Body Representation in Balinese Cultural Tourism: An Anthropological Study on Symbolism and Commodification
Keywords:
Pariwisata Budaya Bali, Komodifikasi tubuh, Antropologi Simbolik, Pariwisata Seks di Bali, Ritual Hindu dan Modernitas, Pariwisata Rohani, Gender dan globalisasiAbstract
This study addresses the growing importance of body representation within Balinese cultural tourism, where sacred Hindu aesthetics intersect with global tourism economies. While existing literature often emphasizes either symbolic meanings of the body in religious contexts or its commodification in tourism industries, a critical gap remains in understanding how these dimensions coexist and are negotiated in practice. This research aims to examine how the Balinese female body is constructed, represented, and commodified within cultural tourism spaces that simultaneously embody spirituality and commercial exchange. Employing a qualitative approach grounded in critical ethnography, the study was conducted over six months in Ubud, Seminyak, and Sanur (Denpasar). Data were collected through participant observation, 27 in-depth semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, and document and media analysis. Field notes, interview transcripts, and visual-cultural materials were analyzed using thematic and symbolic interpretation supported by qualitative data software. The findings reveal that the female body in Balinese tourism operates as a hybrid cultural entity, functioning simultaneously as a sacred symbol in ritual contexts and as a commodified object within tourism and sexual economies. In ritual spaces, the body embodies spiritual values, purity, and cosmological harmony, while in tourism performances and spa industries, it is reframed as aesthetic and sensual capital. The study further identifies how sex workers actively negotiate identity and agency by appropriating cultural symbols, spiritual narratives, and traditional aesthetics to meet tourist expectations while maintaining personal boundaries. This duality produces a moral ambiguity within local communities, where the coexistence of sacred and profane practices is often tolerated through flexible cultural frameworks and economic considerations. The spatial and symbolic proximity between temples, spas, and nightlife venues further illustrates the blurred boundaries between spirituality and commodification. The study demonstrates that body representation in Balinese cultural tourism is not merely a process of sexualization but a complex reconfiguration of symbolic, economic, and cultural meanings. The body emerges as a contested site where religious values, global capitalism, and local agency intersect. This research contributes to anthropological discourse by proposing an integrated framework that bridges symbolic anthropology and tourism commodification, highlighting the need for culturally sensitive and ethically grounded approaches in managing tourism development in Bali.
References
Ajuna, L. H., & Amri, M. (2021). WOMEN WORKERS AND THEIR ECONOMIC ROLES DURING COVID-19 OUTBREAK FROM AN ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE: A CASE OF BENTOR DRIVERS IN GORONTALO, INDONESIA. Share Jurnal Ekonomi Dan Keuangan Islam, 10(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.22373/share.v10i1.7582
Apffel-Marglin, F., & Jean, J. A. (2020). Weaving the Body and the Cosmos. Worldviews Global Religions Culture and Ecology, 24(3), 245. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685357-02402001
Ardhana, İ. K. (2020). State and Society: Indigenous Practices in Ritual and Religious Activities of Bali Hinduism in Bali-Indonesia. International Journal of Interreligious and Intercultural Studies, 3(1), 20. https://doi.org/10.32795/ijiis.vol3.iss1.2020.681
