Preserving "Batik Village" Charm And Its Local Wisdom (case In Gemawang Village, Semarang Regency)

Abstract

Gemawang is a vocational village located in Jambu district, Semarang Regency, Central Java. Most of people in this village make batik fabric and clothes for their daily so that this village is famous as “batik villageâ€. This village has been developed since 2009 by Kelompok Sadar Wisata (Pokdarwis), a group that has shaped in vocational villages in Semarang regency. Because of its unique, this village is become tourism village and visited by domestic and foreign tourists for buy products, attend training of batik production, and other events. The data of this paper is collected by interview to the chairman of Pokdarwis and homestay organizer in Gemawang and also from literature studies. The data were analyzed by referring to theories. There are innovation diffusion, social exchange, and social learning. The other unique of this village is its local wisdom that still available there. The tourists that come to Gemawang will warmly welcomed by the hosts, and if they stay for nights there, the hosts will give traditional food and services. This paper discusses the interaction between Pokdarwis, the citizens of Gemawang, and the tourists who come to a village that famous of its batik and aims to reveal how the people of Gemawang make 4 success in changing their village from common village to tourism village and make identity as “Batik Village†Key words: batik, village, tourists, group, local wisdom, traditional, interaction