Social Culture - Culture of Indonesia

Kuningan

2011-05-15T06:50:00.003+07:00

Kuningan is a city and regency in eastern West Java, Indonesia, between Cirebon and Tasikmalaya, about 200 km east of Jakarta. The area is near Mount Cereme/Ciremai (3.078 m), the highest mountain in West Java. The mountain is located in the western part of the region. The eastern part is a valley. The city's landmark is a horse, called Kuda Kuningan and its motto is Kuningan Aman (Safe) Sehat (Healthy) Rindang (Leafy) Indah (Beautiful) which always be called Kuningan ASRI.

The population of the regency is about 1.1 million. Most of the people are Muslim and ethnically Sundanese.

Coordinates: 6°59′S 108°29′E

Kuningan Regency south of Cirebon City and Cirebon Regency in West Java.

History

Kuningan took part in Indonesian history when the Linggadjati Agreement was made between the Indonesian and Dutch governments on November 15, 1946. Linggardjati is a mountain village located in Kuningan.

From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Culture of Indonesia

2008-12-17T19:10:00.002+07:00

Indonesian culture has been shaped by long interaction between original indigenous customs and multiple foreign influences. Indonesia is central along ancient trading routes between the Far East and the Middle East, resulting in many cultural practices being strongly influenced by a multitude of religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Islam, all strong in the major trading cities. The result is a complex cultural mixture very different from the original indigenous cultures.

Examples of cultural fusion include the fusion of Islam with Hindu in Javanese Abangan belief, the fusion of Hinduism, Buddhism and animism in Bodha, and the fusion of Hinduism and animism in Kaharingan; others could be cited.

Indonesian art-forms express this cultural mix. Wayang, traditional theater-performed puppet shows, were a medium in the spread of Hinduism and Islam amongst Javan villagers. Both Javanese and Balinese dances have stories about ancient Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms, while Islamic art forms and architecture are present in Sumatra, especially in the Minangkabau and Aceh regions. Traditional art, music and sport are combined in a martial art form called Pencak Silat.

Western culture has influenced Indonesia most in modern entertainment such as television shows, movies and songs. India has notably influenced Indonesian songs and movies. A popular type of song is the Indian-rhythmical dangdut, which is often mixed with Arab and Malay folk music.

Despite the influences of foreign culture, some remote Indonesian regions still preserve uniquely indigenous culture. Indigenous ethnic groups of Mentawai, Asmat, Dani, Dayak, Toraja and many others are still practising their ethnic rituals, customs and wearing traditional clothes.

Statue of Dewi Sri in Ubud, Bali.

Minangkabau Rumah Gadang

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

North Sumatra

2008-11-28T17:04:00.004+07:00

North Sumatra (Indonesian: Sumatera Utara) is a province of Indonesia. Its capital is Medan.

Geography and population

The province of North Sumatra stretches across the island of Sumatra between the Indian Ocean and the Strait Malacca. It borders Aceh province on the northwest and Riau and West Sumatra provinces on the southeast. It has an area of 70787 km². The province contains a broad, low plain along the Strait of Malacca coast; the provincial capital, Medan, is located here. In the south and west, the land rises to the mountain range that runs the length of Sumatra; the mountains here are dominated by Lake Toba, formed from the caldera of an ancient volcano. Several large islands in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sumatra are part of North Sumatra, most notably Nias, Tanah Bala, Tanah Masa, and Pini.

North Sumatra has a population of approximately 11.48 million (As of 2000 census).

Agriculture and economy

Sumatra Mandheling and Sumatra Lintong coffee beans are grown in North Sumatra and largely exported to the U.S. Mandheling is named after the similarly spelt Mandailing people located in North Sumatra, Indonesia. The name is the result of a misunderstanding by the first foreign purchaser of the variety, and no coffee is actually produced in the "Mandailing region". Lintong on the other hand, is named after the Lintong district, also located in North Sumatra.

Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam

2008-11-21T08:07:00.004+07:00

Aceh (pronounced [ʔaˈtɕɛh], generally anglicized as IPA: /ˈɑːtʃeɪ/) is a special territory (daerah istimewa) of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Nanggröe Aceh Darussalam. Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin.

It is thought to have been in Aceh where Islam was first established in Southeast Asia. In the early seventeenth century the Sultanate of Aceh was the most wealthy, powerful and cultivated state in the Malacca Straits region. Aceh has a history of political independence and fierce resistance to control by outsiders, including the former Dutch colonists and the Indonesian government. Aceh has substantial natural resources, including oil and gas - some estimates put Aceh gas reserves as being the largest in the world. Relative to most of Indonesia, it is a religiously conservative area.[3]

Aceh was the closest point of land to the epicenter of the massive 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which triggered a tsunami that devastated much of the western coast of the region, including part of the capital of Banda Aceh. 167,736 Indonesians, the overwhelming majority in Aceh, were killed or missing and 500,000 made homeless.[4] This event helped trigger the peace agreement between the government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), mediated by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, with the signing of a MoU on August 15, 2005. With the assistance of the European Union through the Aceh monitoring mission as of December 2005, the peace has held.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bull Races: Madura Island

2008-11-21T07:56:00.002+07:00

A very popular sport and spectacle, the bull races are held regularly at least twice a month during September through to October and generally start at 9am in the towns of Bangkalan, Sampang and Pameksan.

Madura Island is about a half hour ferry ride from Surabaya. Bull racing is enthralling and especially the annual races for the island championships which are usually held by the local administration after the harvest time in September or October. The finals are held in Pameksan.

Photo Courtesy: Nick O’Neill

Source: indonesialogue.com

Tangkuban Perahu

2008-11-15T22:35:00.003+07:00

Tangkuban Perahu is actually an active volcanic crater, located in Lembang, 30 km north of the city of Bandung. When seen from Bandung, Mt. Tangkuban Perahu has a distinctive shape, like a boat turned up side down, referring to the local legend of its creation, the Legend of "Sangkuriang".

