Body of Tradition: Becoming a Woman Dalang in Bali
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Ohio University / OhioLINK
2010
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1276100866 |
| id |
ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-ohiou1276100866 |
|---|---|
| record_format |
oai_dc |
| spelling |
ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-ohiou12761008662021-08-03T05:46:45Z Body of Tradition: Becoming a Woman Dalang in Bali Goodlander, Jennifer L. Fine Arts Folklore Theater Bali wayang kulit women gender tradition puppetry shadow puppetry Indonesia <p>The role of women in Bali must be understood in relationship to tradition, because “tradition” is an important concept for analyzing Balinese culture, social hierarchy, religious expression, and politics. Wayang kulit, or shadow puppetry, is considered an important Balinese tradition because it connects a mythic past to a political present through public, and often religiously significant ritual performance. The dalang, or puppeteer, is the central figure in this performance genre and is revered in Balinese society as a teacher and priest. Until recently, the dalang has always been male, but now women are studying and performing as dalangs. In order to determine what women in these “non-traditional” roles means for gender hierarchy and the status of these arts as “traditional,” I argue that “tradition” must be understood in relation to three different, yet overlapping, fields: the construction of Bali as a “traditional” society, the role of women in Bali as being governed by “tradition,” and the performing arts as both “traditional” and as a conduit for “tradition.” </p><p>This dissertation is divided into three sections, beginning in chapters two and three, with a general focus on the “tradition” of wayang kulit through an analysis of the objects and practices of performance. Next, in chapters four and five, I shift my focus to the body as the site of the display of political and social power, and write about women dalangs and some of the major female characters in wayang kulit. In Bali there is both the sekala, visible, and niskala, invisible, worlds of existence—and I also look at this invisible or spiritual side. The final section, chapters six and seven, focuses on my experience becoming a dalang in order to probe this invisible, or niskala domain of wayang kulit. I describe, through reflexive ethnography, the training process and ritual initiation I underwent before my first performance. In this dissertation, working from the general to the specific, I interrogate how “tradition” is constructed in Bali through an examination of wayang kulit, or shadow puppetry, in order to examine how women’s involvement in these performing arts might provide women an opportunity for greater agency within Balinese society.</p> 2010-09-22 English text Ohio University / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1276100866 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1276100866 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws. |
| collection |
NDLTD |
| language |
English |
| sources |
NDLTD |
| topic |
Fine Arts Folklore Theater Bali wayang kulit women gender tradition puppetry shadow puppetry Indonesia |
| spellingShingle |
Fine Arts Folklore Theater Bali wayang kulit women gender tradition puppetry shadow puppetry Indonesia Goodlander, Jennifer L. Body of Tradition: Becoming a Woman Dalang in Bali |
| author |
Goodlander, Jennifer L. |
| author_facet |
Goodlander, Jennifer L. |
| author_sort |
Goodlander, Jennifer L. |
| title |
Body of Tradition: Becoming a Woman Dalang in Bali |
| title_short |
Body of Tradition: Becoming a Woman Dalang in Bali |
| title_full |
Body of Tradition: Becoming a Woman Dalang in Bali |
| title_fullStr |
Body of Tradition: Becoming a Woman Dalang in Bali |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Body of Tradition: Becoming a Woman Dalang in Bali |
| title_sort |
body of tradition: becoming a woman dalang in bali |
| publisher |
Ohio University / OhioLINK |
| publishDate |
2010 |
| url |
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1276100866 |
| work_keys_str_mv |
AT goodlanderjenniferl bodyoftraditionbecomingawomandalanginbali |
| _version_ |
1719425109782953984 |