Customer Reviews

The Balinese (Case Studies in Cultural Anthropology)

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I am Balinese and I read this book with a critical frame of mind.

I know Stephen Lansing and can vouch for his immense learning - he has spent a lot of time in Bali over many years and speaks perfect High Balinese. His wife was the first customer in my shop in Ubud. She bought a splendid Balinese textile.

Particularly interesting are the accounts of the discoveries, which Stephen, and his team, made of the role of temple priests in the control of irrigation to rice paddies in Central Bali. The results of this research had a great effect on the implementation of the Green Revolution in Bali.

This very readable, short book will interest not only the person who is beginning to study Balinese culture, but also the person who is not a beginner - and that includes Balinese as well.

Lansing does something that few anthropologists can do with ethnography. He applies his knowledge in a real world system in an attempt to alleviate government constraints in regards to Balinese agricultural systems.
This book shows the complexity of conflicting social models of "progress" and strives to make one think about the relationship of Western agricultural ideals and indiginous knowledge.
Lansing also gives wonderful insight into the realm of ethnographic methods by applying his real-world experiences and addressing those experiences. Also, he does a wonderful job of showing how one comes to formulate worthwhile research questions.
I would recommend this book to any introductory course in Cultural Antropology as well as students of Ecology, Agronomy, and Agriculture. This book is also meant for the casual reader.