Family life
Family is very important in Indonesia and it is very
common for extended families that include grandparents, aunts, uncles
and cousins to all live together in one place. Although this is true
both in the cities and in the rural areas of Indonesia, it is becoming
less common in city life.
Generally speaking, most Indonesian families are
close and work hard to help each other. People have a responsibility to
their families and especially to their elders. Indonesians are expected
to respect the experience of their elders and follow their advice. They
are also expected to look after their parents in old age.
Children learn from an early age how to help around
the home. In rural areas they may work on farms when they are not at
school. In the cities they may try to find a job, such as selling
clothes at the market.
Social life
The pace of life in Indonesia is slower. People use the term jam karet
which can be understood as 'time that stretches like rubber'. This
concept reflects the way that Indonesians prefer to take things as they
come, rather than plan every moment of their day. This means that things
like parties or business appointments are not planned and kept in the
same way that they are in Australia.
Particularly in their social life, Indonesians prefer
not to make detailed plans and be expected to arrive places at
particular times. This is one of the reasons that Indonesian meals tend
to be simple combinations of rice and sauces that can easily cope with
the sudden arrival of a few more people.
Sometimes in rural areas if there has been a very
good harvest, the members of a kampung may decide to hire a travelling
wayang show and celebrate. They may also pay the local gamelan orchestra
to play at important events.
In the cities, Indonesians prefer to meet at street stalls for coffee and conversation (see image 1). People can spend hours just talking with friends and catching up on events.
Natural disasters
Indonesia is regularly affected by natural disasters.
There are many active volcanoes on the islands and earthquakes are also
common occurrences. Every year many people die or lose their homes as a
result of natural disasters in Indonesia.
One of the biggest natural disasters in recent
history took place on 26 December 2004 when there was a major tsunami
that hit several countries in Southeast Asia. In Indonesia, the province
of Aceh was the worst affected (see image 2).
Changing lives
Lifestyles in Indonesia are changing for a number of
reasons. Indonesians are working hard to keep up with all the changes in
their society.
One of the main reasons for change is the continuing
improvements in education in Indonesia. All children in the country are
required to attend primary school but more families are finding the
money to keep their children at school longer. With better education
comes the opportunity for better jobs.
There are now also more Indonesians attending universities both at home and in other countries (see image 3).
This level of education exposes people to new ways of thinking about
things and often challenges traditional morals and values. This is not
always considered a good thing.
Population control is also a serious issue for
Indonesia. With so many people living on just a few islands, Indonesians
are encouraged to consider having fewer children in order to prevent
the country from becoming overpopulated.
While better education does mean better jobs, it also
means that more people are moving to the cities to look for jobs. As
new manufacturing businesses open up, there are more jobs on offer.
Cities in Indonesia can be very crowded and many people live in cramped
conditions as they struggle to make a living. Unemployment can be a
problem as a lot of people compete for a few jobs.
At the same time, in some of the more remote parts of
Indonesia, traditional lifestyles are being threatened by new corporate
ventures like mining and logging. These industries have a big impact on
the local environment and can force people out of traditional homes and
leave them struggling to survive.
Newer industries like tourism are starting to grow in
Indonesia. While this is bringing a lot of money into the country, some
tourists have a big impact on the environment. In some areas people are
being moved out of their villages to make way for new tourist resorts.
Many tourists, however, are now visiting in order to see the wide
variety of plants and animals that Indonesia has to offer. This is
helping with projects designed to protect species that are in danger of
becoming extinct.
Indonesians today are more involved in the political
life of their country. Now that democratic elections are held regularly
and people have more say in the running of the country, they are
expecting more from their government (see image 4).
This has also been reflected in the Indonesian media.
Old censorship laws have been changed and now allow Indonesian
newspapers and other media greater freedom to inform the people. New
technologies like the internet are also becoming more widely available
and Indonesians now have access to areas of information that are new to
them.
Life in Indonesia is changing rapidly and Indonesians
are now trying to keep up with the modern world without losing the
traditions that make them and their country unique.
~ copas dari: http://www.skwirk.com.au
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