Bali

Map of Bali

Bali is one of the 33 provinces of the Republic of Indonesia. It has a population of over 3million people (Balinese), in which majority are Balinese Hindus. Bali’s economic sector is gradually shifting from agricultural activities to the tourism industry and its related products. As a destination boasting scenic attractions and rich culture, Bali has been attracting many tourists since the 1930s but became popular as a mass-tourism destination in the 1970s. Today, it is one of the top destinations for resort and cultural tourism.

Other than tourism, Bali is well known for its textiles (Batik) and agricultural exports. They include rice, fish and seaweed. Bali is also famous for its natural environment and beaches (E.g. destination for watersports).

Cultures & Traditions

Culture
The Balinese culture has intrinsic links to the dance, music and arts which is well-known internationally. Some other aspects of the culture which is equally important is discussed below.
Religious Worship

Offerings of Flowers on an Altar

The Balinese practice Balinese-Hinduism which differs from Hinduism in certain aspects such as the more relaxed stance on caste systems. They worship the Hindu trinity Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu who are believed to be manifestations of the Supreme God Sanghyang Widhi. The Balinese also believe strongly in magic and the power of spirits, as well as as the role of offerings and celebration of festivals to appease the gods and spirits to bring health and prosperity. It is thus not uncommon to see Balinese women place offerings of fresh flowers on altars and shrines in their homes.

Most villages have at least three main temples.

A Temple in Bali

• Pura Puseh (temple of origin)
  This temple faces the mountains and is dedicated to the village founders.
• Pura Desa (village temple)
  It is usually located in the centre of the village and is dedicated to the welfare of the village.
• Pura Dalem
  The temple is aligned with the sea and is dedicated to the spirits of the dead. 

Community Life
The Balinese community is extremely close-knit and organized in each village. For example, within each village, there is a Subak in which all farmers have to register under to ensure that water is allocated accordingly for their lands. 

Role of Men and Women
The are distinct distinguishing points between men and women in the Balinese culture. For example, only men are allowed to play the gamelan while both genders are allowed to perform traditional dances. In the more rural areas, men and women play traditional roles in which the men are breadwinners and women are left to manage the household. However, women help out at harvesting the crops.

Marriage
According to the culture, every Balinese is expected to marry and raise a family. It is not uncommon to be married at a young age. Strict rules apply on marrying within the same caste in the past. Now, inter-caste marriages are more common but women are not allowed to marry a men from a lower caste.
 
Traditions
Naming System
Balinese basically have only four names according to the ranking in birth sequence. The first child is named either Wayan or Putu, the second child Made or Kadek, the third Nyoman or Komang and the fourth, Ketut. Should a family have more than five children, the naming process is repeated over again. It is often perceived that the naming system is a traditional birth control method encouraging families to stop at four children. 

Upbringing of Children
Children are often left under the care of their elder siblings, especially in large families. Various ceremonies mark the stages of childhood and puberty (e.g. teeth-filing)
 
Ceremonies 

Balinese Wedding

Cremation Ceremony

• BirthAfter the birth of a child, the placenta is buried in a ceremony with some offerings after the birth. Halfway through the baby's first year on the Balinese calender which consists of 210 days, another ceremony is carried out.
  
  
• Marriage ProposalMarriage proposals are carried out in either the mapadik or ngorod way. The mapadik is when marriage is proposed politely by a visit paid by the male's family. The more popular way is the latter, whereby the couple elope for a few days before returning to announce their intentions of marriage which would be approved as it is more exciting and fun.
  
• DeathThe cremation is the grandest event of a Balinese lifetime. What is unique is that itcan be a spectacular, colorful, noisy and exciting event, a far cry from the mournful nature of the event. The deceased is temporarily buried while planning for the cremation takes place.

 

People of Bali- Indigenous Groups and Languages

Indigenous Groups

Village of Tenganan

The Bali Aga are the original Balinese and considered Bali's indigenous people. They include the Bali Aga from the Trunyan and Tenganan villages. The Bali Aga which resides in the hills of East Bali speak dialects unique to their villages. What is unique of the Bali Aga is their lifestyle practices pre-dates modern civilisation. They practice spiritual worship and have many ancient rites and rituals such as teeth filing and blood sacrifice. The Bali Aga of Tenganan is well-known for Geringsing, which is of an intricate ikat technique for weaving fabric in which the pattern is seen only appears when the entire piece is completed.

Languages
The common language in Bali is Balinese. There are 3 main types of Balinese which was used as etiquette demands when speaking to different "classes" of people.  The Bali Aga speaks a dialect of their own which dates back to thousands of years ago. Between villages of the Bali Aga, the dialects differ.

Other more common languages used in Bali is the Bahasa Indonesia and English.

