Indonesian societies and cultures
B Hatley
8 points * 3 hours per week * First semester * Clayton
This subject consists of an exploration of basic concepts informing social interaction and cultural thought in Indonesian communities of different regions and economic/social levels. It focuses first on village societies, analysing how practices of group solidarity and exchange and patterns of childraising and family life inculcate social values and gender expectations. It then examines the heritage of royal states and the impact of Hindu/Buddhist and Islamic religions in relation to concepts of hierarchy, status, power, duty and community. A major focus of attention is the impact on established social values and practices of the challenge of `modernity' within the framework of the Indonesian nation-state.
Assessment
Essay (3500 words): 50% * Seminar presentation and paper (2000 words): 40% * Seminar participation: 10%
Prescribed texts
Geertz C The religion of Java The Free Press
Guinness P Harmony and hierarchy in a Javanese kampung OUP, 1986
Recommended texts
Holt C Art in Indonesia: Continuities and changes Cornell UP
Jay R Javanese villagers MIT Press
Keeler W Javanese shadow puppets, Javanese selves Princeton UP
Siegel J The rope of God U California P