The Modernization of Societies - Essay Example

The modernization of societies depends on their abilities to establish new institutions, exploit existing technologies to their fullest potential, master their environment and adapt their behaviors to a common goal which is the advancement of society and improvement of the quality of life of its people. (Chong, 2005, pg. 13) Modernization is always a painful process and there are several elements that may get affected during this process. As with all change processes, the change that is part of modernization is also never easily welcomed and people have opposing views about how the change will impact various elements of the society and environment. However, it is important to make these sacrifices to ensure that progress is made while causing minimal damage. In this essay, we will see an example of an area of Balinese society that needs to be modernized for progress. The practice described in this example is based on ancient myths and beliefs. We will also understand why there is no point in spending valuable time in understanding or taking into consideration the various aspects of this practice while proposing plans for modernization. Ancient customs and practices that have no scientific basis have no place in the process of modernization. The Balinese irrigation system is one such practice that is based on several ancient beliefs that have no scientific basis. It is first important to understand the organization of the irrigation system to understand why there is really no need to visit the ancient water temples and incorporate some of the elements of this ancient system in modernization plans. The Balinese believe in the concept of the cosmic map which is based on the idea that the Goddess of the Lakes brings life to the fields and villages by causing the rivers and springs to flow down the sides of the volcano. (Lansing, 1996, pg 84) Whenever some of the waters of the Goddess are diverted, the villagers construct a temple so as not to anger the goddess and show their gratitude. However the practical role of these water temples in the context of the management of the entire ecosystem makes sense only when considered from the context of their “cosmological meaning” (Lansing, 1996, pg 85). There are hundreds of small scale irrigation systems along rivers in Bali. Most of these being with a stream or a weir (dam) in a river that diverts either all or part of the water into an irrigation canal. (Lansing, 1996, pg 85) Alongside each stream or weir, there is always a temple or shrine that is used by all the farmers who benefit from this irrigation to make offerings to and appease the Goddess of the lake and the Deity of the Weir who are considered responsible for letting the water flow into the canal. (Lansing, 1996, pg 85) Thus, these water temples don’t really have any important role to play from a scientific perspective in the irrigation system. They have more of a cultural and religious significance. The dams are temporary structures that are built of bamboo and loose stones and are very primitive in their construction. There is also a tendency for these to get washed away during the rainy season. This results in a lot of loss of water and frequent repairs are also required. There is no engineer or qualified person who is involved in the construction of the irrigation system. It is mainly the farmers who are involved in the construction. (Lansing, 2005, pg 525) Due to their limited knowledge about geography and engineering, the entire construction is only based on beliefs and knowledge that has been passed on for thousands of years. This is also a very inefficient and non scalable water system and does not allow for intensive cropping. There is an immediate need to strengthen the water networks and this can only be achieved by efficiently using technology. The complex water management and irrigation system is controlled by members of the Brahmin priestly class. The entire system is calibrated to religious beliefs about the goddess of water (Helmreich, 1999, pg 508). How then can this system be considered as “appropriate technology”? Class should not be a determinant or the basis for having control over a water body. A system that allows for social inequality has no place in the process of modernization. Lansing considers that the power of the water temples is not based on force but on religious faith. He thinks that it is a religious matter that is beyond the scope of politics (Helmreich, 1999, pg 513). This in itself is questionable. The high priest who controls the water system is appointed by a priestess upon the death of his predecessor and this priest has authority over even the sedahan officials. These officials are Balinese who handle legal disputes related to irrigation. Who gets to be a priest is a big political issue in itself. (Helmreich, 1999, 514) Several of these priests are very opposed to the concept of modernization and progress. While Lansing would like to believe that this is due to the wisdom that they possess one can also view it from a different perspective. These priests are threatened by progress because this will also negatively impact their strength and position in society as Brahmans. As much as Lansing would like to overlook the fact that these caste and class differences do prevail and have a bearing on the management of the irrigation systems, the truth is there for all to see (Helmreich, 1999, pg 524). It is important to do away with this system of managing the irrigation system as the responsibility of management should lie with able and trained people rather than the high priests who in some cases may have absolutely no idea of the “science” involved in the management of such a complex system. It is also important to confront and do away with all the irrationalities that are prevalent in the water management system. Spending time trying to understand the irrationalities would be a complete waste of time because it is these very irrational beliefs that modernization is supposed to do away with. The water temples coordinate irrigation schedules and cropping patterns. This means that the farmer has no say in what or how much he would like to produce in his own fields. Thus, he