Indonesian Sea Nomads

Money, Magic and Fear of the Orang Suku Laut
1. Auflage 2016
ISBN: 978-1-138-86348-4
Verlag: Routledge

Buch, Englisch, 172 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 272 g

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 also adds fresh perspectives on 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.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Chou, Cynthia

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Mentalitäts- und Sozialgeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Asiatische Geschichte
• Sozialwissenschaften Ethnologie | Volkskunde Volkskunde
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziologie Allgemein

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Acknowledgment Map 1 Money, Magic, and Fear of the Orang Suku Laut 2 The Setting 3 Ranking in Riau 4 Ilmu 5 The Meaning of Things: Constructions of the Orang Laut's Identity 6 Sharing and Helping: Constructions of the Orang Laut's Identity 7 Money: Reconstructing the Meaning of Things 8 Reflections and Challenges Glossary References

Über Autor(innen)

Cynthia Chou is Assistant Professor of Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.