Indonesia

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how Indonesian culture is an amalgam of the traditions of many civilizations and religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Southeast Asian, Polynesian, Chinese, Arabic, and Dutch. It looks at how, since the country achieved its independence from the Dutch colonialist rule in 1945, the Indonesian culture has been influenced by the political and economic conditions prevailing in the country. It also examines some notable Indonesian customs, as well as the psychographics of the Indonesian people.

From the Paper:

"Although most Indonesians are Muslim, there are various ethnic divisions that make the country a multi-cultural country. For example 45% of the population is Javanese, while 14% are Sudanese 14%, 7% Madurese, and 8% "coastal Malays."(Forbes, 2003) There is also a marked rural/ urban division, with the urbanized middle class influenced by the Western culture but also bitter at the perceived "betrayal" by institutions such as the IMF (perceived to be controlled by the US) at not having helped the country out of its predicament at the time of a major economic crisis in 1997. The attitude is a reflection of the "collectivism" of the Indonesian people."

More papers on Indonesia:

• Essay # 138238 : "The Japanese Occupation of Indonesia in 1942-45 and why the Japanese Never Win the Struggle for Hearts and Minds despite Freeing Indonesia from Dutch Control"
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• Essay # 84458 : "Indonesia Proposal"
• Book Review # 74559 : "Political Change in Indonesia "

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