12 Ethnicity, Religion and the Economic Imperative
Some Case Studies from the Fringes of West Bali
In: Between Harmony and Discrimination: Negotiating Religious Identities within Majority-Minority Relationships in Bali and LombokSearch for other papers by Mary Ida Bagus in
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Abstract
Ethno-religious competition has always featured in the social landscape of Jembrana, the western region of Bali. Cooperation and conflict, integration and separatism are common themes in Jembrana histories. This chapter will discuss Bali-Hinduism and Islam as the two dominant and often competing ethno-religious identity systems in Jembrana.
Examples from the fish processing and timber industry as well as kafe (prostitution) illustrate how economic factors influence local opinion around ethnic and religious differences. Jembrana hosts a diverse range of primary and secondary industries that are dominated by particular ethno-religious groups. The notorious kafe scene illustrates specific roles played by discrete ethno-religious groups, an ambiguous arena of social relations in the evolving moral order that generally pervades discourse on Indonesian citizenship and particularly Bali Hindu identity.
This chapter highlights the implications of economic necessity that contribute to ethnic and religious stereotypes in West Bali and how these characterizations inform local social systems.