A Quest for justice : the millenary aspirations of a contemporary Javanese Wali

Abstract

THERE EXIST, without doubt, two ways in which a comparatively large and complex society like that of the Javanese can be investigated; firstly, through a thorough study at a general level and, secondly, through exhaustive study at the local level. The revival in the study of Javanese society after the war, particularly the one initiated by the Mojokuto project, has produced several general studies on Java such as those by Geertz, Dewey, Jay. For the last two decades, however, there has existed a trend with strong emphasis on local studies as a way of understanding the complexity of Javanese social development. This is particularly observable from some fine local studies by social historians such as Onghokham, Elson, Fernando, but also by other social scientists, such as Penny Singarimbun.