does not even have direct control on the income he earns because how much he can grow has already been predetermined. This means that the farmer would have more or less the same income for several years which in turn would mean absolutely no change in his standard of living. Getting educated about new farming tools and technologies and would allow the individual farmer to not only familiarize himself with global trends but also understand and make an informed decision about how he could increase the produce of his farm, manage his field more effectively and increase his earnings. This would allow him to be better the quality of life for him and his family. Irrigation agriculture and its deep rootedness in rituals and temples is just one aspect of the delicate network of relationships between, on the one hand, lords of different standing and superior kings and, on the other hand, the priests who were in charge of the ritual organization of agriculture and temples. (Brigitta, 2005, pg 748) These regional lords and kings had a substantial share in the economy in addition to the ritual organization of irrigation agriculture. The king’s role in the symbolic system of irrigation agriculture cannot be separated from the materiality of rice production. The king was interested in the crops’ abundance since the taxes levied on the fields procured the major regular source of income for the royal houses. They profited immensely from the priests’ tasks since revenues of both the temples and the royal courts were based on a combined system of tribute, taxes, sharecropping, land-leasing, and services. The higher the yields of the fields, the higher were their income. This system of earning for the kings and the priests would eat away substantially from the farmers earning. (Brigitta, 2005, pg 748) Not only were his earnings determined by the priests but also a part of these were to be donated to these people, further reducing his income share. Rather than understanding the details of this atrocious system to see what elements could be included in development, it would be best to blindly do away with it without wasting precious time. If one were to look at the process of modernization of Bali, we can see that several external and internal influences and constraints have been responsible for the modernization. The Dutch very consciously departed the religious life from the administrative life to enable them to be effective in their management of the villages. The colonial government was able to establish more rigorous leadership only by reducing the number of indigenous heads. (Hobart, Ramseyer, & Leeman, 1996, pg 207) They did not spend time trying to understand the nitty-gritty of Balinese traditions or practices before introducing reforms. Additionally, the promotion to of tourism in Bali has always been the subject of debate worldwide. (Hobart, Ramseyer, & Leeman, 1996, pg 216) Several people have argued about the negative impact of tourism on Balinese culture. However, the benefits are also there for all to see. The flourishing tourism industry has contributed immensely to the growth of the economy. Development trends include the opening of an international airport, a growth in the gross regional domestic product, growth in various sectors, rapid urbanization etc. (Hobart, Ramseyer, & Leeman, 1996, pg 217-219). The standard of living of the people has also improved. All this has been possible because of radical changes that were introduced without worrying about the details. Thus, modernization is bound to have an impact on culture. While it is important to do what is possible to preserve customs and practices that are beneficial, there is no point in trying to do this for emotional reasons. Society would not have progressed and we would not have been in the situation we are in if our ancestors had decided not to adopt change or if they had hesitated to make changes to their way of living because they wanted to cling to the knowledge and practices that were handed down to them by their ancestors. Lansing’s proposed model may have its share of benefits; however the entire water irrigation system is too primitive to worry about studying or understanding the associated details. It is a system that has to be done away with. There is need for a more modern and scientific system that will benefit not only the famers but also contribute to the growth of the agricultural sector. Besides, historical evidence clearly shows that some of Lansing’s assumptions are not true. While the green revolution may not have been 100% successful, it would be wrong to say that it was a failure in Bali because it ignored the social organization of irrigation (Bardini, 1994, pg 161). It would be best to spend time worrying about the details of how to introduce reforms in this system of irrigation to fix the issues that were faced with the changes. It is time to give up hanging on to the old and to adopt a new and efficient system of water management. REFERNCES Bardini, T. (1994). “A Translation Analysis of the green revolution in Bali.” Science, Technology and Human Values, Vol. 19(2), Pg 1152-1168. Brigitta, H-S. (2005), Temple And King: Resource Management, Rituals And Redistribution In Early Bali Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, Vol. 11, Pg 747-771. Chong,T (2005). Modernization trends in Southeast Asia, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore. Retrieved June 4, 2009 from http://books.google.com/books?id=XVOquTmqkN4C&pg=PA11&lpg=PA11&dq=Bali+%2B+need+for+modernization&source=bl&ots=1rgSVm1fhH&sig=yEV8SEyfr90l2cChuisPbbH6Fps&hl=en&ei=lDclSo-EEZHu7AOPrPSkBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5#PPA16,M1> Helmreich, H. (1999) "Digitising "Development" – Balinese Water Temples, complexity and the politics of simulation", Critique of Anthropology, Vol .19 (3) Pg 249-265. Hobart, A., Ramseyer, U., & Leeman, A. (1996). “The Process of Modernisation” The Peoples of Bali, Blackwell Publishers, Pg. 201-226. Lansing, S. J. (1996). "The Goddess and the Green Revolution" in The Balinese, Stanford University press, Pg. 75-102. Lansing, S. J. (2005). "On Irrigation and the Balinese State", Current Anthropology, Vol. 46 (2), Pg. 523-526. Read More