The story tells of "Dayang Sumbi", a beauty who lived in West Java. She cast away her son "Sangkuriang" for disobedience, and in her sadness was granted the power of eternal youth by the gods. After many years in exile, Sangkuriang decided to return to his home, long after the two had forgotten and failed to recognize each other. Sangkuriang fell in love with Dayang Sumbi and planned to marry her, only for Dayang Sumbi to recognize his birthmark just as he was about to go hunting. In order to prevent the marriage from taking place, Dayang Sumbi asked Sangkuriang to (1) build a dam on the river Citarum and (2) build a large boat to cross the river, both before the sunrise. Sangkuriang meditated and summoned mythical ogre-like creatures -buta hejo or green giant(s)- to do his bidding. Dayang Sumbi saw that the tasks were almost completed and called on her workers to spread red silk cloths east of the city, to give the impression of impending sunrise. Sangkuriang was fooled, and upon believing that he had failed, kicked the dam and the unfinished boat, resulting in severe flooding and the creation of Tangkuban perahu from the hull of the boat.

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Bidadari Island

2008-11-11T19:09:00.005+07:00

Supported by accomodation facilities, special building cottage with Menado ethnic , floating cottages with fishing settlement, meeting room, restaurant, bar, souvenir shop, Cheroke, Discotheque, billiard and exciting sport facilities, volley beach, table tennis and much more which may be conducted during enjoying recreation.

Bidadari island is very steady please for family vacation, recreation of the company employees and meeting or other activities which can be done in funy relation.

And one unique facility which is offered as the onlyone in Indonesia is outbond training or teambuilding challenge matra bahari ( sea bases ) located in Kepulauan Seribu (Thousand Island).

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Bidadari Restaurant

Bidadari Cottage

AB Bangau Bidadari

From: http://www.pulauseribu-wisata.com

Miss Indonesia Universe

2008-11-10T22:40:00.000+07:00

Sandra Angelia "Miss Indonesia 2008 " from Jawa Timur

Puteri Indonesia (literally translates into "Princess of Indonesia"), as also known as Miss Indonesia Universe, is one of the two biggest beauty pageants in Indonesia, as well as the oldest one.

Puteri Indonesia pageant began delegating its winner to Miss Universe in 1995, but by 1996, the winner was forced to withdraw from competing in the Miss Universe pageant by Mrs. Tien Soeharto, who was the wife of the late second president of the Republic of Indonesia, Soeharto.

With Suharto overthrown, in 2005, Puteri Indonesia resumed to send the winner of this pageant to Miss Universe 2005. In 2006, in addition to sending the winner Miss Universe 2006, the first runner up was sent to Miss World 2005. In 2006, however, Puteri Indonesia lost the franchise of Miss World. Nowadays, its winner will still be sent to Miss Universe, its first runner up to Miss Asia Pacific International, and its second runner up to Miss International

Pinalis Miss Indonesia 2008

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jayawijaya Mountains

2008-11-10T19:37:00.005+07:00

Puncak Jayawijaya

The Jayawijaya Mountains, formerly known as the Orange Range, are the eastern mountain range of the Maoke Mountains in the central highlands region of the Indonesian part of New Guinea. The range extends for 230 miles east of the Sudirman Range to the Star Mountains. Its highest point is Trikora Peak at 4,750 meters (15,580 feet). The large Grasberg copper and gold mine, operated by the Freeport company based out of the United States, is located in these mountains. The Baliem River has its source in the range.

Inhabitants of the range include the Ketengban.^[1]

In 1997 sightings of animals matching the description of the thylacine, an extinct Australian marsupial were reported from "the Jayawijaya region of Irian Jaya".^[2].

References

Diamond, Jared & Bishop, K. David (1999): Ethno-ornithology of the Ketengban People, Indonesian New Guinea. In: Medin, Douglas L. & Atran, Scott: Folkbiology: 17-46. MIT Press. ISBN 026263192X
Walters, Patrick (1997): Irian Jayans spy 'Tassie Tiger'. Version of 1997-AUG-20. Retrieved 2008-JUN-17.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

New Elected President of America

2008-11-09T05:22:00.004+07:00

Obama: "Change has come to America." 'Yes, we can'

I honestly got goose bumps watching Barack Obama's speech acceptance in TV last night. And today is a day that we will all remember, a day for our children and a day for the future of our country.

Hoping that this great man, this powerful speaker, can help lead the most powerful nation in the world toward a better tomorrow. He was honest about the fact that it will be difficult to accomplish his goals in one term, and said it would be an uphill battle. He also said that we can do it together, as a nation, and as hardworking people who care about our future and our children future. For those who did not support his candidacy, he said he hears you and he hopes to work with you on behalf of America and our shared interests. In all of his 8 years in office, I can't recall Bush ever talking like this.

It is uplifting, emotional, and so heartening to be here at this place in history. There is a lot of work ahead for Obama, for his chosen Cabinet, for Congress, and for all of us. But with this election we have shown that we care deeply about the future of our Nation and the world, and that we will do our best to ensure that it is led in a direction that is best for all of us. Thank you Obama, thank you volunteers and thank you to everyone that voted and cared. We have to forget what is red or blue or white or black, but to remember that we are a great country that is made up with great people. I see hope and change for our country; God bless America and everyone.

Source: Maria went ti "Chicago"

Advertising

2008-11-07T20:38:00.000+07:00

Advertising is a form of communication that typically attempts to persuade potential customers to purchase or to consume more of a particular brand of product or service. Many advertisements are designed to generate increased consumption of those products and services through the creation and reinforcement of "brand image" and "brand loyalty". For these purposes, advertisements sometimes embed their persuasive message with factual information. Every major medium is used to deliver these messages, including television, radio, cinema, magazines, newspapers, video games, the Internet and billboards. Advertising is often placed by an advertising agency on behalf of a company or other organization.

A Coca-Cola advert from the 1890s.

Advertisements are seen on the seats of shopping carts, on the walls of an airport walkway, on the sides of buses,and are heard in telephone hold messages and in-store public address systems. Advertisements are often placed anywhere an audience can easily or frequently access visual, audio and printed information.

Organizations that frequently spend large sums of money on advertising that sells what is not, strictly speaking, a product or service include political parties, interest groups, religious organizations, and military recruiters. Non-profit organizations are not typical advertising clients, and may rely on free modes of persuasion, such as public service announcements.

Advertising spending has increased dramatically in recent years. In 2006, spending on advertising has been estimated at $155 billion in the United States[1] and $385 billion worldwide[2], and the latter to exceed $500 billion by 2010.

While advertising can be seen as necessary for economic growth, it is not without social costs. Unsolicited Commercial Email and other forms of spam have become so prevalent as to have become a major nuisance to users of these services, as well as being a financial burden on internet service providers.[3] Advertising is increasingly invading public spaces, such as schools, which some critics argue is a form of child exploitation.[4][5]

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Billboard, New York City, (2005).The ad says, "60 days of daylight for Apartment 6F."

