Zainal Arifin, S.Sos, Realizing Environmental Sociology through Disaster Alertness
SOSIO FISIP UNS (5/1)- Thick smoke resulting from forest fire in Lamandau, Kalimantan Tengah (Central Kalimantan) and various natural disasters made Zainal Arifin determined to dedicate his life to the public with knowledge he has ever acquired. Zainal Arifin, S.Sos is an alumnus of Department of Sociology of Faculty of Social and Political Sciences of Sebelas Maret University of Surakarta successfully becoming a State Civil Apparatus (ASN) in Disaster Management field. Zainal has become a State Civil Apparatus in Disaster Management in Lamandau Regency of Kalimantan Tengah Province since 2009. Zainal was a 1998-generation student of Sociology Department of FISIP UNS with NRM.D0398009 and have graduated on April 10, 2003. During his study in Sociology Department, he was under guidance of Dr. LV Ratna Devi Sakuntalawati M.Si. as his academic advisor. He successfully completed his graduate study in 2003 by writing a thesis entitled “Konversi Penganut Non Salafiyah ke Dalam Salafiyah di Desa Widodo Martani Kecamatan Ngemplak Kabupaten Sleman (The Conversion of Non-Salafiyah into Salafiyah Adherents in Widodo Martani Village, Ngemplak Sub District, Sleman Regency)” under guidance of Mr. Drs. J Indarto, S.U. and Drs. Argyo Demartoto. Having graduated from his graduate study, Zainal dedicated himself to be a non-permanent teacher for Sociology Subject in SMAN 1 Sukoharjo before being a State Civil Apparatus in Lamandau later.
As a Sociologist, in doing his work Zainal applies Sociological science he had learnt during his study. He does so in his job in Disaster Management field in Lamandau Regency in Kalimantan Tengah in line with Environmental Sociology scholarship practice. One of volunteer works Zainal has done in his working environment can be seen in the attempt of extinguishing the forest and land fire in 2013. He did it along with Fire Fighters, Tagana, Manggala Agni, and People caring about Fire to extinguish land and forest fire. Zainal said that it is important to give the people socialization, communication, and education related to disaster, so that disaster-related problems, including forest fire, can be prevented and overcome well.
Since 2016, Zainal has been mutated as ASN to Tegal Regency Government and occupied the position of Head of Reconstruction Sub Division of Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Tegal Regency. “In Tegal I along with the Chief Executive of BPBD of Tegal Regency and my colleague made an innovation in handling Covid-19 and successfully got aid from Central Government (BNPB) in the form of 2 ventilators and 17,000 antigen test tools for RSUD Suradadi (Suradadi Regional Hospital), Zainal said.
In addition to being ASN, Zainal spend his leisure time by joining research activities in a research institution named Fajar Institute along with his coworkers. From these activities, Zainal got experience from studying urban and rural societies and had ever conducted an electability survey in legislative and local leader elections in 2019. He said through participating in some research activities conducted by his lecturers during his graduate study he can have researching ability today. As a sociologist, Zainal actually applies the sciences he has acquired during his study in Sociology Department of FISIP UNS, from the application of disaster analysis for the public to the experience with professional research.
Author: Novel Adryan Purnomo