RELATIVE DEPRIVATION OF BALINESE SOCIETY TO BALINESE USADA

Abstract

Historically, diachronically, through the study of ancient texts, various forms of medicine have been known, even since the Warmadewa Dynasty, from usadha buduh to the introduction of various plants, their benefits, and their effects in taru pramana, and their association with mystical processes. However, the mystical context skews more than the cognitive one, leading Balinese society to increasingly rely on Chinese medicine in its traditional medicine choices. This is diagnosed as relative deprivation. Through qualitative descriptive methods and the use of contemporary social theories such as modality and power theory, four underlying issues emerge. First, Balinese culture is sometimes considered a peripheral or subordinate culture, rather than a central culture. Discussions of Bali in the context of usadha are always directed towards Java, Majapahit, and India. Second, Balinese usadha is sometimes labeled for its mystical aspects rather than its cognitive aspects, resulting in the emergence of mystical rituals. Third, the emergence of professional medical personnel, labeled "modern health schools," emphasizes traditional vegetative medicine. Finally, the physical space that once housed various traditional plants has now become an economic space.