INDONESIAN WORLD VIEW.   Term Paper ID:19413 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Cultural, religious, economic, historical, political & social factors shaping people's outlook.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Cultural, religious, economic, historical, political & social factors shaping people's outlook. Paper Introduction: This paper will compare the world views of the people in old and current Indonesia. Since the 1940's, the government of Indonesia has been trying to change the basic world views of the people. The current government leaders believe that adopting Westernized attitudes would modernize the nation as a whole. As a result, it is believed that the future development of the nation is dependent upon the Indonesian people dropping their traditional values. The government has been frustrated by the fact that it has been unable to change world views in this way. At this time, traditional beliefs and behaviors still exist among the majority of the people in Indonesia. However, this does not mean that the government's efforts to modernize the nation have failed. In fact, the best opportunities for future development in Indonesia can be found in the merging of traditional values Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. (1974). Winchester, Simon. The figures in these plays often act out ancientHindu tales such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata (Cummings, Forsyth,Nobel, Samagalski and Wheeler, 199 , p. 1 7). Traditionally, this sense ofresponsibility also included the extended family of one's rural community.However, the conditions of modern society are causing people to feel lessbound to their extended families than they did in the past. Some of Suharto's policies have shown mixedresults. One of the ways that thebeliefs of Hinduism are kept alive is through the Indonesian puppet showsknown as wayang kulit. In addition, he introduced thepancasila, or the "five principles." These five nationalist values are:belief in one God, nationalism, humanity, democracy, and social justice(Sievers, 1974, p. In particular, the peopleof the rural areas have often experienced a breakdown in family values whenthey have migrated to the cities in search of employment. However, this does not mean that thegovernment's efforts to modernize the nation have failed. 5). The economics of the nation especially influenceindividual feelings of motivation and perceptions of success. This can be seen, for example, in his transmigration policy inwhich urban people were given the opportunity to voluntarily move to lesspopulated areas (Cummings, et al, 199 , p. The traditional world views of the Indonesian individual usuallyinclude a value system based on a belief in God. 3 2). Gillian Moore, ed. The third wave in cultural development began in the late 196 's,after President Suharto established his "new order" in Indonesian politicsand society. Some of Suharto's modernization policies havefailed. The institution ofreligion plays an important role in the maintenance of traditional values.Simon Winchester has noted that the popularity of Islam in Indonesia isunique throughout the Pacific region. Economic systems in Indonesia also have an influence on the worldviews of the people. New York: Prentice Hall Press.----------------------- 9 The Indonesian government's family planning programs have causedsome of the nation's citizens to reduce the size of their families.However, many other people have continued the traditional pattern of having"an average of four babies" (McDonald, 1981, p. Inaddition, traditional values are often reinforced by the hardshipsthemselves. 118). Atthis time, traditional beliefs and behaviors still exist among the majorityof the people in Indonesia. Pacific rising: The emergence of a newworld culture. 43). 84). 7). The poverty of the nation is particularlystrong among the rural areas. As Kaplan notes, the individual's extendedfamily also continues to play "a central relationship in the lives of mostIndonesians" (p. 55). The proponents of social change in Indonesia must realize that suchchange will not come about through a complete abandonment of traditionalworld views. McDonald, Hamish. Furthermore, the Indonesianpeople continue to place strong emphasis on the importance of spiritualattainment in their lives. This factorcan be seen, for example, in the personalities of both Presidents Sukarnoand Suharto. Frederica M. Eric Oey, ed. 65). Overall,however, the traditional role of the family remains strong in currentIndonesian society. Kaplan, Irving. Some analystshave assumed that development in Indonesia can only occur if the peoplegive up their traditional values. A history of modern Indonesia.Bloomington: Indiana University Press. 63-117. Library of Nations: South-East Asia. 78). The government has been frustrated bythe fact that it has been unable to change world views in this way. Thus, important political leaders areoften seen as having mystical powers (McDonald, 1981, p. Most of thepeople in Indonesia are poor. The contrasting values of thesedifferent groups has led to a number of cultural clashes in the past.There have also been clashes between the different religious groups of thenation. This mystical world view is strikingly differentfrom the rational Western perspective on life. Therefore, the future ofIndonesia's development is dependent upon a successful merging ofmodernization efforts with traditional values. Allen M. At the same time,however, traditional values are often reinforced by the hardships of cityliving. This paper will compare the world views of the people in old andcurrent Indonesia. C. The nation ofIndonesia must modernize, but it must not do so at the sake of the culturalpride of its citizens. The impact of mysticism on Indonesian society haseven spread to its political system. Ricklefs, M. ----. Suharto's Indonesia. There has always been a strong sense of responsibilityin terms of the person's nuclear family. There are various ways in which the traditional values of Indonesiansociety have changed in recent years, as well as various ways in which theyhave remained the same. (1981). Furthermore,despite the religious clashes which have occurred, the nation of Indonesiais strongly unified by common religious beliefs. There have been some cases in which Indonesians haveexperienced a breakdown in traditional values. (1985). The currentgovernment leaders believe that adopting Westernized attitudes wouldmodernize the nation as a whole. Prior to the SecondWorld War, Dutch colonialism contributed to the first wave, in whichtraditional values became deeply instilled in the Indonesian character.Because they were excluded from the profits of the Dutch rule, theIndonesians placed greater value in the mysticism of their traditionalbeliefs. The demandsof the urban life style generally conflict with the values of the ruralperson's "deepest being" (Sievers, 1974, p. Sukarno wanted tochange the traditional values of the people by encouraging them to adoptnationalist attitudes. Sievers at the University of Utah has claimed that the basiccharacteristic of the traditional Indonesian world view is "mysticism"(Sievers, 1974, P. Baltimore: John Hopkins UniversityPress. 