.
Firstly, the state's presence in the regions increased in its bid to ensure national unity. Various cultural policies that are concerned mainly with what I term "high culture" were implemented. It is, however, important to note that the impact of the state goes beyond these cultural policies. Thus, I use the term "state policies" to avoid confusion. .
Secondly, prosperity brought about during the New Order period has inevitably led to different social changes. The interesting point to note is that in spite of popular criticism, not all changes were detrimental to the maintenance of regional cultures. Myers, in his work on the music of Nusa Tenggara Timur, pointed out that access to recording equipment has enabled people in that region to keep recordings of their music (Myers 1993:225). Other anthropologists working in other regions have also found out that despite changes, fundamental cultural concepts within regions remain consistent. For example, the construction process of houses in South Sulawesi might have changed. However, the symbolic status of the houses remains uncontested (Robinson 1993).
"High Culture" versus "Everyday Culture".
In looking at the relationship between the state and regional diversity, it is important to discuss an important state policy, that is, the adoption of a "national culture". Since Indonesia's independence, the state has actively promoted the adoption of a "national culture". The definition of "national culture" includes the "high" points of Indonesia's regional cultures and in the process becomes "a hybrid mix of the best of existing cultures in the nation" (Hooker 1999:263; Sulistiyanto 2002). I argue here that it is precisely the way that "national culture" is defined which not only did not result in national unity but further perpetuates regional diversity instead. .
The definition of "national culture" as such takes into account only what is deemed as "high" culture, ignoring the more important, for want of a better term, "everyday cultures", of Indonesians from different regions.
