INDONESIAN CULTURE

BACKGROUND OF COUNTRY

Indonesia is the largest archipelago country in the world which is geographically located in a strategic
position, namely in intersection between two continents (Asian Continent and Australian Continent),
and two oceans (Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean). Because of its strategic geographical location and vast
size waters, Indonesia borders directly on the sea with 10 (ten) neighboring countries, namely India,
Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and
Australia.

In accordance with the mandate stated in the Opening Constitution of the State of the Republic of
Indonesia Year 1945 (1945 Constitution), namely in order to protect the entire nation Indonesia and all
Indonesian bloodshed, and for promote general welfare, as well as implement world order, then the
Government of the Republic of Indonesia must determine the boundary line in the sea with neighboring
countries to be a basis for the country to do regulation, security, and management of the waters
Indonesia. Along with the struggle to gain recognition.

law on the concept of archipelagic countries at the consultation level multilateral at the United Nations
(UN) forum, since in the 1960s, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia actively implemented sea
boundary negotiation with neighboring countries. Determination of maritime boundaries between
Indonesia and other countries neighbors have an important meaning in order to protect and advancing
Indonesia's national interests in the maritime region 2 borders with neighboring countries, especially in
giving the certainty of territorial boundaries and the boundaries of sovereignty and sovereign rights
country in the sea, thus providing a guarantee of power for the country in securing, organizing and
managing the sea area Indonesia.
PLACE WHERE THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE LIVE AND TRADITION

TRIBE TYPE

1.Javanese tribe
The Javanese tribe is the largest tribe in Indonesia and the island of Java. Most in Central Java and the
Special District of Yogyakarta. There the Javanese live with local wisdom and the sacredness of their
culture. In the Javanese tribe there are around 95,215,022 members or 40.22 percent of the total
population of Indonesia.

2. Batak tribe
The Batak tribe is a collective group consisting of several tribes originating from the region of North
Sumatra. Also read: 14 Types of Ulos, the Fabric of Pride of the Batak Tribe There are several parts of the
Batak Tribe, such as the Toba Batak Tribe, the Pakpa Batak, the Mandailing Batak, and the Karo Batak.
The total number of members of the Batak tribe is around 8,466,969 people or 3.58 percent of the total
population of Indonesia.

3. Dayak tribe
The Dayak tribe is one of the many tribes that inhabit the island of Kalimantan. There is still thick with
customs. Starting from art, ritual or culture. Members of the Dayak tribe reached around 3,009,494 or
1.27 percent of the total population of Indonesia.

4. Asmat tribe
The Asmat tribe is the largest tribe in Papua. The Asmat tribe has extraordinary local wisdom, because it
respects nature and the life of its predecessors. The population of the Asmat tribe is divided into two
parts, namely those who live on the coast and those who live in the interior. The way of life, dialect, and
social structure in the two parts are different.

5. Minahasa tribe
The Minahasa tribe is one of the largest tribes on the island of Sulawesi. This tribe has been around for a
long time. Members of the Minahasa tribe are around 1,237,177 people or 0.52 percent of the total
population of Indonesia. Also read: Beneficial Forest Management for the Inner Child Tribe in
Jambi

6. Malay tribe
The Malay tribe is an ethnic group of Austranesians, especially those who inhabit the Malay Peninsula.
The population of this tribe spread to the outside of Sumatra by following the development of the
Sriwijaya Kingdom. The number of the Malay tribe is around 5,365,399 people or 2.27 percent of the
total population of Indonesia.

7. Sundanese tribe
The Sundanese tribe is an ethnic group that originates from the west of the island of Java, specifically in
West Java Province. They are also spread in other regions, such as Banten, Jakarta and the western
region in Central Java Province. The members of the Sundanese tribe are quite numerous, reaching
39,701,670 people or 15.5 percent of the total population of Indonesia.
 8. Madura tribe
Members of the Madura tribe are around 7,179,356 people or 3.03 percent according to the 2010
census. The Madura tribe is located in East Java Province, precisely on Madura Island and the
surrounding small islands. They are one of the largest ethnic groups in Indonesia. The Madurese people
are known for their blunt language. In addition, people are known to be disciplined, thrifty and
hardworking.

9. Betawi tribe
The majority of the Betawi tribe members live on the island of Java, specifically in DKI Jakarta. They are
descendants of people who settled in Batavia since the 17th century. The number of members is quite
large, around 6,807,968 people or 2.88 percent of the total population of Indonesia.

