The caste system
The Javanese introduced the caste system when they conquered Bali in 1343. With its vassal princes, warrior kings and merchants, this social institution has its roots in deepest India, around 4000 BC, when Brahma was sacrificed and cut into small pieces to create the things of this world. The Vedic myth justified a strict feudal division of society, but Bali inherited a system already heavily watered down by the Indo-Javanese. By the end of the sixteenth century, the Javanese caste system had become established throughout the island and still persists.
Caste is one of the consequences of the principles of karma and samsara, i.e. the belief in the fructification of one's own deeds (karma phala), or in the process of birth and death (samsara), which is the existence of the Balinese caste system with which the individual inherits his status as a consequence of the deeds of the previous life. In Bali, therefore, one cannot lose one's caste, since it is one's birth and previous life that governs and defines one's future and return to one's own kinship system. There is one exception, however, and it is a big one: a satria woman, for example, will lose the advantages of her caste if she marries a sudra - the reverse is less true. But with the passage of time and the development of tourism, one can see social phenomena in Bali that have gone far beyond the problems of caste and the power that used to be vested in them. Nowadays, you can see satria cab drivers taking a very rich sudra to the airport!
At the head of this hierarchy is Triwangsa, which means the three peoples, namely the brahmins, satria and wesia, or priests, warriors and merchants. These three privileged castes constitute about 10% of the population, and are respected by the sudra, the commoners.
The sudra caste makes up 90% of the Balinese population and forms what might be called the commoners. Those who belong to this caste have escaped the principles of Indian rejection as the "Untouchables" who are only entrusted with certain tasks considered impure. However, they have certain privileges, in particular the almost religious privilege of choosing among them the sungguhu to chase away the evil spirits and other demons that haunt Balinese life and nights.Children and education
The younger children are taken care of by the older ones. They are free and have the whole space at their disposal. The boys on one side, the girls on the other, they roam the rice fields taking the ducks, catching the dragonflies and skewering them on small bamboo darts. The most graceful ones learn to dance, others, sitting on their father's lap and hands in hands, learn music, in the evening, at the banjar. The rest live mischievously, occupying and delimiting the space of their culture. They form small bands and roam the village, sometimes following tourists, offering their know-how. Balinese children are not very noisy. They do not cry much, and outbursts of anger are rare. Certain ceremonies mark the end of childhood, such as the teeth filing ceremony which underlines the passage from childhood to adolescence. This ceremony, important and spectacular, consists in filing and leveling the teeth to prevent all similarities with the teeth of animals, sharp and pointed, signs of bestiality and impurity.
Most Balinese children attend school (which is held in the morning) until the age of 16. Except in very poor rural villages, when parents need their children's help on the farm or in the fields, Balinese children are taught to read and write Indonesian, which explains the island's very high literacy rate compared to the rest of Indonesia. The learning of English is much less developed, but is also a language taught in school.Surprising rites related to marriage
This is the natural function of every adult human being. At the beginning, the approach works, during the end of the adolescence. At the baths, for example. Young men and women can take their daily bath at a respectful distance in the river, with a few furtive glances. All this staring is part of the "flirting", whether it is on the side of the girls or the boys. After the bath, in the evening, depending on the layout of the houses, several people meet at the night market, where they discuss and laugh. The affair becomes more serious when the girl agrees to be driven somewhere on the suitor's motorcycle. Sitting in an amazon position, she challenges the girlfriends, laughing under her breath. This is a sign of confidence that the boy will be happy to take advantage of. After two or three jogèd bumbung (musical show) and four or five drama gong (Balinese theater), the deal is in the bag. The suitor will go to the bride's house and propose with fear and defiance, while she will bring him tea and coffee, bowing her head with modesty and respect. The friends wait outside. The families get involved and all the ceremonies, rites and days for the wedding have to be agreed upon... Or the girl is abducted on the motor sepeda of the suitor who takes her to the forest without any further ado. The father of the bride is in a rage, the village is in an uproar, gangs of young people are organized to find the runaways... and do not find them. The romance ends with the satisfied return and the bright eyes of the runaway couple. The wine is drawn, it must be drunk. The marriage will be decided by forced consent with some relief for both families who no longer need to spend so much money on the engagement and wedding ceremonies.
Health and retirement
The Balinese health system is modeled on the Indonesian government's policy. Thus the population benefits from social security which is financed by the state, with mandatory savings by citizens in a provident fund. Universal health insurance was introduced in 2014. Regarding infrastructure, public hospitals and private clinics are present especially in large cities with all the necessary modern equipment. Access to healthcare is therefore not a problem on the island, except in remote villages and for low-income populations. On the other hand, private clinics in the south are known to offer better quality care. Life expectancy has tended to increase in recent decades: 67 years for men and 72 years for women. In 1990, it was 53 years on average for both men and women. At the same time, the mortality rate tends to decrease since it is estimated at 6%.
In 2010, the Indonesian government implemented a reform called "Healthy Indonesia 2010" to facilitate access to health care, especially for the rural poor. This policy is still in progress and aims to close these inequalities. The provinces have greater autonomy to manage and set up facilities by assessing the needs of the population directly on the ground.
In Indonesia, employees are covered by a defined contribution pension scheme set up by companies. Retirement is not mandatory. The normal retirement age is 55.Balinese customs
This Hindu society that is the Balinese society, while being located in a Muslim country and living in contact with foreigners, especially since the development of tourism, is very attached to its traditions and customs. Even if it is very strongly hierarchical, the respect of the other, whatever his caste, is a dominant value. Everyone addresses his interlocutor in high Balinese, in the sustained style required by the circumstances. The simplest way to avoid a mistake when speaking to a stranger is to use the ambiguous Ibu (mother) for "madam" or Bapak (father) for "sir". There is also a Balinese wink as a greeting, but it is only used between friends. Physical communication is important to the Balinese. You may see children or even adults of the same sex holding hands or fingers without any sexual connotation.
On the other hand, and this is true for tourists, you should not kiss your friend or spouse in the street: it would be very badly seen. Smiling is the easiest way to establish contact, and since the Balinese are not suspicious, they smile on all occasions. Balinese people always speak softly, without raising their voice and without showing any emotion. If you speak a little too loudly, they think you are angry and are paralyzed. But the most impressive thing is their posture, the way they walk in single file, their nonchalance, their stature
...For the Balinese, the lower part of the body is impure. Thus, pointing at something with one's foot can be taken as a serious insult by a Balinese. For similar reasons, until recently, it was not appropriate to wear shorts. The middle of the body being neutral, Balinese women used to go topless. The head is considered the most sacred part of the body. Since the fontanel is considered the gateway to Shiva, through which the soul comes to the body, no one should touch the top of someone else's head.
The Balinese and Indonesians in general are a very clean people. They bathe at least twice a day, early in the morning and late in the afternoon at sunset. Do not visit them at these times. They also have a habit of going to bed early, so don't go to their house after 9pm. Except on special occasions like weddings, people usually visit each other unannounced. If you happen to do so, bring an oleh-oleh (souvenir) that will always please. If a gift is given to you, you owe a gift in return. At ceremonies, where you sit depends on your social status. If you are invited to lunch or dinner at the home of a Balinese, do not be surprised if they remain silent. The act of eating is an individual practice that is not necessarily accompanied by discussion. Sometimes, people isolate themselves to eat and do it very quickly.
