Unit 6: Preserving Cultures

Preview:

Questions:
1. What can you know about the above pictures?
2. What do you know about Indonesian culture, arts, and tradition?
3. What kinds of dance, and traditional performances do the pictures present?
4. Is cuisine part of Indonesian culture?
 VOCABULARY

old tradition, ancient, art, cuisine, culture, customary, community life, evident, differ,
figure, intertwine, influence, mythological, most populous, poetry, produce, puppet,
regions, religious, rural life, sculpture, shift

READING: Read the text and with a partner, turn taking asking questions.

INDONESIANCULTURE, ARTS ANDTRADITIONS

Indonesia is culturally rich. Indonesian art and culture are intertwined with religion
and age-old traditions from the time of early migrants with Western thoughts brought by
Portuguese traders and Dutch colonists. The basic principles which guide life include the
concepts of mutual assistance or “gotong royong” and consultations or “musyawarah” to
arrive at a consensus or “mufakat” derived from rural life, this system is still very much in
use in community life throughout the country.
Though the legal system is based on the old Dutch penal code, social life as well as
the rites of passage are founded on customary or “adat” law which differs from area to area.
“Adat” law has a binding impact on Indonesian life and it may be concluded that this law
has been instrumental in maintaining equal rights for women in the community. Religious
influences on the community are variously evident from island to island.
Intertwined with religion and age-old traditions from the time of early migrants the
art and culture of Indonesia is rich in itself with Western thoughts brought by Portuguese
traders and Dutch colonists. The art and culture of Indonesia has been shaped around its
hundreds of ethnic groups, each with cultural differences that have shifted over the
centuries. Modern-day Indonesian culture is a fusion of cultural aspects from Arabic,
Chinese, Malay and European sources.
Indonesian art and culture has also been influenced from the ancient trading routes
between the Far East and the Middle East leading to many cultural practices being strongly
influenced by a multitude of religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and
Islam.
Language
The official language of Indonesia is ‘Indonesian’ or ‘Bahasa Indonesia’. It’s
universally taught in schools and is spoken by nearly every Indonesian in business, politics,
national media, education and academia. The Indonesians also speak several hundreds of
local languages like ‘bahasa daerah’ as their first language. Javanese is also widely used
besides other Papuan or Austronesian languages in a region of just 2.7 million people.

Religion
The government of Indonesia officially recognizes only six religions, viz Islam,
Hinduism, Buddhism, Protestantism, Catholicism, and Confucianism. The largest religious
group in Indonesia is Islam with almost 86% of Indonesians being Muslims. Indonesia is
also the most populous Muslim-majority nation in the world.

Literature
Indonesia has created many internationally famous celebrated authors. There has
also been a long tradition, particularly among ethnically Malay populations, of impromptu,
interactive, verbal composition of poetry referred to as the ‘pantun’. Pramoedya Ananta
Toer, a well-known author won the Magsaysay Award and was considered for the Nobel
Prize in Literature. Chairil Anwar was also an important figure in the literature world and a
member of the Generation 45 group of authors who were active in the Indonesian
independence movement.

Music
Home to hundreds of forms of music, it plays an important role in Indonesia’s art and
culture. Traces of its origin can be made to the islands of Java, Sumatra and Bali. ‘Gamelan’
is the traditional music from Central- and East Java and Bali. Another very popular style of
music is ‘Dangdut’ which is accompanied with free dance style. This style first came up in
the 1970s and is quite useful in political campaigns. Other forms of music include the
Keroncong with its roots in Portugal, the soft Sasando music from West Timor and Degung
and Angklung from West Java, which is played with bamboo instruments.
Dance
The traditional dances depict episodes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata from
India. Traditional Javanese and Balinese tinge is also seen in the dance forms of Indonesian
art and culture. The highly stylized dances of the courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta are
some of the popular variations. Mythological events of Indonesia are also depicted.

Drama and Theatre

The Javanese and Balinese shadow puppet theatre shows ‘wayang kulit’ displaying
several mythological events. A traditional folk theatre, Randai of the Minangkabau people
of West Sumatra, is performed during ceremonies and festivals. Music, singing, dance,
drama and the silat martial art are all incorporated together and are based on the stories of
the legend.

Architecture
Indonesian culture, especially its architecture has been to a great extent dominated
and influenced by the Indian, although European influences have also been particularly
strong since the nineteenth century. Traditional buildings in Indonesia are built on stilts
with oversized saddle roofs which have been the home of the Batak and the Toraja. The
Torajan use the buffalo horns, stacked one above another in front of the house as an
indication of status. Scenes from the Ramayana adorn the outer walls in different colors.
However, Chinese, Arab, and European architectural influences have also been quite
significant in Indonesian architecture.

Cuisine
Indonesians distinctive cuisine has been derived from centuries with the influence of
the Chinese, European, Middle Eastern and the Indians. The staple food of most Indonesian
dishes is rice served with meat and vegetables. Flavors of Vietnamese and Thai food can
also be got from the cuisine of Indonesia. Spices, notably chili, and coconut milk are
fundamental ingredients in most of the dishes, especially fish and chicken.