67). In order to cope with these hardships, poor urban migrants oftenrely on the support of their traditional family systems back home. Sievers, for example, has claimed that"development requires the transformation of the social character frommystical to rational, in the Western sense of that term" (Sievers, 1974, p.x). The family has traditionally held an important role inIndonesian society. "The Society and Its Environment." Indonesia: ACountry Study. A republic of islands. Ricklefs, "thisspiritual sense influenced the perceptions and responses of Indonesians"(Ricklefs, 1981, p. GovernmentPrinting Office, pp. Sievers, Allen M. However, true development involves improving economic conditions whilemaintaining the cultural heritage of the people. Indonesia. In order toimprove the quality of life for the average Indonesian, the government willhave to figure out how to deal with the nation's overpopulation problem.Related to this, the problem of poverty also continues to be an importantchallenge facing Indonesia's future (Cummings, et al., 199 , p. Berkeley: LonelyPlanet Productions. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Although the nation's population is expected to increase, thegovernment hopes to also increase Indonesia's participation in the worldeconomy. Indonesia: A travel survival kit. 55). The prognosis for Indonesia's future development is good, althoughthere will also be many difficult challenges along the way. Singapore:APA Productions, pp. According to the Australian professor M. 34-57. Suharto's primary effort has been to modernize the worldviews of the Indonesian people. 3). C. At the same time, however, there are certain bonds to be foundthroughout Indonesian society as well. The nation of Indonesia is actually made up of a number of differentcultural groups. It can be said that Indonesia is currentlyexperiencing a third wave in terms of social change. He believes that modernization will leadto Indonesia's economic development as well as increasing its status as aworld trading partner. 65). He wanted the people to change their world views byidentifying themselves and their values with the nation as a whole.Sukarno established several educational programs in an effort tonationalize the beliefs of the people. The practitioners of traditional Indonesianreligion reject materialist values by "abandoning worldly desire andemotion and by practicing meditation" (p. The nation consists of approximately 13, islands and3 ethnic groups (Kaplan, 1983, p. Some of the people in Indonesia's urban areas have changed theirtraditional values to those of the materialist, Western world. In addition, traditional religious values continueto be strong among the people. 4 ).Despite such challenges, the current government is optimistic about thefuture. Honolulu: TheUniversity Press of Hawaii. The islands and their inhabitants. Thus, "neglect of obligation toward members of the nuclear familyis always condemned" (p. This type ofchange forces a shift in the value system of the individual. In this way, it hopes to "provide jobs and prosperity for apopulation that is expected to reach 212 million by the year 2, "(MacKinnon, et al., 1985, p. The mystical world of Indonesia: Cultureand economic development in conflict. Amsterdam: Time-Life Books, pp. The second wave in Indonesian society began whenPresident Sukarno established the nation's independence. There is still widespread belief insupernatural spirits throughout the nation. For example, despite the widevariety of ethnic groups, Indonesians are united by a national languageknown as Bahasa Indonesia. As a result, it is believed that thefuture development of the nation is dependent upon the Indonesian peopledropping their traditional values. These principles are clearly designed to reflectthe traditional values of the Indonesian people. The fact that Hinduism has takenhold in Bali is said to be "even more odd" (Winchester, 1991, p. References Cummings, Joe, Susan Forsyth, John Noble, Alan Samagalski, and TonyWheeler. The spiritual influences of the traditional religion have an effecton the overall lifestyle of the individual. (1981). Because of this factor, many of the nation'srural poor seek employment opportunities in the cities. This can be seen, for example, in his effort to deal with theoverpopulation problem by encouraging change in traditional views on familysize. The majority of the people are familiar withthis language in addition to their own native languages. Although mostIndonesians believe in the Islamic doctrine of one God, their religion alsohas strong elements of Hinduism and Buddhism. For example, the person usuallyconsiders spiritual development to the be most important value in life.According to Sievers, the mystical elements of Indonesian traditionencourage "the individual and the small group to withdraw, each in searchof its own road to oneness" (Sievers, 1974, p. (1991). MacKinnon, Kathy, William Collins, Dewi Anwar, and Eric Oey. The future success of the nation requires an orientation thatencompasses the past and the present as well as the future. Since the 194 's, the government of Indonesia has beentrying to change the basic world views of the people. Bunge, ed. In fact, thebest opportunities for future development in Indonesia can be found in themerging of traditional values with modern technologies. Although the averageIndonesian person believes in the one Islamic God, there is also widespreadbelief in a variety of Hindu and Buddhist deities as well as "a host ofgoddesses, ghosts, spirits, demons and genies" (MacKinnon, Collins, Anwarand Oey, 1985, p. (199 ). They also have an impact onthe individual's perception of self. In this regard, "nearly9 per cent of Indonesians follow Islam" ("A Republic of Islands," 1987, p.35). 185). However,for the most part, the majority of the people continue to be "attached tothe cultural values of the ethnic groups to which they belong" (Kaplan,1983, p. The communal aspects ofthe traditional religion also have an effect on the individual's perceptionof the family. (1987). In thisway, the traditional spiritual values of the Indonesian culture arepreserved. Responsibility toward the nuclear family is especiallystrong. When people fail to find success in the city, they usuallyreject the materialist values associated with the Western world. This policy did little tosolve the nation's overpopulation problem, and few of the volunteers wereable to succeed at farming. 61).Despite the missionary efforts of previous Dutch colonists, Christianity ispoorly represented among the faiths of Indonesia. 58-85. Thus, the majority of the nation's people believe in the existence ofone God, regardless of the local variations in their religious practice. 13 ). If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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