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ancol Dreamland

2008-11-06T22:48:00.003+07:00

Taman Impian Jaya Ancol otherwise known as Ancol Dreamland is an integral part of Ancol Bay City, a popular resort destination located along Jakarta's waterfront, Indonesia.

It is owned by PT. Pembangunan Jaya Ancol Tbk. (They manage the resort and develop housing estates along Jakarta Bay). Ancol Dreamland opened in 1966 and it's currently the largest integrated tourism area in South East Asia. Boasting an international championship golf course, a theme park, world-class hotels and other recreational facilities.

Dunia Fantasi / Dufan (Fantasy World)
Dunia Fantasi is Jakarta's own theme park with over forty main rides and attractions. The theme park is divided into eight regions, Indonesia, Jakarta, Asia, Eropa (Europe), Amerika (America), Yunani (Greece), Hikayat (Fantasy) and Balada Kera (Monkey Parody). The theme park have comply with international standards through ISO 9001:2000 certification.

Among its most famed attraction is the Halilintar twisted roller coaster ride, Niagara flume ride, Istana Boneka (a local version of Disney's It's a Small World) and Balada Kera (Monkey Parody) Theater show. Other classic attractions include Bianglala (ferris wheel), Kora-Kora (swinging ship) and Poci-Poci (spinning cups ride). [1]

Several of the latest and newest rides are Kicir-Kicir (Power Surge) (2004), Perang Bintang (Star Wars) (2005) - an interactive dark ride, Meteor Attack (2006) and Tornado (Windshear by Zamperla) (2007). Some seasonal attractions include Le Belles cabaret show, Russian Circus and Euro Kids Circus. Major renovation have recently been completed on the main entrance facade and ticket booths.

One of the most famous attraction is named Rama Sinta. It is a dark ride that retells the famous Indonesian folktale of the same name with advanced technology. However, this ride has been closed due to fire that broke out early in the morning. The theater that used to house the ride has been emptied and converted into a large indoor exhibition hall, occasionally hosting special shows. As of now, there are no publicly announced plans to use the space for future rides.

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Ancol Dreamland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lake Toba

2008-11-04T19:26:00.004+07:00

www.tobaleuser.com

Lake Toba (Indonesian: Danau Toba) is a lake and supervolcano, 100 km long and 30 km wide, and 505 m. (1,666 ft.) at its deepest point, in the middle of the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra with a surface elevation of about 900 m (3,000 feet), stretching from 2.88, 98.52 to 2.35, 99.1. It is the largest volcanic lake in the world.[1] In addition, it is the site of the 75,000-year-old supervolcanic eruption, the largest in the last 25 million years; where it staged a massive climate-changing event that scientists believe might have wiped out much of humanity. The massive eruption is believed to have a VEI intensity of 8.Contents

Landsat photo

Geology

The Toba caldera complex in Northern Sumatra, Indonesia consists of four overlapping volcanic craters that adjoin the Sumatran "volcanic front". The youngest and fourth caldera is the world’s largest Quarternary caldera (100 by 30 kilometers) and intercepts the three older calderas. An estimate of 2500-3000 cubic kilometers of dense-rock equivalent pyroclastic material, nicknamed the Youngest Toba tuff, was blasted from the youngest caldera during one of the largest single eruptions in geologic history. Following the "Youngest Toba tuff eruption", a typical resurgent dome formed within the new caldera, joining two half-domes separated by a longitudinal graben.[2]

Location: North Sumatra, Indonesia
Coordinates: 2°37′N 98°49′E
Lake type: Volcanic/ tectonic
Primary outflows: Asahan River
Basin countries: Indonesia
Max. length: 100 km
Max. width: 30 km
Surface area: 1,130 km²
Max. depth: 505 m[1]
Water volume: 240 km³
Surface elevation: 905 m
Islands: Samosir

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

TECTONICS OF THE INDONESIAN REGION

2008-11-03T18:03:00.005+07:00

The plate tectonics of this region, particularly at the eastern end, in the region of the Banda Sea, is perhaps the most complicated of any region in the world. The sharp curve in the Banda Arc is attributed to two distinct dipping slabs. Firstly, we have the Australian plate being subducted under the Asian Plate, and dipping to the north. The strike of this subduction zone is swung around to the north to the east of Timor. To the north of this we have the Pacific Plate, which is being carried to the west by the Tarera-Aiduna Fault, and then being subducted to the south west at the Seram Trough. This interpretation has been clarified by the work of Das ( Journal of Geophysical Reseach, 2004), who has accurately relocated more than 800 earthquakes in the area.

Below - ISC locations from 1964 - 1996 Mag > 4.5 and deeper than 50 km, figure from Das (2004)

for more on tectonics of the Indonesian region, follow this link

GREAT EARTHQUAKE - INDONESIA - 26 Dec 2004

This earthquake was the largest in the world since a Magnitude 9.2 event in Alaksa in 1964. It was the 4th largest event in the world since 1900. It is estimated to have caused rupturing along the plate boundary, in a roughly north-north-west direction, of at least 500 km. The average displacement has been estimated at 15 metres. The zone of aftershocks is at least 1300 km long. As we all know, it caused a tsunami of devastating dimension, having caused deaths as far away as the east coast of Africa.

Minor tsunami effects were recorded on the west coast of Australia, and they are documented elsewhere on this web site.

The current estimate of magnitude is 9.0 ( surface wave magnitude or MS), although some sources have computed a larger magnitude, and it has been suggested that this earthquake was the largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in the world, ever!

The earthquake did not have any foreshocks large enough to be located by international agencies - that is, larger than about magnitude 4.

However, there have been thousands of aftershocks. Up to Jan 14, 2005, there have been 18 aftershocks of magnitude 6 or greater. Five of these were on the same day as the earthquake, four on the following day, and three two days after that. The most recent was on January 9 (as at 14 Jan 2005).

The largest aftershock was a magnitude 7.5 event approximately 3 hours after the main shock.

Follow link for descriptions of the effects of the tsunami in Western Australia

Below - map of all earthquakes in the region, 15 Dec to 14 Jan ( source IRIS)
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From: Seismicity of Western Austraia - Indonesia

Wedding Dresses of Java

2008-11-02T15:41:00.003+07:00

The Yogyanese grand wedding dress, which is a direct imitation

of the formal dresses of the Sultan and his Queen

The groom doesn't wear pants but the Sultans do, because the Sultans in the pix above happen to be kings at kingly occasions.

