I once read a section on Bali in a guide book popular among backpackers and low-budget travellers*. There was a paragraph which seemed to be lamenting the fact, or the author's perception rather, that these days more and more Balinese would rather sit in front of the television in cafes (warung) or at home, rather than partaking in traditional Balinese pursuits such as gamelan music and dancing. The tone of the lament was one that seemed to imply that the author considered such modern luxuries as products of the West, having negative impacts on society and as such represented indirectly a sort of neo-colonial intrusion on 'The East'.
I couldn't help but gain the impression that this author represented a different kind of colonialism - I suppose you could call it something like 'reconstituted colonialism' or 'implied colonialism' for want of a better suggestion. It is not limited to this one example. I hear similar sentiments all the time - 'colonial' sentiments such as -
- "They are such peace-loving people, so warm and generous..." (Who isn't? Think about it; why do you feel the need to patronise other 'quaint' societies?)
- "It's such a shame that these people are letting go of their traditional culture..." (Doesn't every society? Do you still wear corsettes and play harpsichord music in the drawing room?)
- "It's good that someone has finally published a (insert name of endangered language) dictionary. Who will help to preserve these people's language if we don't?" (Honestly, I read this one on a western forum for traditional Indonesian music). Language death is a natural part of life. Get used to it.
By this I mean the mentality among sections of western society who feel legitimate concern for the effects of traditional colonialism - 18th and 19th Century colonialism - and who then confuse it with technological progress which brings about natural social change.
Why? Because this sort of attitude translates into -
'You are Balinese. You have a rich traditional culture. We are tourists who bring money. We don't want to see you sitting around watching television. That's something we consider bad in our country. It's bad, but everyone does it. That's why we are coming to your country to experience 'The East'. If you sit around watching television, you are victims of the West. Go...get back into your traditional costumes and play us some gamelan music.
Related to this emerges the -
'We consider you to be wonderful, generous, peace-loving people. We can't have you being exposed to western technology which will bring out your badness...You must do as we say. We are the bad west and it is our duty to protect you,' mentality (we will study your country for you, using our paradigms and theories, we will preserve your language if you can't or don't want to, we will decide where you sit on the morality spectrum...)
Exaggerated? On the face of it, yes. But if you really think about the absurdity of the sentiment represented by what was in that guidebook, then really, what else can it possibly mean?
It is unfortunate that tourism has brought this about. It is unfortunate that the West has come to view Bali as 'Paradise'. Do the Balinese see it as Paradise? Does anyone see their own land as Paradise?
How would a full-time Bank Clerk in Australia manage if he or she were expected to leave the office, go home, change into traditional costume and be at the tourist venue on time, on a daily basis, in order to show off that little bit of 'Paradise' to cashed-up tourists? Yet we expect the Balinese to do it all the time.
Am I wrong if I say that the Balinese are in a between a rock and a hard place? On one hand they are expected to contribute to the economic development of their nation, trying hard to catch up with the developed world, and on the other hand they are expected to find the time to maintian their traditions to a suitable degree that will keep attracting the tourists.
Some may ask at this point 'Isn't that the benefit of tourism?' Perhaps, but what about 'harga diri', personal pride and self worth?
Must every Balinese conform to this cultural stereotype?
Must every Balinese be forced to go against human nature to preserve an unnatural facade of the friendly, peace-loving, non-violent utopian inhabitant of the paradise that The West is not?
Must all Balinese be banned from watching television in the cafes, to be encouraged back into the traditional music and dance studios?
Must every Balinese be dependent on tourism and thus forced to conform to the desires of the modern nDoro Tuan (colonial master)?
*I won't state which guide book, because I no longer have it in my possession and thus cannot give the exact quote. But I can assure you, I did not misread it. I was so taken aback by it I read it over and over again aghast at the mentality of the author.
It's a thought-provoking piece Dave. But i must say that while the West are creating stereotype for other cultures, the East people as a subject of Western stereotype begin to take these created-images-imposed upon them as part of their identity. In tourism for instance, the local government tend to maintain anything deemed to be authentic in order to get tourists attracted. In short, authenticity is equal to tradition, non-modern and exotic. I call this exoticisation of culture coming from both ways.
ReplyDeleteIt all derives from a long process of colonialism. In a large part, scientists such as anthropologists are responsible for introducing and transferring such images or knowledges of other cultures into Western audience.
Thanks spew...I agree. Very good point. And your last point reminds me of how Europeans such as Walter Spies and others coined the notion of Bali as 'Paradise'. An unfortunate term which has stuck for all the reasons you cite.
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