Examining traditional communicative practices in Gerai, Indonesia: a nexus analysis

摘要

This paper reports on a nexus analysis of the village of Gerai, Indonesia. Using mediated discourse theory and nexus analysis it explores the relationship between traditional communicative practices such as ritual poetry, mythic narratives, and traditional forms of music, and the ideological value that different missionaries who have visited this community have placed on those traditional practices. The community is split between those who follow traditional culture, or adat, self-identifying as Roman Catholic, and those who do not follow traditional cultural and linguistic practices, and who self-identify as Protestants. In my analysis and discussion I explore how the value placed upon one mediated action, the consumption of alcohol, has had effects upon the cycles of discourse in this community. As a result the traditional communicative practices of Gerai no longer have a strong presence in the community, are not only being heard less frequently, but are also not being learned by younger members of the community. In my discussion I draw attention to how both waves of missionization have created two disparate discourse systems in the community.