Education in Bali

Education system in Bali follows that of the Dutch education system formal education generally starting from Elementary school. The chart below summarizes the education system.

Mainstream education only for those who can afford it.

“Sending your kid to a local Balinese school is not an option for a westerner and fortunately you don’t have to.”-baliblog.com

Local School in Bali

Although education is increasingly recognized as the key to escaping poverty, it is sad to note that only Elementary school education is compulsory. Majority are often deprived further education as they are unable to afford it and also the lack of secondary education facilities. These factors, coupled with the obligations of children to play their roles in helping to earn an income for the family have prevented the pursuit of further education among many Balinese youths.



Most local schools are often ill-equipped due to the lack of funding. There is also a lack of certified teachers and learning aids.

In recent years, educational facilities and private schools have been set up on Bali to cater to increasing numbers of families migrating to the island. These institutions, unlike the local schools, are well-equipped and provide condusive learning environments. These improvements in the education system however, are beyond the reach of locals. However, with the growth of tourism, more and more locals are pursuing further education, especially in courses related to the hospitality and tourism industry.

Festivals in Bali

Festivals and events are an integral part of Balinese life. Many festivals are celebrated in Bali, due to the number of temples in each village and the importance of commemorating the temples' legacy. Also, special occasions marked on local Balinese calenders (Wuku calender and Saka Calender) such as the birthdays of the gods of the temples are also celebrated. 3 more significant and unique festivals celebrated in Bali is listed below.

1. Galungan

Barong Performance

The Galungan festival is the most important festival held throughout the whole island and an annual event lasting 10 days in the wuku year. It is believed that all Balinese gods would descend and join in the celebrations. Balinese celebrate this festival by feasting, attaching a tall bamboo pole (penjor) on the right side of their doors and with barong performances which move from temple to temple.

2. Nyepi

Empty street of Bali in
celebration of the Nyepi Festival

The Nyepi is a major festival on the last day of the Saka calender. It marks the icka New Year which is the Balinese New Year and is celebrated in a unique way of observing silence and refraining from any activity.

3. Sarawasti
The Sarawasti marks the day devoted to God's manifestation as the Dewi Saraswati, also known as the Goddess of Knowledge, Art and Literature. Books of knowledge, manuscripts and the Wedas are blessed and special offerings are made as the people pray for knowledge and wisdom.

Disneyization in Bali

A previously tranquil island, Bali has been set abuzz by globalization, fueled by the inflow of tourism and development. Cultural erosion, destruction of nature and disruption of the natives traditional lifestyles aside, I found that disneyization has been observed in various aspects of Bali as well. Disneyization is seen as a globalizing force which spreads the principles associated with Disney theme parks around the world. Trances of the theme park culture model can be seen in many countries around the world. With the “globalization wave” gushing into Bali with tourism, it is inevitable that Disneyization has found its way into the once tranquil, undeveloped island. Or so I thought, after studying the changes Bali made to accommodate tourism with relation to the four emblematic dimensions of Disney theme parks (theming, hybrid consumption, merchandising, performative labour).

Theming across Bali

Theming serves to differentiate and give value to objects to which it is applied, giving them additional meaning on top of what they actually are. Comparing Bali’s pre-development state to the current renowned tourist destination, theming is one of the most evident phenomenons in relation to island’s transformation.

Have you realized that places in Bali have been labeled “must-see” attractions across websites, shaping perceptions of what is actually of value and significance on the island?

Tanah Lot- "Must-see" attraction in Bali

Sights and attractions have been subconsciously themed by efforts to market the island as a destination. For example, firstly consider the significance of temples to the Balinese. In reality, all temples in Bali are of cultural importance to the island and its people. They are all part of the Balinese culture and thus share common core traits of being places important places of worship to the Balinese. However, temples such as the Pura Bersakih, Pura Kehen and the Tanah Lot receive much more attention as they enjoy additional perceived value by theming across Bali’s places and attractions.

It is not difficult to spot theming in Bali in many aspects of tourism-supporting facilities.

 

Waterbom Park, Bali

 A more obvious example of application of themes (theming) in Bali can be found in the existence of the Waterbom Park and Spa, a water theme park which concept involves incorporating water in activities (e.g. water slides, swim-up bars) alongside its theme. Resorts in Bali are themed by the concepts they are built on (e.g. modern-chic, “traditional” villas). 



Museum Subak's Exhibit

It came as a shock for me but even Bali’s museums portray signs of theming! For example, the Museum Manusa Yadnya is named according to the topic of the process of human life its exhibits portray. Likewise, visitors can expect Museum Subak’s exhibitions to revolve around agriculture in Bali.

Hybrid consumption- What are consumers actually buying?