As, E., Aliyudin, M., Nurdin, F. S., Laksana, M. W., Muslimah, S. R., & Azis, W. D. I. (2020). Sunda Wiwitan: The Belief System of Baduy Indigenous Community, Banten, Indonesia. Wawasan Jurnal Ilmiah Agama Dan Sosial Budaya, 5(1), 77. https://doi.org/10.15575/jw.v5i1.8069
Asmirah, A., Halim, H., Zainuddin, R., Wekke, I. S., & Hammada, M. A. S. (2023). Gender dan Mobilitas Sirkuler Perempuan Desa. Ad-Dariyah Jurnal Dialektika Sosial Dan Budaya, 3(2), 33. https://doi.org/10.55623/ad.v3i2.132
Aulia, Y., Somad, M. A., & Budiyanti, N. (2021). PERAN WANITA DALAM MEMBANGUN EKONOMI RUMAH TANGGA MENURUT PERSPEKTIF ISLAM. Tadris Jurnal Penelitian Dan Pemikiran Pendidikan Islam, 15(1), 77. https://doi.org/10.51675/jt.v15i1.116
Berdychevsky, L., Gibson, H., & Poria, Y. (2014). Inversions of sexual roles in women’s tourist experiences: mind, body, and language in sexual behaviour. Leisure Studies, 34(5), 513. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2014.938770
Bian, M., Murdana, I. M., & Kurniansah, R. (2022). STRATEGI PENGEMBANGAN PANTAI PINK SEBAGAI ATRAKSI PARIWISATA DI LABUAN BAJO KABUPATEN MANGGARAI BARAT. Journal Of Responsible Tourism, 1(3), 281. https://doi.org/10.47492/jrt.v1i3.1371
Bm, N. S. (2020). BEBERAPA MASALAH DALAM PENGEMBANGAN PARIWISATA DI INDONESIA. Jurnal Pariwisata, 7(2), 124. https://doi.org/10.31294/par.v7i2.8810
Carrier‐Moisan, M. (2015). ‘Putting femininity to work’: Negotiating hypersexuality and respectability in sex tourism, Brazil. Sexualities, 18(4), 499. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460714550902
Cohen, E. (2001). Tourists and strippers: Liminal theater. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738300000153
Destanto, K. (2022). Prospects and strategies for developing sustainable city tourism in the Sultan Siak tourism destination at Pekanbaru City in the adaptation of new habits. Jurnal Pariwisata Pesona, 7(1), 139. https://doi.org/10.26905/jpp.v7i1.7308
Diantary, Y. A. (2021). Etika Ritual Hindu di Bali Menghadapi Masa Pandemi. Satya Widya Jurnal Studi Agama, 4(1), 43. https://doi.org/10.33363/swjsa.v4i1.633
Fadli, M., Sholehudin, M., & Liemanto, A. (2022). Pemberdayaan Perempuan Dalam Pengembangan Pariwisata Berdasarkan Hukum Adat Tenganan Pegringsingan Dan UNWTO. Arena Hukum, 15(2), 220. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.arenahukum.2022.01502.1
Geest, S. van der, Whyte, S. R., & Hardon, A. (1996). THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF PHARMACEUTICALS: A Biographical Approach. Annual Review of Anthropology, 25(1), 153. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.anthro.25.1.153
Hoque, A., Hasanat, M. W., Arif, I., & Hamid, Prof. A. B. A. (2020). Sex Tourism in Digital Age, a Dark Side of Paradise, Bali Indonesia. Global Journal of Management and Business Research, 1. https://doi.org/10.34257/gjmbrevol20is1pg1
Humsona, R., Yuliani, S., & Pranawa, S. (2020). Delocalization of Adolescent Prostitution in Digital Era: Indonesia’s Challenge to Bring SDGs into Reality. https://doi.org/10.2991/icstcsd-19.2020.19
Ilmamsyah, M. T., Sekarasri, A. L., & Atmojo, H. (2022). KAMPANYE SOSIAL “STOP PELECEHAN SEKSUAL DI PERKANTORAN.” Jurnal Dimensi DKV Seni Rupa Dan Desain, 7(2), 219. https://doi.org/10.25105/jdd.v7i2.10810
Jayendra, P. S., & Suarmana, I. W. R. (2022). KOMODIFIKASI PERAN BALIAN SEBAGAI THERAPIST SPIRITUAL DI FIVELEMENTS HOTEL, DESA MAMBAL, KECAMATAN ABIANSEMAL, KABUPATEN BADUNG. Cultoure Jurnal Ilmiah Pariwisata Budaya Hindu, 3(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.55115/cultoure.v3i1.1801
Juniartha, M. G. (2020). PRAKTIK SPIRITUAL SEBAGAI KOMODITI SOSIAL DALAM ERA GLOBALISASI. Widya Genitri Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Agama Dan Kebudayaan Hindu, 11(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.36417/widyagenitri.v11i1.346
