Studi Etnografi UMKM (Usaha Mikro Kecil dan Menengah) Masyarakat Desa Perlis Kecamatan Brandan Barat Kabupaten Langkat Sumatera Utara

Abstract

This study aims to describe the historical background and development of Kecepe Shrimp Paste MSMEs and why they can survive as a livelihood in Perlis Village. This study also tries to identify the capital needs used in the production and development stages of MSMEs as well as the cultural capital owned by Perlis Village residents in maintaining shrimp paste MSMEs. This research uses qualitative methods with an ethnographic study approach. Researchers lived together in people's homes for two months in Perlis Village. Data were collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. During the study, researchers observed directly and participated in the process of making shrimp paste and conducted in-depth interviews with SMEs to dig deeper into the capital needs and cultural capital associated with making shrimp paste. The results of this study explain that the residents of Perlis Village have a history that cannot be separated from the existence of shrimp paste which is guarded until now. Kecepe shrimp paste is understood as a family heritage that must be continued and still produced using traditional methods that have been carried out for generations. In its development, shrimp paste has been packaged using brands / brands so that it is more easily recognized by the wider community and can be developed through promotion from social media. This study also identifies the capital needs used for the production stage and the development stage of shrimp paste such as (1) the capital costs needed which consume 1 to 2 million rupiah / 15-20 kg of fresh shrimp plus 10 kg of table salt. (2) Capital tools and materials used such as mortar and pestle, tray, splint, scale, kilo sugar plastic, spoon, and bucket. In addition, it was also found that there is cultural capital held by the residents of Perlis Village in producing shrimp paste such as a culture of honest practices, consistency, discipline, hard work, originality, prioritizing quality, and simple processing. The conclusion of this study is that shrimp paste in Perlis Village has become an interconnected cultural phenomenon. The business and production of shrimp paste passed down from generation to generation is still understood in the perspective of the values attached to shrimp paste so that the production process is still pursued using traditional methods so as not to reduce the inherent value, even though the marketing process has used modern methods.