As a tourism hotspot, one of the tourism goals of Bali would no doubt be to prolong visitors’ stay to maximize opportunities of tourist expenditure. To achieve this aim, Bali’s tourism development has been shaped along the lines of creating a destination, a stay-worthy venue to tourists. Molded by the ideology that the more consumption products are blended the greater the draw and incentive for people who have been attracted to the venue.

Look around Bali. Compare it to its pre-development days. More and more facilitating services and products have been created and offered to visitors, simply to give them more reasons to stay and spend in the name of being on holiday.

Modern Shopping Mall in Kuta, Bali

Shopping malls, shopping districts, food and beverage outlets and resorts have been increasingly appearing in Bali with tourism development, adding to the list of things to do in Bali. This promotes the perception of the “need” spend more days on the island on within a certain place in order to experience its offers.  These facilitating products of tourism are consumed simultaneously with accommodation, food and beverage and transport (Hybrid consumption).

Cultural Dance Performance @ a Beach Dinner

Resorts also tend to offer spa packages and dining facilities cultural dances to increase the length of stay of their guests. Essentially, the longer they are attracted to stay, the higher the chances that they consume products with their experiences sold more.

So, what are the tourists actually buying? Is it the experiences or consumer products offered? Well, it is the blend of all of the above.

Merchandising- Brands as selling and profit maximizing strategies

Merchandising is one of the obvious characteristics of disneyization in Bali today. With the growth in foreign investments with tourism, brands, franchises and products have been brought into the island. Renowned brands Body Shop and prestigious brand names like Gucci can increasingly be found on Bali in shopping malls. Closely linked to hybrid consumption, merchandising is one of the evident selling strategies of businesses.

A distinct example would be the Hard Rock Café Bali, like its other international counterparts has extensive lines of merchandise ranging from t-shirts to mugs bearing the country/ state in which the particular outlet is located in. Customers do not necessarily have to dine in to purchase the merchandise as keepsakes of their holiday but are able to get them at the gifts area. Due to the reputation of the Hard Rock Café, many tourists are in fact, willing to acquire the Hard Rock Café Bali’s collection of merchandise.



Local shops: Are "branded" items better?

Increasingly, local products have also been “branded” by aspiring businesses. While local products such as cloth bags are widely sold in Bali, businesses have taken to branding these products (E.g. Balichandra Collection). The brands sell assurance of quality and promise of worth, allowing the products to be sold at higher prices.

Performative Labour: A show for all

 

Lombok Rice Farmers- The Balinese Friendlines

 In Bali, much of the tourism product lies in the culture of the people. With the mass public being part of the core of tourism in Bali, locals are urged to act in ways which the culture has been portrayed. Many websites mention Balinese as friendly people who would not fail to smile at tourists. However, an article report showed that the friendly and forthcoming nature might very well have just been a front put up for the tourists to facilitate their experiences.

“The government constantly urges the people to smile and make their traditional ceremonies extra lavish to please the visitors.”- THE PARADISE PARADOX, Keith Loveard
As it seems, what is perceived by tourists might be an experience shaped by the government, carried out by the host community.

Changes in Bali Due to Tourism (4 Shifts of Globalisation)

Since it opened its doors to tourism and globalisation, Bali has been transformed from a tranquil island dependent on agriculture as an economic staple to a hustling and bustling destination driven by tourist revenue. 

4 Shifts of Globalisation

The shifts of globalisation summarises the advancement of Bali with tourism to make it viable to tourists.

 1. Financial Deregulation

Foreign banks-compaitable ATM in Bali

With increasing popularity of Bali as a tourism destination, many investments have been made by international businesses. Tourist arrivals from other countries have also brought about an influx of currencies and financial deregulation in Bali's (Indonesia) economy. To begin with, currency exchange have been established. ATMs which are compaitable with foreign banks are also available in Bali.

 2. Technological Change and Innovation

Nghurah Rai International Airport

Technological advancement brought about to support tourism is evident in many aspects of Bali today. Infrastructure development to facilite tourists' experience can be found in many areas, with the most obvious being in resorts. Irrigation systems have been set up to ensure constant flow of water especially to tourism areas (resorts etc). Also, up-to-date technology is also brought in by foreign investmentors of resorts (e.g. spa facilities).

The airport constructed to increase accessibilty to and from Bali is also a result of technological change brought about by tourism development.


3. Media and Communications

WIFI Availabilty in Bali

Globalisation, with tourism has opened Bali to the world via the Internet. Marketing efforts and information about Bali is spread to the world as people share their experiences. Communication channels have also been improved in Bali, with stable Internet connects more widely established to facilitate the needs of tourists.
 