10. Bugis tribe

Members of the Bugis tribe reach 6,359,700 people or 2.69 percent of the total population of Indonesia.
They are an ethnic group from South Sulawesi.
TRADITION

radiations of Indonesia are traditions, beliefs, values, and customs that belong within the culture of

Indonesian people. Indonesia is a vast country of sprawling archipelago with a diverse demographic
range of over 1,300 ethnic groups, and speaking more than 700 living languages.
With 202.9 million Muslims (93.2% of the total population as of 2009), Indonesia has the
largest Muslim population in the world. Indonesia also has significant numbers
of Christians. Protestant and Catholics population are the majority, with other Christian groups existing
as well. The majority of Hindu demographics in Indonesia live in the island of Bali. Buddhist Indonesian
are located throughout the country, and are ethnically identified as Chinese Indonesians

1. Rambo Solo (South Sulawesi): To raja’s funeral

ceremony

Rambu Solo is a traditional funeral ceremony held by the Toraja people. The aim of the ceremony is to
address the spirit of dead people. They believe that a spirit will return to heaven, Puyo, with their
ancestors. The ritual begins with animal slaughtering (normally buffalo and pig). The social status
depends on how many animals are sacrificed. The highlights you should see during the ceremony are
buffalo fighting, singing, and line dances.
2. Ngurek (Bali): body hurting ritual

Ngurek is an extreme Balinese tradition held for religious purposes. The worshipers will hurt themselves
by stabbing their body with a traditional knife called “keris.” During this ritual, participants are thought
to become possessed. Ngurek or Nguying tradition aims to serve “Sang Hyang Widi Wasa,” the god. You
can watch this unique tradition in almost all villages across Bali.
3.Bambu Gila (Maluku): the crazy bamboo dance

A numinous tradition native to the Maluku is held by a group of men carrying bamboo. The locals
believe that the bamboo has mystical powers and can become possessed. The traditional musical
instrument is also played during the ritual. The music makes the bamboo dance sideways and the men
carrying the bamboo follow the bamboo’s dancing rhythm .
RULE OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

 Being Indirect is Polite

Generally, Indonesians place high value on maintaining harmonious social relations. When necessary
this implies being indirect (in other words, not say what they really think or feel if that would jeopardize
the social harmony) which by westerners sometimes can be interpreted as being dishonest or
hypocritical. We would like to stress however that this merely constitutes a difference in culture and we
should therefore not think in terms of good or bad. Vice versa, Indonesians expect others to be indirect
to them too. For example, be cautious when criticizing Indonesians in case they make a mistake. It is
better not to confront them using blunt speech or with a raised voice. Instead try to correct them calmly
with a smiley face and it is always good to make some casual jokes in these situations. And when you are
planning to criticize an Indonesian employee it is usually better to start of the conversation by
complimenting on some of his/her good qualities.

 Values, Morals and Ethics

Religion plays a very important role in Indonesian society and in the daily life of the Indonesians.
Therefore values, morals and ethics which stem from religion, tradition and culture (although these
three are often highly intertwined) are important matters that influence Indonesian cognition. The
number of Indonesians that do not believe in (a) God is almost negligible. This is also the reason why a
large segment of the Indonesian people thinks about the western world with mixed feelings. On the one
hand they admire the modernity of the western world (and copy modern features like clothing and
technology) but on the other hand do not understand the decreasing influence of religion together with
the decrease in morals it brings along (for example couples living together before marriage/free sex).
SOCIAL DIFFERENCES