The other wedding dresses of Java, which is more regal and more formal, include pants like the Sultan's for the groom, in the 'basahan' style ('basah' means 'wet', and implies 'bathing'; in this style the groom appears bare-chested, and the bride in 'kemben', i.e. with bared shoulders).

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From: Real Javanese and Indonesian Cloth

Jakarta

2008-11-02T13:57:00.005+07:00

Jakarta (also DKI Jakarta), is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. It also has a greater population than any other city in Southeast Asia. It was formerly known as Sunda Kelapa (397-1527), Jayakarta (1527-1619), Batavia (1619-1942), and Djakarta (1942-1972). Located on the northwest coast of Java, it has an area of 661.52 square kilometres (255.41 sq mi) and a population of 8,489,910[1]. Jakarta is the country's economic, culture and political center. Jakarta currently is the twelfth largest city in the world. Its metropolitan area, Jabodetabek, contains more than 23 million people, and is part of an even larger Jakarta-Bandung megalopolis.[citation needed]

Jakarta is served by the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Tanjung Priok harbour. Since 2004, Jakarta, while under the governance of Sutiyoso, has built a new bus system known as "TransJakarta" or "Busway", and is now planning to expand the number of routes. The city had hoped to establish its newest transportation system, the Jakarta Monorail, in 2007, but the project was abandoned by the developer, PT Jakarta Monorail, in March 2008. Jakarta is the location of the Jakarta Stock Exchange, the Bank of Indonesia, and the National Monument, or Tugu Monas.

Jakarta skyline and Mount Gede

Geography
Jakarta is located on the northwestern coast of Java Island, at the mouth of the Ciliwung River on Jakarta Bay, which is an inlet of the Java Sea. The northern part of Jakarta is constituted on a plain land, approximately eight meters above the sea level. This contributes to the frequent flooding. The southern parts of the city are hilly. There are about 13 rivers flowing through Jakarta, mostly flowing from the hilly southern parts of the city northwards towards the Java Sea. The most important river is the Ciliwung river, which divides the city into the western and eastern principality. The city border is the province of West Java on its east side and the province of Banten on its west side.

The thousand islands, which is a part of the administrative region of Jakarta, is located in the Jakarta Bay. These 105 islands are located 45 kilometres (28 mi) on the north part of the city.

Country: Indonesia
Province: Jakarta
Government:
- Type Special administrative area
- Governor Fauzi Bowo
Area:
- City 750.28 km² (289.7 sq mi)
Elevation: 4 m (13 ft)
Population (2008):
- City 8,489,910
- Density 11,315.7/km² (29,307.5/sq mi)
- Metro 13,194,000
Time zone: WIB (UTC+7)
Area code(s): +6221
Website: www.jakarta.go.id

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cuisine of Indonesia

2008-11-01T20:10:00.003+07:00

Indonesian cuisine reflects the vast variety of people that live on the 6,000 populated islands that make up Indonesia. There is probably not a single "Indonesian" cuisine, but rather, a diversity of regional cuisines influenced by local Indonesian culture and foreign influences.

Throughout its history, Indonesia has been involved in trade due to its location and natural resources. Indonesia’s indigenous techniques and ingredients, at least in the Malay World parts, are influenced by India, the Middle East, China and finally Europe. Spanish and Portuguese traders brought New World produce even before the Dutch came to colonize most of Indonesia. Indonesian island of Maluku is famed as "the Spice Island" also gave contribution on the introduction of native spices to Indonesian and global cuisine. The cuisine of Eastern Indonesia is similar to Polynesian and Melanesian cuisine.

Indonesia is the home of Satay;
one of the country's most popular dishes,
there are many variants across Indonesia.

Sumatran cuisine, for example, often show their Middle Eastern and Indian influence, having curried meat and vegetables, while Javanese cuisine is rather more indigenously developed. Elements of Indonesian Chinese cuisine are seen in Indonesian cuisine: as bakmi (noodles) and bakso (meat balls) are completely assimilated.

The most popular dishes that originated in Indonesia are common across most of Asia. Popular Indonesian dishes such as satay, beef rendang, and sambals also favored in Malaysia and Singapore. Soy-based dishes, such as variations of tofu (tahu) and tempe, are also very popular. Tempe is regarded as a Javanese invention, an adaptation to the loss of forests precluding hunting as a source of protein food. Indonesian meals are commonly eaten with the combination of spoon in the right hand and fork in the left hand, although in many parts of the country (such as West Java) it is also common to eat with one's hands.

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Bakso (meatball) seller in Bandung

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wayang

2008-10-29T19:50:00.004+07:00

Wayang is an Indonesian and Malay word for theatre. When the term is used to refer to kinds of puppet theater, sometimes the puppet itself is referred to as wayang. "Bayang", the Javanese word for shadow or imagination, also connotes "spirit." Performances of shadow puppet theater are accompanied by gamelan in Java, and by "gender wayang" in Bali.

UNESCO designated Wayang Kulit, a shadow puppet theater and the best known of the Indonesian wayang, as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on 7 November 2003.

Culture of Indonesia

2008-10-27T23:36:00.007+07:00

Indonesian culture has been shaped by long interaction between original indigenous customs and multiple foreign influences. Indonesia is central along ancient trading routes between the Far East and the Middle East, resulting in many cultural practices being strongly influenced by a multitude of religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Islam, all strong in the major trading cities. The result is a complex cultural mixture very different from the original indigenous cultures.

Statue of Dewi Sri in Ubud, Bali.

Indonesian art-forms express this cultural mix. Wayang, traditional theater-performed puppet shows, were a medium in the spread of Hinduism and Islam amongst Javan villagers. Both Javanese and Balinese dances have stories about ancient Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms, while Islamic art forms and architecture are present in Sumatra, especially in the Minangkabau and Aceh regions. Traditional art, music and sport are combined in a martial art form called Pencak Silat.

Music being played to accompany dancers. Photo: G Larson

Minangkabau Rumah Gadang

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Unique Heritage and Culture

2008-10-25T20:47:00.005+07:00

WEST JAVA

Of the 17,000 islands that make up the archipelago of the Republic of Indonesia, Java has historically been considered the heartland. Where Java has led-culturally, economically and politically down through the centuries, other regions have followed. On Java, still the most densely populated island of Indonesia, there are five Provinces. West Java is the largest, with the greatest population, and, some would claim, with the most pride.

