“If we zigzag in the middle, it’s OK” : En fältstudie som undersöker turismens påverkan på balinesisk religion och kultur

Sammanfattning: [“If we zigzag in the middle, it’s OK”] The purpose of the following study is to examine the relationship between tourism and religion in a Balinese context. We look specifically at changes in religious practice, culture and mentality, as well as how religious philosophy is used as a tool for limiting the negative impact of tourism. The methods used are semi-structured interviews and participant observations. Central themes in the following essay are globalization in the form of tourism, westernization, subsystem theory and capitalism, which also make up the theoretical framework. By using this framework we have been able to conclude that tourism does indeed impact religious practice, culture and mentality on Bali. This impact is mainly focused around issues regarding a change in sacrificial practices, environmental changes and a sense of weakening of the communal mentality. We have also been able to identify a shift from a traditionally practice-oriented religion towards a more cognitively based religious understanding.