Swalayan Upakara Bali: When Tradition Meets Technology (The Resilience of Balinese Rural Women in Digital Era)

Abstract

Most of rural women in Bali Province are informal sector workers who can be classified as vulnerable workers due to their socioeconomic conditions. They are also less likely to escape from poverty. Additionally, their traditional role in preserving cultural traditions as the basic asset of Bali's tourism has put more burden on them. These conditions are likely more evident in Gianyar Regency that has the second most temples and the highest frequency of traditional ceremonies in Bali Province. Because rural women in Gianyar Regency have to allocate a significant portion of their time to prepare traditional ceremonies, they become less reliable informal workers. In this respect, buying ceremonial materials in traditional markets is their resilience strategy by becoming both producers and consumers. This study examines how rural women develop their resilience strategy when they are confronted with modern, large-scale firms that offer similar ceremonial (Upakara) materials and the advancement of the digital era. This research uses a qualitative approach with a case study in Gianyar Regency, Bali Province. The findings show that rural women who have digital access can actively utilize the marketplace and social media to increase their economic resilience. Some marketplaces such as "Swalayan Upakara Bali" help rural women survive. Conversely, women who do not have digital access only survive in traditional markets. This study contributes to the empirical literature on women's work participation as a form of economic resilience and also on economic sociology especially the resilience of Balinese rural women in participating in economic activities and, at the same time fulfilling traditional responsibilities to preserve their cultural traditions.