West Java Province is located at part of western Java Island. The enchanting of Sunda land stretches from Sunda Strait in the west to the borders of Central Java in the east. The locals' people know West Java Province as the Land of Sunda. The region is primarily mountainous, with rich green valleys hugging lofty volcanic peaks, many of which surround the capital of West Java province. The history of West Java is a story of trade, spices, and the rise and fall of powerful kingdoms. In the late 1500's the region was ruled from mighty Cirebon, which still survives as a sultanate today, although a shadow of its former glory. West Java was of the first contact points in Indonesia for Indian traders and their cultural influences, and it was here that the Dutch and British first set foot in the archipelago.

Indonesian Beauty Woman

2008-10-22T23:10:00.002+07:00

MARTHA TILAAR Beauty services...

Martha Tilaar Group is one of Indonesia’s foremost purveyors of innovative, high-quality beauty products and services. With its wide-ranging stable of sub-brands under the Martha Tilaar umbrella brand, the group offers an impressive array of beauty and well-being choices for women of all ages and income groups. While many of its products and treatments feature the ancient wisdom of traditional Indonesian herbal ingredients (jamu) and other natural plant extracts, Martha Tilaar also produces a wide variety of up-to-the-minute color cosmetics and skincare, body care and hair care products for the modern woman.

From its humble beginnings as a beauty salon in the early 1970s, the company has grown into an integrated, world-class, total beauty provider with an annual turnover of around Rp600 billion (US$75 million), which exports its products all over the world. The company’s key brands have won numerous prizes and consistently achieved the country’s highest ratings for brand awareness, reflecting Martha Tilaar’s strong focus on beauty products specifically designed for the Eastern woman. The group leads the domestic market for color cosmetics (decorative and make-up base) with an 18 to 10 percent share, and holds around 11 percent of the skincare market.

From:
MARTHA TILAAR Beauty services for indonesian beauty woman

Borobudur

2008-10-20T04:51:00.000+07:00

Borobudur is a ninth century Mahayana Buddhist monument in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. A main dome is located at the center of the top platform, and is surrounded by seventy-two Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa.

The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top through the three levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely, Kamadhatu (the world of desire); Rupadhatu (the world of forms); and Arupadhatu (the world of formless). During the journey, the monument guides the pilgrims through a system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and the balustrades.

Evidence suggests Borobudur was abandoned following the fourteenth century decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in Java, and the Javanese conversion to Islam. It was rediscovered in 1814 by Sir Thomas Raffles, the British ruler of Java. Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage, where once a year Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument, and Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction.

Ondel-Ondel, traditional puppets from Jakarta

2008-10-19T05:48:00.003+07:00

If you're in Jakarta, try to find the traditional event of Betawi. Betawi is the descendants of the people living around Jakarta from around 17th century.They have their own culture and also language, different from Javanese language or Sunda language.

Almost every event that held by Betawi's people, they had a giant puppet (usually one as man puppet and one as women puppet) called "Ondel-Ondel". In marriage ceremonies or at the party of Jakarta's anniversary or en event like Jakarta Fair and similar other fairs, you will find Ondel-Ondel. This giant puppets will dance along the traditional music like Tanjidor. Size of the puppets...? Well, they're about 2.5m tall.

Children love them. Some scare of them, like my daughter :)

Source: Ondel-ondel

DAGING BALADO

2008-10-15T05:39:00.003+07:00

Daging balado adalah makanan yang awet dan tahan lama, renyah dan bisa disimpan dalam jangka waktu satu minggu, tanpa menggunakan bahan pengawet. Cocok untuk dibawa ke dalam perjalanan jauh, makanan ini tidak akan rusak.

Source: Indonesian Foods

Kaligrafi

2008-10-12T15:01:00.005+07:00

Kaligrafi, dari bahasa Yunani; καλλι "keindahan" + γραφος "menulis" adalah seni menulis dengan indah dengan penasebagai hiasan. Tulisan dalam bentuk kaligrafi biasanya tidak untuk dibaca dengan konsentrasi tinggi dalam waktu lama, karena sifatnya yang membuat mata cepat lelah. Karena itulah sangat sulit menemukan contoh kaligrafi sebagai tipografi buku-buku masa kini.

Meskipun kaligrafi dalam tulisan arab lebih dikenal, tetapi banyak pula penerapan aplikasi ke dalam tulisan latin.

Kaligrafi tulisan latin
Calligraphy in a Latin Bible of AD 1407 on display in Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire, England. The Bible was hand written in Belgium, by Gerard Brils, for reading aloud in a monastery.
Taken by Adrian Pingstone in February 2005 and released to the public domain.

Read more...

Kaligrafi Islam

Di dalam seni rupa Islam, tulisan arab seringkali dibuat kaligrafi. Biasanya isinya disadur ayat-ayat suci dari Al-Quran. Bentuknya bermacam-macam, tidak selalu pena diatas kertas, tetapi seringkali juga ditatahkan di atas logam atau kulit.

Salah satu bentuk penerapan kaligrafi Islam sebagai seni hias adalah di Istana Al Hamra, Spanyol.

Contoh kaligrafi Islam dari abad 11 dari Persia

Dari Wikipedia bahasa Indonesia, ensiklopedia bebas

JOGJA BATIK "About Batik and Processing"

2008-10-11T22:18:00.004+07:00

The first time the batik was used as the royals clothes on Java at the several centuries ago, furthermore batik become everyday clothes for Javanese community. Although the batik identical with the Javanese traditional dress, but batik has been the national dress for Indonesian community, moreover batik famed on overseas. The making use of batik had no longer the traditional dress only but it follow the fashion developments all for men and women. Moreover batik have been used for interior decoration, home furnishing, etc.

The diverse of batiks divided in two groups,
The Classical Batik and The Modern Batik.

The Classical Batik

The classical batik, has the high value and having high art savoir vivre by the difficult process of making and for weeks at a time. The traditional batik has the basic patterns with various motifs such as kawung, parang, nitik, truntum, ceplok, tambal, etc. Basic material for batik is the white cotton best quality or silk. Material batik use silk was going to result the clear and life colors.

