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 had 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 16th century, the Javanese caste system had become established throughout the island and continues to this day.
Caste is one of the consequences of the principles of karma and samsara, i.e. the belief in the fruitfulness 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 whereby the individual inherits his or her status as a consequence of past life deeds. In Bali, therefore, one cannot lose one's caste, since it is birth and previous life that manage and define one's future and return to one's own kinship system. There is one exception, however, and it's 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, Bali has seen social phenomena that have gone far beyond the problems of caste and caste power. Nowadays, you can see satria cab drivers taking a wealthy sudra to the airport!
At the head of this hierarchy is Triwangsa, meaning the three peoples: brahmins, satria and wesia, or priests, warriors and merchants. These three privileged castes make up around 10% of the population, and are respected by the sudra, the commoners.
The sudra caste accounts for 90% of the Balinese population and forms what might be called the commoners. Those belonging to this caste have escaped the Indian principles of rejection, like the "Untouchables", who are only entrusted with certain tasks considered impure. They do, however, possess certain privileges, not least the quasi-religious privilege of choosing from among their number the sungguhu to chase away the evil spirits and other demons that haunt Balinese life and nights.
Children and education
The younger children are looked after by the older ones. They are free and have the whole space at their disposal. Boys on one side, girls on the other, they roam the rice fields, taking ducks with them, catching dragonflies and skewering them on little bamboo badines. The most graceful learn to dance, while others, sitting on their father's lap with their hands in their hands, learn to play music at the banjar in the evening. 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 don't cry much, and outbursts of anger are rare. Certain ceremonies mark the end of childhood, such as tooth filing, which marks the passage from childhood to adolescence. This important and spectacular ceremony consists of filing and levelling teeth to prevent any resemblance to sharp, pointed animal teeth, signs of bestiality and impurity.
Most Balinese children attend school (which takes place 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 learn to read and write Indonesian, which explains the island's very high literacy rate compared with the rest of Indonesia. English is much less developed, but is also taught at school.
Surprising rites related to marriage
It's the natural function of every adult human being. Initially, approach work in late adolescence. At the baths, for example. Young men and women can take their daily baths in the river at a respectful distance, glancing at each other furtively. All this eye-gazing is part of the "flirting", for both boys and girls. After bathing, in the evening, depending on the layout of the houses, several people meet up at the night market for a chat and a laugh. The affair becomes more serious when the girl agrees to be driven somewhere on the suitor's motorcycle. Sitting astride, she challenges her friends, laughing under her breath. It's a sign of confidence that the boy will be eager to put to good use. After two or three jogèd bumbung (musical performances) and four or five drama gong (Balinese theaters), the deal's in the bag. The suitor will go to his fiancée's house, proposing with fear and defiance, while she will bring him tea and coffee, bowing her head with modesty and respect. Friends wait outside. Families get involved and all the ceremonies, rites and days of the wedding have to be agreed... Or the girl is abducted on the motor sepeda by the suitor, who takes her into the forest without further ado. The fiancée's father cries foul, the village goes into an uproar, and gangs of youngsters organize to find the runaways... but never find them. The romance ends with the contented return of the runaway couple. The wine is drawn, it must be drunk. The marriage is decided by forced consent, sometimes to the relief of both families who no longer need to spend so much money on engagement and wedding ceremonies.
Health and retirement
The Balinese healthcare system is modelled on the Indonesian government's policy. In 2010, the Indonesian government introduced a reform entitled " Healthy Indonesia 2010 ", aimed at facilitating access to healthcare, particularly for the rural poor. This policy is still underway, and aims to close these inequalities. The provinces are given greater autonomy to manage and set up facilities, by assessing needs directly with the population on the ground. The population benefits from social security, which is financed by the State, with compulsory savings by citizens and, where applicable, the company they work for, in a provident fund. As far as infrastructure is concerned, public hospitals and private clinics are present, especially in the major cities, with all the necessary modern facilities. 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 reputed to offer better quality care. Universal health insurance was introduced in 2014. As a result, life expectancy has tended to rise in recent decades: 69 years for men and 73 years for women, compared with an average of 53 years for men and women combined in 1990. At the same time, the mortality rate is on the decline, estimated at 6%.
In Indonesia, employees are covered by a company-defined contribution pension scheme. The normal retirement age is 58, but this is not compulsory.
Balinese customs
Although located in a Muslim country and living in contact with foreigners, especially since the development of tourism, Balinese society is Hindu and very attached to its traditions and customs. Even though it is highly hierarchical, respect for others, whatever their caste, is a dominant value. Everyone addresses their interlocutor in high Balinese, in the sustained style required by the circumstances. To avoid making a mistake when speaking to a stranger, the simplest way is to use the ambiguous Ibu (mother) for "madam" or Bapak (father) for "sir". There is also a Balinese wink by way of greeting, but this 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 applies to tourists too, you'd be well advised not to kiss your friend or spouse in the street: it would be very frowned upon. As smiling is the easiest way to establish contact, and as the Balinese are not suspicious, they smile on all occasions. The Balinese always speak softly, without raising their voice or showing the slightest emotion. If you speak a little too loudly, they think you're angry and are paralyzed.
For the Balinese, the lower part of the body is impure. Thus, pointing to something with one's foot can be taken as a serious insult by the Balinese. For similar reasons, until recently it was unseemly to wear shorts. Since the middle of the body is neutral, Balinese women used to go topless. The head is considered the most sacred part of the body. As the fontanelle is considered Shiva's doorway, through which the soul comes to the body, no one should touch the top of another'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. Don't visit them at these times. They also go to bed early, so don't visit after 9pm. Except on special occasions like weddings, people have a habit of visiting 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're invited to lunch or dinner at a Balinese home, don't be surprised if they remain silent. The act of eating is an individual practice that is not necessarily accompanied by discussion. Some people can isolate themselves to eat, and do so very quickly.
