SEMIOTIKA LABA AKUNTANSI: STUDI KRITIKAL-POSMODERNIS DERRIDEAN

SEMIOTIKA LABA AKUNTANSI: STUDI KRITIKAL-POSMODERNIS DERRIDEAN

AKHMAD RIDUWAN

Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Indonesia (STIESIA) Surabaya

IWAN TRIYUWONO, GUGUS IRIANTO, UNTI LUDIGDO

Fakultas Ekonomi Universitas Brawijaya Malang

ABSTRACT

The main aims of the research are (a) to understand the interpretation of accounting earnings by accountants and non-accountants; and (b) to perform a deconstructively semiotics-reading about the text related with their interpretations of accounting earnings. This research is performed based on criticalpostmodern approach, with accountants and non-accountants as an informant. The semiotics reading and analysis are performed in three levels, that are micro level structural-semiotics, macro level structuralsemiotics, and decostructive-semiotics.

The analysis in the micro level structural semiotics gives the understanding that interpretation of accounting earnings (as a signifier) by accountants and non-accountants do not refer to the same referential reality (as a signified). The analysis in the macro level structural semiotics expresses realities that (a) accounting principles are not “generally accepted”; (b) accounting practices are hegemonical; (c) accounting practices are “ritually” performed based on the false consciousness; and (d) accounting earnings do not have information contents. Then, based on the Jacques Derrida’s philosophy, deconstructive semiotics analysis expresses some realities that are (a) accounting earnings are traces, either the trace as a history of text or as an experience and interest of interpreter; (b) nothing outside the text of accounting earnings because the meanings of accounting earnings are intertextual, accounting earnings are the result of simulation only, and the meanings of accounting earnings do not exceed the experience and interest of interpreter; (c) accounting earnings are the metaphysics of presence, in the means of “being” and “presence” through the process called “becoming”, representation of “the being of beings” realities, so that accounting earnings are illusion ended to reification; (d) accounting earnings are the product of logocentrism, that is ratio as a centre of truth, so that accounting idealism in earnings determination is more conspicuous than pragmatism.

The implications of the analysis result above are (a) the presentation of income statements ought to be disclose earnings information according to the frame of pragmatic interpretation; (b) the reporting of earnings information should not be conspicuous the idealism only, because the end users of earnings information are those who live in pragmatic habitus. (c) accounting idealism ougth to limits the implementation of accrual-based accounting to real transactions or events, or reduce its implementation to ideal or conceptual transactions.

Key-words: Accounting Earnings, Structural-Semiotics, Deconstructive-Semiotics, Logocentrism, Idealism, Pragmatism, Jacques Derrida.

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