The Classical Batik Processing

Almost everyone has seen a batik at one time or another. Many have even witnessed their manufacture. At least many people think so, if they have visited a batik workshop on a journey through Jogja, with women drawing patterns on a white piece of kain with a canting. This process, by means of which some wax is applied, is, however, only one of numerous operations the kain has to undergo before it becomes proper batik.

Preparation

A white cotton or silk kain with a width of some 110 cm and a length of 240 cm receives an initial treatment to render it fit for further processing. This initial treatment involves washing, starching, drying and beating and can take several days.

Pattern

Once the material is ready for further processing, the patterns are applied by one ore more motif or draw the pattern straight from the hand. Once the design has been drawn on kain, it is copied in the separate colors. It is also possible to just mark the outlines of the design, thereby making it possible to cover the surface afterward. The copying is done by means of a thin trickle of fluid malam (=wax) from the spout of the canting. These canting exist in different sizes. They can best be compared to small brass teapots the size of a tobacco pipe, with the wooden handle. The thinner the spout, the smaller the flow of wax.

The wax is first heated to render it fluid. It is essential that it has the correct temperature. The batik technique involves application of the same pattern in the same place on both sides of the kain, so that technically there is no difference between the two sides. The parts that are to be dyed brown are initially also covered in wax. As a rule different types of wax are used that can be removed independently from each other.

Dyeing

The kain is now ready to be submerged in the blue dye. This process is frequently repeated until the desired result has been achieved, sometimes no fewer than 30 times for a top-quality product. Traditionally the dyeing agent was indigo. The remarkable thing about indigo is that its characteristic color does not become apparent until it is left to dry and comes into contact with oxygen. When the kain is still wet, the wax is scraped off the parts of the pattern that are to become brown. Subsequently the parts that have been dyed blue and are to remain blue are also covered in wax. Now the kain is submerged in the brown dye.

The traditional brown dye is soga, a special kind of tree bark. For a good result no fewer than 15 days of dyeing with 3 immersions each day maybe necessary. The areas that at first were dyed blue and have now been treated with brown dye as well have by now acquired a black color. This implies that the use of two types of dye has resulted in three colors: blue, brown, and black while some of the kain is still white.

Removing the wax

After the layers of dye have been applied, the dye is fixed. After that all the wax can be removed, this is done by melting it in hot water, the fluid wax will float on the surface. Subsequently the kain is washed.

Applying the batik to silks simply necessitates different techniques, because different waxes and dyes are required to protect the tender silk against possible damage.

The batik production process mention above is called batik tulis (tulis = write, draw), handwrite batik. Other type is batik cap (= stamp), stamp batik, this cap was used to stamp the wax onto the kain (see picture below), the stamp tools were made from copper that has the shape of pattern where on it surface had small channel to place liquid wax. The dye process as same as with the batik tulis.

_________________________________________________________________

The well known traditional batik have various size and nomenclature, ie :

batik kain panjang the width of 110 cm X length of 240 cm,

batik kain sarung (about 105cmX200cm),

selendang (45~60cmX200~300cm),

iket kepala (90cmX90cm) and

kemben (60cmX200cm).

For daily use batiks are marketed as materials: all sorts of different clothing for gents and ladies; or interior decoration for houses, offices or hotels; or pillowcases, bedcovers, bed sheets, or as table cloths, napkins, place mats, bags, etcetera.

Modern Batik

On the modern batik, the motifs are not depending on the certain patterns, in contrast to the classical batik, the modern batik designs could in the form of everything, moreover occasionally used the motif of classical batik and was combined by various shape with colorful dyeing. The modern batik also uses the material and process dyeing follows the material dyeing developments. On the other word, the production process of the modern batik approximately with the classical batik, i.e. handmade process, but its design, dyeing and technical processing depends on the maker and the use of dyeing materials. Furthermore technical of batik processing expanded in case of applying wax and colors, for example on the some areas, the use of the canting is not necessary; they can treat wax with brushes and some dyeing use gauzes directly. With the result that the use of technical processing batik develop in applications of other field of art, as on field of art batik painting and art batik wood. In the other word, the processing of modern batik basically almost same as classical batik processing but on design and dyeing up to art of senses the maker and depend on dyeing materials.

The Modern Batik Processing

Modern batik processing has same principle as processing of classical batik because modern batik is developing of classical batik variations but different on design or pattern and dyeing technical.

Sundanese Dance

2008-10-10T06:42:00.004+07:00

Four Principles:

1. Wiraga
(raga = body)
In dancing, a dancer must master the technique and choreography of the dance.

2. Wirahma
(irama = music)
In dancing, a dancer is expected to understand the melody of the music he/she is dancing and to have a high sensitivity to the musical feeling.

3. Wirasa
(rasa = feeling, sense, taste, sensation)
In presenting a dance, it is not enough to know the technique and choreography. The dancer must be able to unite the feeling of the movement and the feeling of the melody. The result is a dance in a perfect dynamic.

4. Wanda
(wanda = character)
In the traditional dances that present/carry characters, the dancer must be able to become that character.

It requires firm dedication and commitment on the part of the student to work towards mastery of the four principles. Only when an individual has mastered these principles, when everything is done meticulously and thoroughly, can the student truly be called a dancer.

Source: Harsanari

Indonesian Dance Festival

2008-10-08T12:55:00.003+07:00

The Indonesian Dance Festival (IDF) was established in 1992, initiated by a group of Indonesian dance artists: Dr. Sal Murgiyanto, Nungki Kusumastuti, S.Sn., M.Sos, Melina Surja Dewi S.Pd,M.Si, Maria Darmaningsih S.Sn,M.Ed., Dedy Lutan S.Sn., Tom Ibnur S.Sn., supported by Prof. Sardono W. Kusumo, Dr. Julianti, Farida Oetoyo, etc.

Choreographers from various levels , national as well as international have performed their works at IDF, such as Martinus Miroto, Kim Maeja (Korea), Mugiyono Kasido, Eko Supriyanto, Boi G. Sakti, Sardono W. Kusumo, Ku Ming-Shen (Taiwan), Min Tanaka (Jepang), Takiko Iwabuchi (Jepang), Arco Renz (Belgia) , Cezerine Barry (Australia), Janis Brenner (Amerika Serikat), Yamada Un (Jepang), etc.

