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"Scientific knowledge is becoming the basis for action by policy makers and bureaucratic at the cost of other knowledge systems. In this article, the authors discuss this problem and raise the issue of the more fundamental problem of local communities losing the freedom to develop their own strategies for resource management. Their argument is based upon findings from the field of agriculture. Since the Green Revolution of the 1970's, farmers have been forced to plant specific varieties of rice and use specific fertilizer and pesticides. Farmers no longer experiment with other varieties of rice, leading to degradation in biodiversity and the farmers' own local knowledge system. The problem has been somewhat alleviated by the introduction of integrated pest management, which has allowed farmers to make discoveries through observation and discussion, and to make their own decision. However, food shortages in 1997-1998 have led the government to return to programs emphasizing high production targets through a planned, top-down model for agriculture."

"Sesuai dengan judul buku, tidak hanya refleksi terhadap pembangunan itu sendiri yang menjadi fokus kajian, tetapi juga apa yang telah dilakukan oleh para ilmuwan antropologi dalam hubungannya dengan domain pembangunan tersebut. Inilah buku pertama sejak karya Lucy Mair (1984), Anthropology and Development, yang secara khusus dan komprehensif menyajikan dan mengulas sejarah perkembangan dari pelbagai pendapat, debat, tindakan dan permasalahan selama terjalinnya hubungan antara pelaku-pelaku pembangunan dan ilmuwan-ilmuwan antropologi sejak awal mula hingga masa kini. Termasuk di dalamnya kurun waktu selama dasa warsa terakhir, yakni suatu periode berlangsungnya refleksi diri yang intensif dikalangan ilmuwan antropologi dan ilmu-ilmu sosial yang lain. Inilah saat-saat berlangsungnya debat sekitar masalah pasca-modernisme (post-modernism) yang muncul pertama kali pada akhir tahun 1980an dan awal 1990an."

"Non-processual approaches in anthropology have been heavily criticized for not providing an adequate framework for explaining the emergence of socio-cultural phenomena, and the processes and mechanisms of change. Socio-cultural life is undeniably dynamic and everchanging. In facing this matter many anthropologists have turned to a processual approach in studying the dynamics of culture in the last two decades. In this article the author shows how the a processual approach is applied to the study of cultural dynamics. The author begins by discussing the unit of analysis and focus of study in a processual approach. Following that, she discusses the implication of this upon the methods and strategies for uncovering, describing and explaining change. The author also shows how this approach can uncover the heterogeneous nature of a socio-cultural phenomenon and the extent to which that heterogeneity allows change to occur. Her arguments are based upon empirical cases of knowledge transmission and formation among farmers in several locations on the north coast of West Java and Central Lampung."

"Non-processual approaches in anthropology have been heavily criticized for not providing an adequate framework for explaining the emergence of socio-cultural phenomena, and the processes and mechanisms of change. Socio-cultural life is undeniably dynamic and everchanging. In facing this matter many anthropologists have turned to a processual approach in studying the dynamics of culture in the last two decades. In this article the author shows how the processual approach is applied to the study of cultural dynamics. The author begins by discussing the unit of analysis and focus of study in a processual approach. Following that, she discusses the implication of this upon the methods and strategies for uncovering, describing and explaining change. The author also shows how this approach can uncover the heterogeneous nature of a socio-cultural phenomenon and the extent to which that heterogeneity allows change to occur. Her arguments are based upon empirical cases of knowledge transmission and formation among farmers in several locations on the north coast of West Java and Central Lampung."

