Description
This book is both an introduction to contemporary life in Javanese society and an analysis of the emerging Javanese-Indonesian culture. Since the Javanese constitute half of the highly diversified population of two hundred million, it is only to be expected that they should have a major impact on the evolution of Indonesia as a modern nation-state. Their dominance in the country's affairs inevitably gives rise to various tensions; and not every- body agrees with the current evolution of the Javanese-Indonesian culture. This study analyses these developments, explaining cultural persistence and change in a historical perspective and on the basis of the author's twenty-five years of first hand observations.Peppered with amusing asides, this is a well-written and highly informative account of social change in Java. Specialists and non-specialists will doubtless dip into this book to answer specific questions, and I have no hesitation in recommending it. -Michael Hitchcock in Aseasuk NewsISBN:9789054960263