Artistic Board The 9th IDF 2008: Dr. Sal Murgiyanto, Boi G Sakti, Mugiyono Kasido, Tang Fu Kuen (Singapore) and Daisuke Muto (Japan)

The festival is presented in corporation with Performing Arts Faculty-Jakarta Institute of The Arts and The Government of DKI Jakarta Province, Jakarta Arts Centre Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta Arts Council and P4TK Seni Budaya, Yogyakarta.

Source: Indonesian Dance Festival

Indonesian Dance

2008-10-08T12:34:00.005+07:00

Indonesian Dance, the dances of the peoples of Indonesia, including elaborate dance dramas as well as dances intended solely to display grace of movement. Indonesian dance has three main traditions: the Javanese, in eastern Java; the Sundanese, in western Java; and the Balinese. Javanese and Sundanese dance includes folk and courtly styles, but in Bali these merged into a single style shared by all social classes. In general, Indonesian dance is slow in tempo, with controlled, reserved motions. The dancers stay close to the ground (in contrast to the high leaps of Western ballet), and arm and hand movements are important. Sundanese dance tends to be more sensuous and expansive than Javanese and Balinese dance. The dance of Indonesia was strongly influenced by the diffusion of Indian culture in the 1st millennium ad. The country's dance dramas often portray episodes from Hindu epics, and some Indian influence can be observed in the use of the legs, neck, and head and in remnants of the mudras (codified hand gestures of Indian dance). In the 15th and 16th centuries the conversion of Java to Islam provided an overlay of plots, characters, and similar influences. The dances of Bali, lacking the Islamic elements, may reflect pre-Islamic forms that have disappeared from Java. The remarkable dance tradition of Bali, flourishing and evolving after 1000 years, is deeply linked to communal and spiritual life. There, ritual often consists of dance, and spirit possession is believed to occur in ceremonies such as the barong dance drama (which exorcises evil spirits from a village). Other important forms of Indonesian dance include the wayang orang (the large-scale, spectacularly staged dance adaptation of the wayang kulit, or puppet theater), which has distinct Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese variants. Its dance style probably originated in ancient unmasked dances whose modern descendants include the deeply revered bedaja, a court dance for nine women who move in unison in graceful, abstract patterns. The wayang topeng, or masked dance, is usually a solo character interpretation drawn from Hindu legends. Village customs and popular theater include other dance forms.

Kecak Dance-Drama of Bali

The Kecak dance-drama of Bali is based on the Hindu epic Ramayana, which tells the story of Prince Rama and his rescue of his bride, Sita, from the demon king Ravana. A chorus of bare-chested men surrounds the dance area and imitates the “cak-cak” sound made by monkeys. An army of monkeys helped Rama in his battle with Ravana.

Balinese Dancers

The legong is a dance of Bali that features highly controlled movements of the arms and hands. It is performed by two or three young girls who wear tightly wrapped silk sarongs, flower headdresses, and collars decorated with tiny stones and mirrors. A gamelan orchestra featuring gongs and other percussion instruments accompanies the dancers.

Source: encarta-msn.com

Worldview Noise in Communication

2008-10-08T05:49:00.000+07:00

Sometimes when we listen to the radio, static interferes with the signal, and may hinder understanding of the message. Loud music makes it hard to hear on the telephone. The noise of a plane flying over interferes with conversation. The concept of noise applies in technical, cultural and personal communication also.

Even the format of the message may introduce cultural "noise." This may be the channel or medium chosen, or the level of language used. These may interfere with communication, with the perception of the message. Any interference in our communication is referred to as noise. In this sense, noise may be of many types.

The possible types of noise simply increase when you add the cross-cultural dimension. Every encounter between two or more human beings can be analyzed as a communication event. In every communication event, cultural information is unconsciously exchanged. The greater the differences in culture, the more noise there is to interfere with the communication.

Types of Noise

Some types of noise involve linguistic interference, cultural interference, noise in the form of confusion resulting from unfamiliarity with the type of media used, etc. Noise may be related to literacy, worldview thought-frames, cultural expectations from differing experience, etc. For instance, once when I was visiting some friends in a Maasai village in Kenya, they wanted to know how far away my original home was.

The way they asked the question was: "How many days does it take to get to your home in a matatu (taxi van)?" There were a lot of assumptions in that question which were not easy to deal with. To answer from what I considered a "true" perspective, I had to clear away some cultural noise. I explained oceans, airplanes, and other factors. In the end they came up with a new view of how big the world is. This included how big a 747 is!

Eliminating Noise

As a communicator you must consider cross-cultural factors, in order to avoid mistakes. You must learn as much as practical in order to lessen the "noise" in your transmission. You must know the target group you have defined. The group may be identified by language, ethnic identity, geographical range of the people group, socio-economic characteristics, educational level, and such.

The simple truth is that you cannot reach everybody with the same message, format, style of humor or illustrations. To be effective in implementing a project, for instance, you must define areas of the city or levels of the society; steps you will take to build awareness, reach homes, organize and train workers; designs for newspaper ads, posters, billboards or leaflets, activities that will appeal to the group you target and many such details.

The more thought you put into these tedious details, the clearer and less ambiguous your message will be. In other words, the more noise you eliminate, the clearer your message will be! And the more authentic your relationship will be with your target audience or community.

Defining the Context

What are the concepts, assumptions and preferences of the target group or individual? What materials, schedules or approaches will meet those factors? What do the target group need to know or need to know how to do? How can you best inform them, teach them or train them? These are indispensable aspects of effective project planning and implementation.

Noise may involve errors of communication in either content or format. The communication may be "over their heads" or "beside the point" from the hearer's perspective. The channel or medium, or the level of language used -- that is, the format -- may also interfere with communication, with the perception of the message. This interference is noise.

Some well-delivered, factually-correct messages may be delivered with so much cultural noise, that, though the technical language is correct, the message is obscured by the cultural form and context. All because the speaker has not taken seriously the cultural integrity of his audience. Cultural noise interferes. Worldview awareness is critical to any conceptual change expected in the target community. Even basic behavioral changes depend on deep worldview values.

Language

You will notice I always have something to say about language when talking about communication! Noise also arises from poor pronunciation or sentence structure. It is important to have command of the language.

More subtle noise is due to the wrong language in the wrong situation. Maybe use of the foreigner's language in an informal social situation where normally the local language would be used. Use of the wrong style, form or vocabulary may change the dynamics of the situation, hindering communication.