"It is a reality that our environment has become degraded due to various human activities without any concerns for the long-term sustainable implication on both nature and the people who have for generations developed social-cultural institutions to protect their environment in a sustainable manner. The problems have been more severe due to the alienation of local people in their own habitat and the replacement of their roles by those who have power and authority in introducing various kinds of development programmes. There have been no linkages between the physical and natural processes as the consequences of those programmes with people?s empirical knowledge. It is now high time to ?humanize people? again in their own environment. An interdisciplinary approach is indeed necessary. Anthropology can play a significant role in providing the ?knot? in the network of science-technology-policy on the one hand, and people?s lives on the other hand. Trans-disciplinary research and collaboration with local people have to be developed further. Anthropologists can be the ?cultural translators? for various parties who have different objectives, knowledge, perspectives, and strategies in resource management. This inauguration paper addresses this issue by exemplifying the problems faced by farmers in Indonesia who have been alienated in their own lands since the onset of the Green Revolution in food crop production and how an anthropologist can contribute to the return of farmers? dignity and creativity."

"Rice farmers in Sidamukti, West Java plant several varieties of rice, sometimes planting twoor three varieties together in one plot of land. The decision to plant a specific variety is strongly influenced by farmers' agricultural knowledge, such as knowledge of varieties of rice, periods of maturation, tastes, characteristic of specific varieties, as well as knowledge of environmental conditions, including soil conditions, the need of fertilizer and seasonal changes. The author suggest that this knowledge, as a basis for decision making is at a pre-attentive stage that has become patterned, and its nearly or perhaps entirely out of conscious consideration. In fact, external situational factors operating at the start of planting play a dominant role in the decision to plant a specific variety of rice. A multitude of factors - such as pressure from village authorities to plant certain varieties in keeping with development programs; to supply of grain, fertilizers and water for irrigation; the desire to experiment, and the demands of landowners - often become significant determinants. The author arrives at the conclusion that studies of decision making processes that view knowledge systems as recipes or patterns for behavior must be supplemented by close observation and understanding the context and situation in which behavior is generated."

"This article examines a dispute over proper religious practice in an all-Muslim village in Buton, Southeast Sulawesi. Traditionalists and modernists disagree over whether agricultural ceremonies involving offerings for territorial spirits should be allowed to continue. Local views on this dispute are explored with reference to the historical context of religious practice in the village, and processes of social change over the past several generations. It is argued that key social, political and economic dynamics which are relevant to the current religious dispute include the decline of agriculture in the village, the eclipsing of the Butonese Sultanate and integration into the Indonesian state, and new patterns of mobility whereby many villagers have become migrants to urban centers in eastern Indonesia. Thus it traces how processes of the increasing penetration of capitalism, the decline of traditional authority, and new patterns of mobility have played out in this particular village in the context of a dispute over religious practice."

"This article was written in response to a challenge put forth by two non-anthropologists over the role of anthropologists in Indonesian national development. The challenge was made by the late Dr. Y.B. Mangunwijaya (Kompas 24 January 1996) and Dr. Benjamin Lumenta (Kompas 29 January 1996). In fact, a response was given by Prof. Parsudi Suparlan (Kompas3 February 1996) and the author (Republika 2 May 1996). Also related to the matter is an article by Prof. S. Budhisantoso (Republika 24 May 1996).This article is an extension of the author's own article that appeared in Republika of May2, 1996. He finds that his ideas on the role of anthropologists in national development could not be covered adequately in the brief newspaper article, and requires an extended and serious discussion-even more so since the present articles touches upon the anthropological education system in Indonesia, specifically at the Department of Anthropology at the University of Indonesia. Thus, the article brings forth three main points, that is the role of anthropologists in Indonesia, the development of the anthropological education system in Indonesia, and Indonesian development."

"Development in Indonesia has been characterized by a top-down and centralistic model, placing importance upon economic capital and measured by economic growth. The author argues for the importance of developing social capital investment, whereby social capital is seen as the capacity that emerges from mutual trust in society and transmitted through cultural mechanism. He provides two contrasting cases of social capital investment in development: community-based management resource management in South Tapanuli and a Social Safety Net program in North Sumatera. Although both were designed to allow for equal participation in every stage of the program, the latter met with failure because of very high bureaucratic intervention and the absence of trust among participants. On the other hand, the former program proved successful for the opposite reasons, and for the added ability of the community in crafting institutions."