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Apart from India, the caste system operates in many parts of the world but there are some similarities and differences. This article aims to discover how the caste system operates in Bali, especially by highlighting the impact it has on women's life. I use gender analysis in the reading of a literary work on inter-caste marriage as an instance in order to illustrate the importance of the institution of marriage in preserving the system and how it affects the lives of women. I come to the conclusion that the caste system in Bali represents one type of stratification, along with kinship ties and gender distinctions, via the maintenance of the institution of marriage and the dominance of males over females. Also, although inter-caste marriage is not uncommon, it is considered deviant, while women risk being seen as pollutants in the system. In order to avoid certain disquieting consequences, women must undergo particular rituals in order to eliminate the impact of such pollution.
Keywords: caste; Bali; India; inter-caste marriage
Abstract in Bahasa Indonesia
Di luar masyarakat India, kasta diterapkan di sejumlah tempat di dunia dengan sejumlah persamaan dan perbedaan. Artikel ini berupaya memahami bagaimana sistem kasta diterapkan di Bali, terutama dengan menekankan dampaknya bagi kaum perempuan. Penulis menggunakan analisis gender dalam membaca karya literatur yang mengangkat isu pernikahan antar kasta sebagai ilustrasi mengenai pentingnya institusi pernikahan dalam sebuah sistem kasta dan bagaimana sistem itu berdampak bagi kehidupan perempuan. Penulis berkesimpulan bahwa sistem kasta di Bali merepresentasikan suatu jenis stratifikasi yang, pola kekerabatan dan perbedaan gender di dalamnya, dipelihara melalui institusi pernikahan serta dominasi laki-laki atas perempuan. Selain itu, sekalipun tidak jarang teijadi, pernikahan antar-kasta masih dianggap pelanggaran dan perempuan pelakunya cenderung dilihat sebagai polutan, yakni penyebab ketidakharmonisan sistem di masyarakat. Untuk mengatasi keadaan ini, perempuan harus menjalankan ritual guna mengembalikan harmoni di masyarakat.
Keywords: kasta; Bali; India; pernikahan antar kasta
Introduction
Following the writing of Abbe Dubois in 1816, theories on caste have developed and are based on textual formulation and empirical observation in the Indian context. The theories explain some generic features of what a caste system comprises. Firstly, it refers to groups of people classified by their place in the caturvarna system (a hierarchy of four varnas or castes), which stems from...