PERAN SISTEM KELEMBAGAAN SOSIAL DALAM PEMBENTUKAN POLA DISTRIBUSI AIR IRIGASI SWADAYA: ANALISIS SOSIOLOGIS DI DESA MAMA KECAMATAN LOPOK

Abstrak

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis peran sistem kelembagaan sosial dalam pembentukan pola distribusi air irigasi swadaya di Desa Mama, Kecamatan Lopok, Kabupaten Sumbawa. Pengelolaan irigasi pada masyarakat pedesaan bukan hanya persoalan teknis mengenai aliran air dan infrastruktur, tetapi juga merupakan proses sosial yang melibatkan norma lokal, kepemimpinan, partisipasi masyarakat, serta interaksi antarpetani. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif dengan metode studi kasus. Pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui wawancara semi-terstruktur, observasi nonpartisipatif, dan dokumentasi terhadap ketua kelompok irigasi, petani pengguna air, tokoh masyarakat, serta pemerintah desa. Penelitian ini menggunakan Teori Strukturasi Anthony Giddens untuk memahami hubungan timbal balik antara struktur sosial dan agensi dalam praktik distribusi air. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pola distribusi air irigasi di Desa Mama dibentuk melalui kelembagaan formal dan informal yang bekerja melalui aturan giliran, musyawarah, sanksi sosial, dan tanggung jawab bersama. Kelembagaan sosial tidak hanya berfungsi sebagai mekanisme organisasi, tetapi juga sebagai ruang negosiasi, kerja sama, dan pengelolaan konflik. Petani sebagai agen sosial tidak sekadar mengikuti aturan yang ada, melainkan secara aktif mereproduksi, menyesuaikan, dan mengubah aturan tersebut sesuai kondisi ekologis, perubahan musim, serta kebutuhan pertanian lokal. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa keberlanjutan dan keadilan distribusi air sangat dipengaruhi oleh kekuatan kelembagaan lokal, partisipasi masyarakat, dan praktik sosial yang adaptif.

This study examines the role of social institutional systems in shaping community-based irrigation water distribution patterns in Mama Village, Lopok District, Sumbawa Regency. Irrigation management in rural agricultural communities is not merely a technical issue related to water flow and infrastructure, but also a social process involving local institutions, collective norms, participation, leadership, and social interaction among farmers. The research applies a qualitative descriptive case study approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, non-participant observation, and documentation involving irrigation group leaders, farmers, and village government representatives. The study uses the Structuration Theory of Anthony Giddens to analyze the reciprocal relationship between social structure and human agency in irrigation practices. The findings indicate that irrigation water distribution in Mama Village is shaped by formal and informal institutions operating through locally agreed rules, collective deliberation, social sanctions, and shared responsibility. Social institutions function not only as organizational mechanisms but also as mediators of negotiation, cooperation, and conflict management among farmers. Farmers, as social agents, do not merely follow existing rules but actively reproduce, negotiate, and modify them according to ecological conditions, seasonal changes, and local agricultural needs. The study concludes that the sustainability and fairness of community-based irrigation depend significantly on the strength of local social institutions, participation, and adaptive social practices. This research contributes to rural sociology and community-based natural resource governance by emphasizing the importance of institutional dynamics in irrigation management.