Indonesian Sea Nomads

By Cynthia Chou

Subjects: Cultural Policy, Anthropology, Money, Musulmans, Popular Culture, Psychologie, Identité ethnique, Bajau (Southeast Asian people), Conditions économiques, Mœurs et coutumes, Manners and customs, Ethnic identity, Economic conditions, SOCIAL SCIENCE, Social life and customs, Muslims, POLITICAL SCIENCE, Cultural, Ethnopsychology, Public Policy, Social aspects, Bajau (Peuple d'Asie du Sud-Est), Indonesia, social life and customs, Psychology, Social aspects of Money, Ethnopsychologie

Description: "The Orang Suku Laut consider themselves indigenous Malays. Yet their interaction with others who call themselves Malays is characterised on both sides by fear of harmful magic and witchcraft. The nomadic Orang Suku Laut believe that the Qur'an contains elements of black magic, while the settled Malays consider the nomads dangerous, dirty and backward. At the centre of this study, based on first hand anthropological data, is the symbolism of money and the powerful influence it has on social relationships within the Riau archipelago.". "The first major publication on these maritime nomadic communities, the book adds fresh perspectives to anthropological debates on exchange systems, tribality, and hierarchy. It also characterises the different ways of being Malay in the region and challenges the prevailing tendency to equate Malay identity with the Islamic faith."--BOOK JACKET.