I don't think I can give a short explanation of my opinions on the way in which Balinese society functions. Quite frankly I know a great deal less about Balinese society than I do about Javanese society. Quite a bit has been written on the society in general and on specific aspects of the society. Anybody who is trying to get a slightly better understanding of how the society functions should probably start with Covourrubias and then go to Eisemann (ptobably haven't spelled either of these names correctly but I guess google will sort the spelling for you). The underlying force is religion, but for the traditional Balinese, religion cannot be separated from daily life:- its not something you do to satisfy a requirement, it is how you live your life on a day to day basis. Society, religion, tradition all are woven together in a mesh that incoporates the individual into the weave.
As I said:- they're different.
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