Makassar,
South Sulawesi—Strengthening Understanding of Political Economy from Marxist
Perspectives and Alternative Economic Concepts among Development Economics
Students of Makassar State University. This research was conducted by
Dirmansyah Darwin together with Adi Zulkarnaen, I Made Jyotisa Adi Dwipatna,
Muh Fardan Ngoyo, and Hafid Sumarwadji, which was published in the Formosa Community Service Journal (JPMF)
Volume 5 Number 1 of 2026.
Research
conducted by Darwin with Adi Zulkarnaen, I Made Jyotisa Adi Dwipatna, Muh
Fardan Ngoyo, and Hafid Sumarwadji revealed the importance of expanding
students' perspectives on economic theory. They assessed that economic learning
that relies too much on conventional approaches is not enough to explain the
reality of social inequality that is still strong in Indonesia.
Inequality
as the Entrance to Analysis
In
the scientific article, it is explained that Indonesia's economic inequality is
still significant. The Gini coefficient in 2024 is recorded at 0.388. In fact,
the richest 1 percent of the group controls almost 50 percent of the national
wealth.
This
condition became the basis for a discussion about the relevance of Karl Marx's
thought in reading the structure of the modern economy. Marx in Das Kapital
(1867) highlights how the capitalist system resulted in the accumulation of
capital in a handful of capital owners and widened the social class gap.
Students
are invited to see that economic theory is not born neutrally, but is closely
related to certain social, political, and historical contexts. The Marxist
perspective is positioned as a critical analytical tool for understanding the
dominance of large corporations, the inequality of wealth distribution, and
power relations in economic policy.
Interactive
Seminars and Contextual Discussions
The
activity took place in the format of seminars and group discussions. The
material discussed includes the concept of social class, exploitation,
structural inequality, and the relevance of Marxist theory to the current condition
of Indonesia.
Students
then discussed concrete phenomena such as the dominance of large capital, state
economic policies, and the distribution of national resources. This approach
helps students connect theory with real practice.
In
addition to the Marxist perspective, the lecturer team also introduced the
concept of cooperative economics initiated by Mohammad Hatta. In his idea in
1959, Hatta placed cooperatives as an instrument of economic democracy that
emphasizes mutual cooperation, justice, and social solidarity.
Islamic
economics is also part of the discussion. The principles of zakat, prohibition
of usury, and orientation to the welfare of the ummah are presented as a
relevant distributive approach in the context of developing countries such as
Indonesia.
Three
Key Findings of the Activity
The
results of the activity showed a significant increase in student understanding.
There are at least three important points that come to the fore:
- Students understand that every economic
theory has a historical context that determines its relevance.
- Marxist analysis is considered still
relevant to read inequality and capital dominance in Indonesia.
- Cooperative economics and Islamic
economics are seen as potential alternatives to more inclusive and socially
just development.
The
discussion also showed that students began to see economic development not only
in terms of growth, but also distribution and social justice.
Driving
More Holistic Economic Thinking
The
author's team emphasizes that strengthening critical economic thinking is
important to produce policy analysts who are more sensitive to the problem of
inequality.
In
the context of higher education, these findings signal that the economics
curriculum needs to provide a wider space for alternative perspectives and
political economy. It is not enough for students to understand market
mechanisms, but also to be able to read the power relations and social impacts
of economic policies.
For
policymakers, the cooperative approach can strengthen the local economy and
MSMEs. Meanwhile, Islamic economic principles have the potential to support a
more redistributive and inclusive fiscal policy.
The
lecturer team recommended that similar activities be developed with more
concrete case studies on the application of cooperatives and sharia economics
in Indonesia, so that students not only understand the concept, but also the
implementation strategy.
Broader
Context: Inequality and Development Challenges
Economic
inequality not only impacts the distribution of wealth, but also on access to
education, health, and employment opportunities. By understanding various
economic perspectives, students are expected to be able to formulate more
comprehensive solutions.
This
approach is considered relevant in dealing with increasingly complex global
economic dynamics. In the midst of global capital pressures and wealth
concentration, cross-perspective understanding is an important capital for
future generations of economists.
Author
Profile
•
Dirmansyah Darwin– Makassar State
University.
•
Adi Zulkarnaen– Makassar State
University.
•
I Made Jyotisa Adi Dwipatna– Makassar
State University.
•
Muh Fardan Ngoyo – Makassar State
University.
•
Hafid Sumarwadji– Makassar State University.
Research
Source
Darwin,
D., Zulkarnaen, A., Dwipatna, I. M. J. A., Ngoyo, M. F., & Sumarwadji, H.
(2026). Strengthening Understanding of Political Economy from a Marxist
Perspective and Alternative Economic Concepts Among Development Economics
Students at State University of Makassar.
Journal
of Community Service Formosa (JPMF), Vol. 5 No. 1, pp. 81–88.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/jpmf.v5i1.131
Official
URL : https://ntlformosapublisher.org/index.php/jpmf
0 Komentar