Balinese Worlds

Front Cover
University of Chicago Press, 1993 - Social Science - 370 pages
In Balinese Worlds, Fredrik Barth proposes a new model for anthropological analysis of complex civilizations that is based on a fresh, synthetic account of culture and society in North Bali and one that takes full notice of individual creativity in shaping the contours of this dynamic culture.

In this detailed ethnography of the Northern district of Buleleng, Barth rejects mainstream anthropological generalizations of Bali as a cultural system of carefully articulated parts. Instead—drawing on many sources, including the sociology of knowledge, interactional analysis, postmodern thought, and his own exceptionally varied field experience—Barth presents a new model that actually generates variation. Barth's innovative analysis of Balinese life highlights both the constructive and the disorganizing effects of individual action, the constant flux of interpretation, and the powerful interaction of memory and social relationships, and knowledge as a cultural resource.

Balinese Worlds is a unique contribution not only to Balinese studies but also to the theory and methods of the anthropology of complex societies.

 

Contents

PART TWO Features of Social Organization North Balinese Communities
27
PART THREE Realities and Practical Concerns of Village Living
107
PART FOUR Major Traditions of Knowledge
175
PART FIVE Action Interpretation and Practice
269
PART SIX The Complexity of Civilization
337
References
355
Index
365
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About the author (1993)

Fredrik Barth is a research fellow of the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Anthropology at Emory University.