Story of Bali, Indonesia

The character traits proposed in this book are descriptive behaviour patterns which have been identified or observed (e.g., cooperation-devotion and conformity) or abstractions related to psychological or psychiatric theories (e.g., trust-belief). The terms chosen for traits denote primarily the way in which most Balinese behave or feel (e.g., conformity and tranquility). 'Me reasons why they so behave are included in so far as the data permitted.

Explanations of the reasons for character trait behaviour lie in cultural expectations (e.g., of parents, peers, family, banjar, and religion) or they may be manifestations of personality. However, they are usually a combination as well as an interaction of both factors. For example, the Balinese culture expects each family to have a son. In addition, personalities of prospective or aspiring parents have been shaped to desire one in order to lead a satisfying life: The feel the need for it from within themselves. Psychologically speaking, this value or directive of the culture has been internalized and become part of their personality. Thus both the culture and the personality of the individual act and interact to motivate a marital couple behave in ways to achieve a son in the family.

Similarly, in the case of the trance, both cultural expectation and personality interact to induce the state of trance. In this respect, the authors conceptualization of the relationship between culture and personality is consistent with what anthropologists term the 'two systems' view (LeVine, 1932:58}. It seem likely that in the expression of every character trait, some aspect of cultural expectation or directive would be operative.

In their description of traits, the authors have included perspectives of the Balinese and of Western psychiatry, as applicable, bearing in mind that Western psychology ad psychiatry can be inappropriate when applied to Balinese. For example the phenomenon of visual hallucinations can be normal in the Balinese but is generally abnormal in the Westerner. Only those English terms with similar meanings for the Balinese are used. To enhance clarity for the Balinese as well as readers from wider Indonesia, both the Balinese (B) and Indonesia (I) words for all concepts have been used, whenever possible.

The issue of change in Balinese culture over the last half century is relevant to the authors' revision of Bateson and Mead's work. How different might the Balinese have been in the 1930s compared with now? Cultural anthropologists concur that a few decades is a relatively short time for any significant change for occur in basic aspects of a culture such as child rearing, religion, kinship, marriage, and law. Similarly, Inkles a sociologist pointed out that although American national character is dynamic; it has remained the same in many respects despite massive changes in size and composition of the population, its level of education, its patterns of residence, and its forms of work' over a period of many decades. In the case of Bali. Mead addressed the issue of possible change in the 40 or more years after Dutch occupation, including the advent of automobiles, more tourist, imported cloth etc…. two characteristics of Balinese culture are the ready acceptance of those small details of custom and technology which can be absorbed without changing the basic premises of life, and the utter inability and unwillingness to contemplate any more drastic changes. According to Bateson and Mead for centuries the Balinese have been both adapting to and resisting cultural details associated with the higher centers of the Hindu, the Chinese, and Dutch.

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