, Faruq Ahmad Futaqi

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  • Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).

Indexing & Citations

How to Cite

Damanuri, A. ., & Futaqi, F. A. . (2025). Towards an Inclusive Creative Economy: Applying John Rawls’ Economic Justice to Empower Reog Ponorogo Artists. Ascarya: Journal of Islamic Science, Culture, and Social Studies, 5(1), 45-59. https://doi.org/10.53754/iscs.v5i1.727
Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC

Similar Articles

21-30 of 57

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.