Makna Madhung Pada Masyarakat Blawong = The Significance of Madhung in Blawong Society

ABSTRACT This thesis is one of the various information that strengthening objection to the old assumption that villagers depend their lives greatly on the agricultural sector. Various factors such as the population growth and the expansion of industrial areas have ironically cleared away the agriculturil fields. This phenomenon of constriction on production margin is seen striking mostly to villagers in Java. This phenomenon of constriction on production margin is seen striking mostly to villagers in Java. The constriction impacts to the decreasing of production value that forces villagers to seek job opportunities outside the agricultural sector. The stereotypes that posit villagers as those who are lazy, dumb, and always being subjects of natural forces do not always remain true. In fact, villagers who live in poverty have realized the condition they experience. They, then, develop their basic abilities to think, to interpret their present condition, and to define strategy in solving the problem. Various ways showing the poor villagers' efforts to participate in trade, service, home industry, factory works, etc. are truly their strategies to get rid of the stress of life. This research attempts to reveal the cause and the problem occur in well-digging activity that involve most villagers of Dusun Blawong, a duster of village in the region of Bantul, Special District of Yogyakarta Province. For people in Yogyakarta and the surroundings, Dusun Blawong with its villagers' efforts to participate in trade, service, home industry, factory works, etc. are truly their strategies to get rid of the stress of life. Various causes sand as basis for the choosing of this profession as well digger. Wadhung myth and people awareness to serve the former generations devotedly (mituhu) meet their condition of not having access to capital. On the other side, peoples who are used to have Blawong well diggers' services have legitimated their capabilities. Even there is a belief that those abilities -are led by 'God hand.' Along the time, this profession has undergone various changes in technical implementation, marketing strategy, up to the using of new technoogy and innovations relate to the effort in achieving consumer's satisfaction. As a business, this profession also makes use of modern organization net and intrigues in its marketing strategy. Keywords: wadhung, strategy, rural communit