Critically, the worldview is never complete without the custom molding of the mind that occurs through thinking in the language of that worldview.

A newcomer should be sensitized to these factors through intensive cultural contact in everyday experiences and practical language learning in social situations, with formal investigation into the people's cultural self-identity, heritage, social structure and other worldview aspects.

Source: Worldview Perspectives
OBJ
Copyright © Orville Boyd Jenkins

Culture and Experience

2008-10-08T05:44:00.000+07:00

We all develop expectations based on our early experiences. Some are biological, such as food, comforts or pain. But expectations are also greatly affected by all kinds of experiences. We formulate expectations from previous experiences, guided by the society around us and by our own analytical faculties. Our first experiences, which we did not get to choose, give us a frame of reference for later experiences.

I think this is a common, simple way to understand how we learn and how we develop a concept of the world. We learn from experience, but then we process and evaluate new experiences in light of our previous experiences.

Shared Experiences

As a group of people go through certain experiences together, they develop a certain bond of empathy and identification. As they reflect on the meaning of these life experiences and adapt to the circumstances, they further come to have a similar perspective on their situation. This reflection and their response to the circumstances normally lead to a generalization of what the world must be like.

A culture group also usually shares a common language, which is a strong identifying and unifying factor, both as an expression of the common perspective and as a factor in the development or change of that common perspective. Language is one of the significant experiences of a community.

An Early-Experience Model

We see this when children learn language. They listen, then they begin making noises. They continue listening and analyzing, and before long they are generating their own sentences which they have not heard before. They use this early-experience model to understand the new experience. This basic model goes for all areas of life and learning. Previous learning and experience become the format for later learning and experience.

We can say that culture is based on shared significant experiences. Each society has a collection (formal or informal) of social institutions and practices correlating and expressing a common perspective of a group of people sharing an identifiable set of common or shared experiences.

Institutions

These shared experiences and common identifying features lead to a somewhat common perspective on reality, moral and social values and assumptions which are entailed in the common social "institutions." The more similar the unique sets of experiences of two individuals or two societies, the more similar their view of reality will normally be.

We often use the term worldview for the shared perspective of such a culture group, or the set of assumptions arising from their shared significant experiences. This set of shared experiences, leading to a shared worldview, gives identity to the members and draws the line that separates insiders and outsiders.

Outsiders

The outsider entering the society or culture must learn and assimilate the major features of the worldview, that is, to take on the identity of the insider, in order to communicate and gain acceptance (credibility) with insiders. Foreigners who do not may be regarded with suspicion and mistrusted or resented, particularly if they suggest making changes in aspects of the society, like religion, political structure or certain social practices or institutions.

This process of learning and assimilating (or appreciating) the worldview includes language learning, a more obvious characteristic of the society. The language provides a vehicle for the worldview. The way the language works reflects the philosophy and worldview of the society. It appears that worldview affects language, and language affects worldview.

Sharing to Understand

To adequately understand and appreciate the worldview, a foreigner needs to experience the most important of those shared experiences. The outsider has not shared the same set of experiences the insiders have. In order to communicate effectively, to operate from within the society or culture, the outsider needs to share at least the most significant of these experiences with the host culture, so that the outsider's worldview will grow to entail more of the insider's worldview.

Source: Worldview Perspectives
OBJ
Copyright © Orville Boyd Jenkins

Cognitive and Social Culture

2008-10-08T05:19:00.000+07:00

How do you define culture? What do we mean when we say someone is "cultured"? What about "He ain't got no culture"? How is an individual's culture related to a group's culture?

Some have written of a Cognitive Culture, referring to the idea in our heads of culture and social relationships. Some who use culture this way even say there is no such thing as cultures and sub-cultures as a group. This is an insufficient definition. Yes, there is a Cognitive Culture, but it is not the total picture.

There is also a Social Culture. Humans are social creatures. The term culture rightly applies also to the ordering of social relationships between human beings. And definitely, there are definable sub-groups in social relations.

There is a Social Culture, but it is not the total picture either. Social Culture is related to the Cognitive Culture in the head of each individual. There is a Social Culture, but it is not just external.

The Individual and Society

Each social group has an idea of proper social relations between members and of the reality these represent. But these ideas vary. For instance the concept of the individual and the society. Which is primary? It depends on the culture. In most Eastern and African cultures, society exists, thus the individual exists.

But in the West, individuals exist, thus society is created. You may have heard of the concept of the Social Contract. This is a Western logical construct. But even in the Western worldview, there is a sense in which society exists as an entity apart from the individuals involved.

Culture is the Context

What is the frame of reference, or context, for the communicative events we engage in through language? What is the common base that enables us to make sense in our encounters? Culture provides the frame of reference, or context, of these communicative events. This context has two aspects, the external and the internal, meaning the social or individual frame of reference.

The internal, or individual, cultural frame of reference is called the Cognitive Culture. This is the individual's cultural understanding, self-concept, concept of relationships, roles and procedures. The external or Social Culture is created by relationships of the component individuals in their social interaction. How stable, rigid or flexible this social system is depends on many complicated factors.

Worldview

The general agreement of the members of a particular society in their cognitive culture may be referred to as worldview. The commonality of their social relations, their social culture, reflects the worldview (cognitve culture) but also affects it, as external forces in the world cause changes in ideas or beliefs, needs or technologies.

Language is a part of the culture. What does that mean? When we speak to others, we express our Cognitive Culture (who we think we are, who we think they are, how we view our relationship).

How language is used, what language is used, the attitudes and intentions expressed, are part of the Social Culture. This involves what is allowed and what is not, what is considered good or bad, acceptable or abusive. Further, accent and vocabulary are social markers.

Exchange of Culture

When humans meet, they have communicative events. The communicative events involve the exchange of culture. My Cognitive Culture is developed continually from my encounter with others. The Social Culture occurs when we engage in interpersonal encounters. The encounters in turn clarify, affirm or modify, the Cognitive Culture. The term Social Culture refers to the full range of informal and formal structure in these encounters and relationships, including group identification.

Shared Experiences

In summary, culture seems to be summed up in shared experiences, concepts and values. Thus an ethnic group -- a society or culture group -- have sufficient significant experiences in common to have a similar mental concept of their common life and relationships. This seems to form the link between the Cognitive (personal, individual) Culture and the Social (external or group) Culture.

Source: Worldviews Perspectives
OBJ
Copyright © Orville Boyd Jenkins