Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
open access
Because of the geographical location of the Indonesian island Java, it was soon exposed to the well-developed textile industry on the Indian subcontinent, leading to an extensive exchange of...Show moreBecause of the geographical location of the Indonesian island Java, it was soon exposed to the well-developed textile industry on the Indian subcontinent, leading to an extensive exchange of textiles. Java established a small scale indigenous resits dyeing industry, named batik. Over the centuries, batik developed to high artistic levels on Java and unlimited pattern variations were created. But, most of the circulating textiles in Java were imported from India. By the end of the seventeenth century, the demand for Indian textiles vanished, and the indigenous Javanese textile industry emerged fast. Some argue that the demand for Indian textiles at the end of the seventeenth century had decreased by the impoverishment of the Javanese after years of Dutch dominance. But, I argue that the Dutch had an important role in providing stimuli in the eighteenth century, which eventually led to the commercialisation and growth of the batik industry in the nineteenth century. With developments such as inventions as the cap and canting pen, available artificial dyes, Dutch stimulation of Chinese migration who participated in the textile industry and the Indo-European female entrepreneurs who started batik commercial centres as a reaction to the high global demand for batik, the fabric was able to evolve as we know it in current times.Show less
This thesis focuses on the past, present and future of hawker centres in Singapore. Hawker centres are essentially communal dining spaces that allow Singaporeans from different ethnic backgrounds...Show moreThis thesis focuses on the past, present and future of hawker centres in Singapore. Hawker centres are essentially communal dining spaces that allow Singaporeans from different ethnic backgrounds to enjoy a wide range of hawker foods for an affordable price. Singapore’s hawker culture has been able to exist alongside Singapore’s rapid urban development, beginning with street food sold by itinerant hawkers and transformed into hawker centres. Over the years these hawker centres have become more than just dining spaces and have become an indispensable part of Singapore. Changes in Singapore’s near future have triggered questions about the continuity of the hawker trade and the preservation of traditional dishes. Taking matters in their own hands, Singapore has nominated hawker culture for UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as they believe this is an intrinsic part of Singaporean identity and should be preserved and passed down to future generations. The aim of this thesis is to study the meaning of hawker culture in contemporary Singapore by discussing three periods of time, while discussing food as intangible heritage and its contribution to identity and belongingness.Show less
This thesis examined a largely unknown era (1680-1860) in the history of North Sulawesi. A revised model of the social history of the region has been proposed on the basis of the VOC ...Show moreThis thesis examined a largely unknown era (1680-1860) in the history of North Sulawesi. A revised model of the social history of the region has been proposed on the basis of the VOC 'visitatierapporten'. By focusing on how Christianity altered the social and political structures of the region (gender, social class, educational institutions, chiefly patronage networks), this thesis has demonstrated that it is possible to reconstruct the 'internal' history of North Sulawesi, in spite of a scarcity of local historical sources. Significant findings include 1) the social fluidity of 'class' in North Sulawesi societies, 2) the fact that Christianity was not limited to elite classes, as had hitherto been thought and 3) that (some) women transformed their former role as 'animist' religious specialists to roles of prominence within the Christian community.Show less
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
open access
2018-08-31T00:00:00Z
The year 2018 marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Suharto regime. likewise, it marks the reawakening of customary rights (adat) in Indonesian politics. In this thesis, I aim to place two...Show moreThe year 2018 marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Suharto regime. likewise, it marks the reawakening of customary rights (adat) in Indonesian politics. In this thesis, I aim to place two of Indonesia's main seafaring communities, namely: the Orang Suku Laut and the Sama Bajau, in the debate surrounding this revival of tradition in Indonesian politics. In the first chapter, I analyse how the history of the Sama and the Orang Laut have positioned these communities in the Indonesian society, and whether or not stereotypes surrounding their communities have made it more difficult for them to profit from the recognition of customary rights. In chapter 2, I draw parallels between the Sama and the Orang Laut in the ways that their nomadic lifestyle has resulted in intangible forms of culture, making it harder for them to assert claims over territory. In this chapter I also show how their distinct cultural and religious identity contribute to their marginal status Indonesia. In the last chapter, I argue that Indonesia's sea nomads partial inability to participate in the reassertion of customary rights is rooted in a multitude of factors, including: the hegemony of environmental motives surrounding customary rights' advocacy groups, the difficulty of claiming ownership over land, and civil rights under the pressure of statelessness, and the difficulty of affirming sea-based and coastal territory in land disputes under the hegemony of regional developmentalism. I stress the difference between their respective territories, which presents each community with a distinct adversary in their struggle for the recognition of customary land rights.Show less
