Cultivation Theory in Indonesia

George Gerbner is a professor who introduce cultivation theory when he became dean Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania United States (U.S.). The first text that introduces the theory is the "Living with Television: The Violence profile", Journal of Communication. Initially, he conducted research on the Cultural Indicators in the medium of 1960 year to study the influence of watching television. In other words, he wanted to know the real world be like that, reflected by the television audience? It means, cultivation theory based on research on the impact of television.

According to this cultivation theory, television became the main and media tool or where the television audience to learn about community and their culture. In other words, the perception of what is awakened in your mind about people and culture are determined by television. This means that, through contacts with television, you learn about the world, people, values and customs.

Early, cultivation theory has interest in television and audience studies, particularly focusing on the theme of violence on television. But in its development, it also can be used to other theme of violence. For example, a student at an American University had an observation about heavy viewers of soap opera. In fact, they (classified that heavy viewer) let’s do affairs, and divorced from the actual drop in the non-addicted (Dominic, 1990).

Even, with the cultivation frame of reference, there are differences between the views of parents with teenagers on a problem. Through differences of cultivation, parents are shown on television is negative. Even the heavy viewers of television (especially the young) have more negative views about the parents than non heavy viewers. Why is all happened? Actually, television has always showed the negative side of the parents. For example, how often they look old-fashioned in understanding and completing the cases related to young people. As if, the heavy viewers do not aware that television have negative influence, especially for their attitudes and behaviour.

Heavy viewers will assume that what happens in the television is the real world. For example, about violence that occurred in the community. They will say that because of violence as social problems from impact of television. In fact, the main factor may be is cultural shock from traditional to modern. Also, heavy viewers said that someone likely to be victims of crime is 1:10, the number is in fact 1:50. They also estimate that 20 percent of the total world population living in the United States, while only 6 percent only. In other words, heavy viewers assessment, perceptions, opinions depend on what they see on television. Then, they assume that what the television show is the real world indeed.

Sinetron (private television Indonesia program, like a soap opera) played at this time the same. For example “Tersanjung” (flettered), “Pernikahan Dini” (Early Marriage), “Penghormatan” (Honorary) and others. Individual in that sinetron always discuss about conflict between the parents with children and pregnant outside marriage (married by accident/MBA). Heavy viewers say that there are pregnant outside marriage beyond of society. Because private television Indonesia has shown like that too. That opinion maybe not true, but in other case it’s not wrong. The heavy viewers believe that what happens in the community as it is reflected in the sinetron. Dispute and conflict between parents and children are one of the examples.

In the audience mind (especially heavy viewers) there is opinion that all of children rebelled to parents about the differences each other. They believe that television program is portrait of the real world. Although there are a few children who still respect or obedience on their parents.

Gerbner argues that mass media inculcate certain values and attitudes. Then, media disseminate the values and attitudes among community members and binding together. In other words, the media affect the audience and each audience is believed in. Thus, the heavy viewers have the same trend each others.

Research of cultivation emphasized that the mass media as agents of socialization and research, whether television audience more believe what they watch on television than the real world. Gerbner and his friends see that the film drama that is presented on television have little influence but is very important in changing attitudes, beliefs, views in relations with social environment.


Television, as observed by Gerbner is dominate "symbolic environment" us.. As McQuail and Windahl (1993) once said, cultivation theory assumes that television is not only a window and reflection of everyday life, but the world itself. Gerbner (as Bandura said) also argued that the illustration of scenes of violence on television is a more symbolic message about the law and rules.

In other words, the behaviour of violence showing on television is a reflection on the events around us. If scenes of violence that reflect the rule of law can not overcome the situation such as that depicted in the scenes of television, so you can actually occur as well. So, television violence is considered as violence that is currently happening in the world. Rule of law that can be used to overcome the evil behaviour that will be on the television as it is said that our current law.

If we watch shows like “Buser” (RCTI), “Patroli” (Indosiar), “Sergap” (SCTV) private television in Indonesia will be seen some of the crimes committed. In that pogram, many examples of crimes that are indicated. In the view cultivation said that the scenes in the program describe our real world. As be shown on television program, crime our environment seems increase.