Martial Art
 The arts of Indonesia are many, especially Indonesian paintings which are unique
works of art. The intricate and expressive Balinese paintings are quite famous and often
express natural scenes and themes from the traditional dances. A long-standing tradition of
sculpture can also be seen in the art and culture of Indonesia, some dating back to the
Bronze and Iron Ages. Examples of sculpture illustrating the story of the life of Buddha can
be seen in the temples of the 8th and the 10th century. Indonesia’s art and culture is also
famous for their unique batik, ikat and songket cloth which is even popular today.
Unlike some countries art forms in Indonesia are not only based on folklore, as
many were developed in the courts of former kingdoms such as in Bali, where they are part
of religious ceremonies. The famous dance dramas of Java and Bali are derived from Hindu
mythology and often feature fragments from the Ramayana and Mahabharata Hindu epics.
Highly stylized in movement and costume, dances and the “wayang” drama are
accompanied by a full “gamelan” orchestra comprising xylophones, drums, gongs, and in
some cases string instruments and flutes. Bamboo xylophones are used in North Sulawesi
and the bamboo “angklung” instruments of West Java are well- known for their unique
tinkling notes which can be adapted to any melody.
The “Wayang kulit” (leather puppets) of Java is performed with leather puppets
held by the puppeteer, who narates the story of one of the famous episodes of the Hindu
epics, the Mahabharata or the Ramayana. It is performed against a white screen while a
lantern in the background casts the shadows of the characters on the screen, visible from
the other side where the spectators are seated.
The “Wayang Golek” (wooden puppets) of West Java is based on the same concept.
The crafts of Indonesia vary in both medium and art form. As a whole the people are
artistic by nature and express themselves on canvas, wood, metals, clay and stone. The
batik process of waxing and dyeing originated in Java centuries ago and classic designs
have been modified with modern trends in both pattern and technology. There are several
centres of Batik in Java, the major ones being Yogyakarta, Surakarta, Pekalongan and
Cirebon.

Batik is also being produced in some other areas as in Bali where local designs are
incorporated. Other provinces produce hand-woven cloths of gold and silver threads, silks
or cottons with intricate designs. Painting are numerous all over the country, both
traditional and contemporary, woodcarvings for ornamentation and furniture, silverwork
and engraving form Yogyakarta and Sumatra, filgree from South Sulawesi and Bali with
different styles of clay, sandstone and wood sculptures. These are but a few of the
handicrafts found in Indonesia.

Questions:
1. _____________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________________________
6. _____________________________________________________________
7. _____________________________________________________________
8. _____________________________________________________________
9. _____________________________________________________________
10. ____________________________________________________________

B. Language components

Adverb clauses: Time Expressions

Introductory Examples
words
When 1. He was talking on the phone when I arrived.
2. When she called, he had already eaten lunch.
3. I washed the dishes when my daughter fell asleep.
4. We'll go to lunch when you come to visit.

Before 1. We will finish before he arrives.

2. She (had) left before I telephoned.

After 1. We will finish after he comes.

2. She ate after I (had) left.
While, as 1. She began cooking while I was finishing my homework.
2. As I was finishing my homework, she began cooking.

By the time 1. By the time he finished, I had cooked dinner.

2. We will have finished our homework by the time they arrive.

Until, till 1. We waited until he finished his homework.

2. I'll wait till you finish.

Since 1. I have played tennis since I was a young boy.

2. They have worked here since 1987.

As soon as 1. He will let us know as soon as he decides (or as soon as he has

decided).
2. As soon as I hear from Tom, I will give you a telephone call.

Whenever, 1. Whenever he comes, we go to have lunch at "Dick's".

every time 2. We take a hike every time he visits.

The first, 1. The first time I went to New York, I was intimidated by the city.
second, third, 2. I saw Jack the last time I went to San Francisco.
fourth etc., 3. The second time I played tennis, I began to have fun.
next, last time

C. Practice

1. Find adverbs clauses in the above text.

2. Listen to the audio or your lecturer reading the text.

Then do the follow-up tasks.

3. Fill in the gaps.

I’m really interested in ____ 1 ____ other countries. I don’t know why, but I always
think other cultures are more interesting ___ 2 ___ culture. Every time I travel, I learn
wonderful, strange, amazing and interesting things ___ 3 ___ cultures. One of the biggest
surprises I had was when I went to the USA as a child. I’m English ___ 4 ___ Americans had
the same culture as me. When I went to America I understood Americans ___ 4 ____ very
different people. Understanding the culture ___ 5 ___ is very important. It helps us all ___ 6
___. If everyone really tried ___ 7 ___ other cultures, the world ____ 8 ____ more peaceful place.
The world is becoming smaller, so I ___ 9 ___ happening.

Source: http://www.listenAminute.com/c/culture.html

4. Write your own questions about the text.

1. ________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________

4. ________________________________________________________

5. ________________________________________________________

5. WRITING: Write about culture. Show your partner your paper. Correct each
other’s work.

6. Speaking - Study the questions to speak about local cultures.

QUESTIONS:
1. What do you know about the pictures?
2. Please tell your friends about Indonesian cultures you know.
3. Please tell your friends about your traditional foods.
 1 2 3

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