4. Time and Cost of Moving Commodities

The Centro Departmental Store
offers a range of foreign products

Time and cost of moving commodities have been reduced with improved technology and infrastructure. A wide range of international products can be found on top of existing global products to better meet the needs of tourists. This is made possible with the reduced speed and cost of shipment following the development.

Changes in Bali Due to Tourism (Impacts)

Tourism in Bali is a double-edged sword. Developments following tourism demand in Bali have brought about much improvements to the island. At the same time however, tourism development is carried out the the expense of other aspects.

Economic Impacts

"Bali's economy is moving far faster than the rest of the country. Balinese proudly buzz around on motorscooters. They rarely have to look far for work."-The Paradise Paradox, Keith Loveard

 
Tourism in Bali has contributed much to the boost of of Bali's economy. As an economic driver, it is more powerful than agricultural activities which was the economic staple of Bali previously. Due to the tourism and developments to support tourist activities, many jobs have been created for the Balinese. 


Environmental Impacts To support tourism, infrastructure of Bali has been improved on. For example, ease of travelling to, around and out of Bali.These improvements benefit the local community as well. However, natural environment has been compromised with the lack of planning for tourism development to meet the surge in tourists.

Due to rapid unplanned tourism development, parts of Bali’s ecology have been destroyed, with its natural environment compromised to meet tourism demands. For example, water currents off Bali have been altered by sand dredging off the Benoa region and beaches in the Sanur region are being used to make way for the resorts. Water supply for locals is also inadequte due to the heavy use of water by resorts.


Socio-cultural Impacts
The host community (Balinese) are the most affected by tourism. Aspects of their culture and heritage such as dances, batik art and various heritage monuments are preserved with tourism and the standards of livings of most are improved with jobs created in tourism and related sectors. However, value of the Balinese culture is chipped away by tourism resulting in dissatisfaction among some Balinese.

The Balinese culture faces loss of authenticity as significance of traditional arts and religious worships such as dances and processions are lost by being used as entertainment for tourists. The lifestyles and traditions of the Balinese are also scrutinised by tourists and deemed as tourism products. Recently, the tourism has also spread to the Tenganan region which is home to indigenous people of Bali, raising concern of the dilution of culture again.

Other than the loss of authenticity and value of culture and traditions, values of the Balinese have also been heavily compromised and exploited. As previously mentioned, marriage and starting family is one of the most important aspects of Balinese culture. However, due to demands of tourism, sex tourism is one of the emerging segments in Bali, with locals touting sex (E.g. Bali boys issue). In order to acquire land for tourism development, foreign investors have reportedly proposed marriages of convenience.


The rich culture has also been commodified to meet the demands of tourists. This will be furhter discussed in the next post.

Has Tourism been a Culprit in Commodifying Cultures and Traditions?

Having studied about the changes brought about by tourism and related developments in Bali, I feel that the Balinese cultures and traditions have been commodified to meet the demands of tourists. Bali has been constantly promoted for its elaborate culture, with its scenery usually taking the backseat as a backdrop to most tourists (other than eco-tourists). With culture of the host community as a tourism product, it is inevitable that traditions and cultural aspects will be compromised as tourists, regardless of their motivations, prefer their experiences and interactions with cultures in a mediated setting.

Souvenirs as the culture
Cultures and traditions are made up of tangible (performing arts, monuments, handicraft etc) and intangible (values, believes, social system etc) aspects. It is often the intangible aspects which shapes the culture. These aspects can only be appreciated and understood with close interaction and observations.

"In fact, if tourists have any interest at all in Balinese culture, it is usually limited to buying mass-market folk art or attending a dance show, often at their hotel."- The Paradise Paradox, Keith Loveard

Local souvenir shop

The tourism industry in Bali is driven mostly by mass tourists who mainly seek to relax and enjoy their holiday instead of visiting Bali to learn of its culture. These tourists indulge in sightseeing and cultural activities such as visiting temples and watching various cultural performances as these are trademarks of Bali and deemed as part of the holiday experience. With such mindsets, in buying local products as souvenirs, the tourists are actually purchasing what they feel is close to their experiences and believe aptly represent the culture. When this happens, the Balinese culture is actually summarized, misrepresented and rembered by mere objects.

"Selling" of Arts to Meet Tourists Demands

Traditional dance- A tourist's entertainment

The Balinese culture and traditions have been the selling point of Bali due to their elaborateness and uniqueness especially in terms of dance performances and festive celebrations. As these are what Bali is famous for, tourists generally expect to enjoy them in Bali. As a result, traditional dances for the purpose of rituals are performed at regular basis in dining facilities and resorts. What used to be sacred to the Balinese is marketed and sold for tourist revenue, resulting in the loss of authenticity and cultural value. As a result of tourism, a priceless culture is reduced to a mere attraction to be mass-marketed for revenue.