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$Unique_ID{bob00209}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Indonesia
Chapter 2B. Population}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Riga Adiwoso-Suprapto}
$Affiliation{HQ, Department of the Army}
$Subject{javanese
family
java
social
population
sundanese
government
planning
village
children}
$Date{1982}
$Log{}
Title: Indonesia
Book: Indonesia, A Country Study
Author: Riga Adiwoso-Suprapto
Affiliation: HQ, Department of the Army
Date: 1982
Chapter 2B. Population
According to the 1980 census the total population was about 147.5
million, making Indonesia the fifth most populous country in the world.
Java had the highest population, about 91 million. Population is unevenly
distributed. Density is under 50 persons per square kilometer for nearly
all the islands, but Java has a density of about 700 persons per square
kilometer, and Bali has a density of about 444 persons per square kilometer.
The density on these two islands, which together comprise 7 percent of the
total land area, compare to that of the most densely populated regions of the
world.
Population growth has become one of the major concerns of the government.
Between 1961 and 1966 the average annual growth rate was 2.1 percent; between
1971 and 1976 it was lowered to 2.0 percent, in large measure as a result of
government family planning efforts.
Behind Indonesia's overall declining growth rate lay wide variations
between Java and the other islands. Java's growth rate was 1.7 percent per
year, that of the others, 2.6 percent. In 1980 life expectancy was 53 years.
At that rate, by the end of the century the population of all the islands,
except Java, would account for 42 percent of total population, possibly
exceeding that of Java in absolute numbers.
By age-group, the largest number fell in the 25 to 49-year age-group (40
million) followed by the 15 to 24-year age-group (24 million). In the early
1980s the government, therefore, was facing the problem of creating employment
opportunities for this youthful population. Manpower is one of Indonesia's
abundant resources; the labor force grew at an annual rate of 2.9 percent
during the 1971-80 period. It included an estimated total of 52 million
persons between the ages of 15 and 64. In the early 1980s it was growing at 3
percent per year. Participation was declining among the 10 to 14- and 15 to
19-year age-groups, especially for males, because of the expansion of
educational opportunities, but female participation over age 20 had increased.
The essence of Indonesia's employment problem is the lack of full-time
employment. Many persons work very long hours with little reward, and others
accept any part-time work available. In late 1982 unemployment in the urban
areas was the most serious problem. Population growth, the limited amount
of arable land, and the declining interest in agricultural work among the
educated rural youth increased pressures on the job market. The highest
growth rate of employment was in construction and in social and personal
services, including government employment, while agricultural employment
was declining (see Employment and Income, ch. 3).
In what was considered a radical departure from previous government
action, the government in 1968 adopted family planning programs as its
national policy, with the ultimate objective of reducing the population growth
rate. Supported by the United Nations and the World Bank (see Glossary), the
government implemented a five-year family planning program in 1969. The
success of the program, still in force in the early 1980s, was attributable in
part to its decentralized organization, enabling it to reach almost all levels
of the population. In Java and Bali the family planning services have reached
even the lowest socioeconomic group. The program offered information and
education in family planning and medical services at family planning clinics.
There were about 5,000 family planning clinics, of which some 3,000 were in
Java and Bali. Fieldworkers canvassed door-to-door to educate eligible
couples. The responsibility of promoting family planning was transferred from
the government to the communities in 1978. This has proved effective
particularly on Bali, where village communities are closely knit socially and
economically. There, family planning matters are considered along with other
community concerns at the monthly meeting of household heads. In Java,
villages are provided with locally staffed contraceptive distribution centers.
In the Outer Islands (see Glossary), the subdistrict head has the
responsibility for the family planning program of his administrative region.
The strong commitment and dedication of government leaders have helped
create a sense of urgency to slow the population growth. The government views
population pressure as a problem affecting the community's economic
development. The program's effectiveness has been reinforced through
consideration of existing cultural and social patterns. Nevertheless, while
Bali has achieved a relatively low fertility figure, in western Java, where
the population is highly mobile and early marriages are preferred, fertility
is relatively high. Jakarta, unlike other cosmopolitan cities in Southeast
Asia, has a very low contraceptive user rate. The family planning program is
less developed there than in other areas owing to difficulties in attracting
fieldworkers.
Usually, women seek information on family planning only after having
several children; outside of Java and Bali, four is often a preferred number.
Children are considered to be insurance for old age and as help in the fields
and around the house. Religious conviction has proved to be only a minor
impediment to acceptance of contraceptive measures.
Ethnic Groups
Indonesian society has always been a heterogeneous society, composed of
numerous ethnic groups scattered over the archipelago. Approximately 300
groups consider themselves ethnically and linguistically distinct. The groups
have their own customs, system of values, religious beliefs, and different
ways of adapting to the various ecological environments. The sea has played an
important role in maintaining ethnic diversity, but at the same time it has
been the most feasible means for interisland communication and for spreading
cultural tradition (see table 2, Appendix).
A little more than half of the Indonesian population is ethnically
Javanese, living mostly in the islands of Java, Madura, and part of Sumatra.
Javanese dominance, particularly in government administration, has created
resentments and conflict with other ethnic groups. The early postindependence
uprising in Sumatra and Sulawesi were against the centralized nature of the
government in Java, the insurgents demanding a federation of Indonesian states
instead. These uprisings were further colored with religious conflicts (see
Parliamentary and Guided Democracy, 1950-65, ch. 1).
Ethnic awareness is more salient where interethnic contact is most
frequent, such as in the coastal areas and in the cities, highlighting further
the heterogeneity of such centers. To outsiders the people will identify
themselves first as Indonesians and second as members of a particular ethnic
group. But among themselves ethnic identity is the main basis for maintaining
solidarity and interpersonal relationships. In encounters between Indonesians,
ethnic identities dictate the conventions, etiquette, and discourse strategies
to be used. Almost every ethnic group has its own system of social
stratification and religious and economic orientation.
Java
The Javanese
The Javanese, whose cultural centers are the royal courts of Yogyakarta
and Surakarta in central Java, use mostly their own Javanese language among
themselves in daily interactions. The language reflects the hierarchical
nature of Javanese society. The choice between using high language (krama) or
low language (ngoko) is based on many factors, such as age, social status, and
setting of both speaker an