Indonesians are very friendly and love to make friends. They are sociable and curious to a degree
that some Westerners find annoying. For a foreigner, sometimes it is hard to be left alone or find
some place without Indonesian staring, saying Hello Mister or asking lots of questions. The interests
of the group and being with a group are regarded as more important than the interests of the
individual. Individualism is often regarded as selfish and being by oneself is regarded a strange,
pitiable and lonely. Indonesians rarely do things or go to places alone. Indonesians have a very strong
sense of community and prefer to be “one of a group”. They always like to have a friend to
accompany them and will feel pity for someone who is alone, saying “Kok sendirian?” (Oh, you’re by
yourself?”)
Indonesians often seem to be busy and heading somewhere. “Where are you going?” is a common
greeting. But at the same time, they often can make time to chat with a friend. Indonesians ask
questions like “What are you doing?” and “Where are you going?” when the answer is obvious as a
way of making small talk to start a conversation. The polite response is to ask more questions.
As for foreigners, Indonesians are usually very friendly and helpful. They would be happy to show
you around and experience the local culture. Be sensitive though when asking a married friend
because he/she might not have the luxury of time to do that. Friends and colleagues appreciate the
efforts you make in learning the language and the culture and are likely to be keen in helping you
along. As your relationship grows, you will be invited to family events, such as marriages and other
family and religious ceremonies; they will guide you on how to dress, act etc. Often, friends and
colleagues will ask for your assistance in return to help with their English.
To Indonesians who have been to the West often find Westerners as "cold" when first meeting them
and it takes a while before they warm up to new people, which can be very discouraging. Often there
are misconceptions about typical behaviors, as in many countries. Indonesia is a hot, tropical place
and it is certain that the pace of life is more relaxed. It can be perceived by foreigners that locals are
lazy or slow, but it is the responsibility of the foreigner to adjust to local rhythms rather than impose
western expectations and judgements.
GENDER DIFFERENCE

In many countries, women and men have different living conditions, social roles and needs, including
unequal access to and control over power, resources and institutions. The situations of women and men
also differ according to region, age, ethnic or social origin, and other factors. The aim of gender
mainstreaming is to take these differences into account when designing, implementing and evaluating
policies, programmers’ and projects so that they benefit both women and men and do not increase
inequality, but enhance gender equality. Indonesia, a strongly patriarchal society, is trying to close the
gender gap. But progress has been slow.  Indonesia's gender inequality index is among the highest of the
ASEAN countries, according to the United Nations. Only Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar rank lower.
Indonesia is 85th out of 149 countries in the global gender gap rankings.   Despite having the same level
of education, Indonesian women and men still experience significant wage differences, with women
earning 59.27 percent of what their male counterparts with the same level of schooling bring home.
Many Indonesian women choose jobs related to domestic work such as caregivers, nurses or teachers.
They also tend to work in the informal sector, missing out on the empowerment formal work offers. The
large wage gap is not just in rural areas, data for urban areas show the average salary of female workers
is Rp 2.7 million (US$190), while men get an average wage of Rp 3.5 million. Indonesia’s government is
not ignoring the issue. it ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women some 22 years ago. But it lacks the gender-differentiated data and information to thoroughly
assess the situation and develop appropriate, evidence-based responses and policies.

BARRIERS IN COMMUCNICATION

Verbal

 Indirect Communication: Indonesians are generally indirect communicators. They make less use

of words and are more attentive to posture, expression and tone of voice to draw meaning.
Speech is ambiguous, often understating the point or corrective remarks to be polite. The
purpose of this is to maintain harmony throughout the conversation and prevent a loss
of face on either end of the exchange. The best way of finding the underlying meaning is to
check for clarification several times using open-ended questions.
 Refusals: An Indonesian’s preoccupation with saving face and politeness can mean that they will
be reluctant to give a flat “no” or negative response, even when they do not agree with you.
Therefore, focus on hints of hesitation. Listen closely to what they say, but also pay careful
attention to what they don’t say and double check understandings to clarify meaning.
 Soft Voices: When initially meeting a stranger, an Indonesian may speak quite softly and
submissively. However, they usually have no reservations in raising their voices when they get
excited and can be quite loud once you get to know them. Nevertheless, shouting or expressing
anger in one’s voice is generally not appropriate. More prudish Indonesians can see it to reflect
a poor education or upbringing.
REFENRENCES

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesia
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditions_of_Indonesia
 https://indonesia.tripcanvas.co/strange-rituals-and-traditions/
 https://www.tribunnews.com/pendidikan/2022/02/03/macam-suku-di-indonesia-dan-asal-
daerahnya-mulai-dari-aceh-hingga-papua
 https://mag.wcoomd.org/magazine/wco-news-95-june-2021/ensuring-gender-equality-and-
diversity-indonesias-experience/#:~:text=In%20Indonesia%2C%20gender%20equality%20is,on
%20Gender%20Mainstreaming%20(INPRES%20No.
 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
292355852_Barriers_in_understanding_language_A_study_on_indonesian_language_online_ne
ws_texts_portal_tempoco
 https://www.socialwatch.org/node/10790#:~:text=Many%20serious%20social%20problems
%20remain,promising%20for%20the%20new%20Indonesia.