Karsono, Florentinus, T. S., Rohidi, T. R., & Wadiyo, W. (2020, January 1). Banyuwangi Angklung Caruk Festival: Aesthetic Reconstruction in Cultural Commodification Practice. Proceedings of the International Conference on Science and Education and Technology (ISET 2019). https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.200620.052
Kartika, N., Dienaputra, R. D., Machdalena, S., & Nugraha, A. (2022). CULTURAL-BASED TOURISM IN CIREBON: A STUDY OF COMMODIFICATION IN CULTURAL TOURISM. Sosiohumaniora, 24(3), 362. https://doi.org/10.24198/sosiohumaniora.v24i3.33432
Kempadoo, K. (2001). Women of Color and the Global Sex Trade: Transnational Feminist Perspectives. Meridians, 1(2), 28. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/406858/summary
KENCANA, E. N., Darmayanti, T., & JAYANEGARA, K. (2019). Does motivation have meaning for loyalties? Empirical study from cultural destinations in Bali. Journal of Physics Conference Series, 1321(2), 22084. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1321/2/022084
M, L. A. R., & Umam, K. (2020). Dukuhseti Pati in Literature and Social Reality: A Perception About Women. E3S Web of Conferences, 202, 7027. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202020207027
Mahira, E. D., Soemardiono, B., & Santoso, E. B. (2021). The uniformity concept of urban design: impact of cultural traditions on the meaning of Balinese town. IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science, 907(1), 12017. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/907/1/012017
Matolcsi, A., Mulvihill, N., Walker, S.-J., Lanau, A., & Hester, M. (2020). The Current Landscape of Prostitution and Sex Work in England and Wales. Sexuality & Culture, 25(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-020-09756-y
Mulyawan, R. (2021). KONSEP TUBUH MANUSIA: DARI SUDUT PANDANG PHILOS DAN SHOPIA. MAJORA Majalah Ilmiah Olahraga, 27(2), 52. https://doi.org/10.21831/majora.v27i2.42061
Negara, L. A. (2008). Teori dan Indikator Pembangunan. https://lib-fkip.unpak.ac.id/index.php?p=show_detail&id=8121&keywords=
Nilsen, B. T. (2013). The Role of the Body and Body Ideals in the Production and Consumption of Spa Experiences. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 13(3), 139. https://doi.org/10.1080/15022250.2013.837288
Nirmalasari, S. A., & Putri, N. (2022). PERAN PEREMPUAN DALAM MENINGKATKAN EKONOMI RUMAH TANGGA PERSPEKTIF MAQASHID SYARIAH JASSER AUDA (STUDI KASUS DI KECAMATAN TENGARAN KABUPATEN SEMARANG). Jurnal Magister Ekonomi Syariah, 1(1), 43. https://doi.org/10.14421/jmes.2022.011-04
Pedersen, L. H. (2002). Ambiguous Bleeding: Purity and Sacrifice in Bali. Ethnology, 41(4), 303. https://doi.org/10.2307/4153010
Picard, M. (2008). Balinese identity as tourist attraction. Tourist Studies, 8(2), 155. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468797608099246
Pujaastawa, I. B. G., & Sudana, I. P. (2022). MODEL PARIWISATA BERBASIS TRI HITA KARANA: STUDI KASUS PENGELOLAAN KAWASAN LUAR PURA ULUWATU. Jurnal Antropologi Isu-Isu Sosial Budaya, 24(1), 70. https://doi.org/10.25077/jantro.v24.n1.p70-80.2022
Putra, I. D. G. A. D., Lozanovska, M., & Fuller, R. J. (2015). The Transformation of the Traditional Balinese House in Tourist Villages: Maintaining the Culture and Obtaining Economic Benefit. Applied Mechanics and Materials, 747, 68. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.747.68
Putro, Z. A. E. (2020). Reformulasi Identitas Buddha Jawi Wisnu dan Sam Kaw Hwee Ke Dalam Buddhayana di Lampung Reformulating Identity of Buddha Jawi Wisnu and Sam Kaw Hwee Into Buddhayana in Lampung. Jurnal Masyarakat Dan Budaya, 22(2), 17. https://doi.org/10.14203/jmb.v22i2.1007
Reza, V. (2020). Pariwisata Halal Dalam Pengembangan Ekonomi Indonesia. Jurnal An-Nahl, 7(2), 106. https://doi.org/10.54576/annahl.v7i2.20
Rifa’i, N., & Kamaludin, M. (2021). The Concept of Spiritual Tourism. Satwika Kajian Ilmu Budaya Dan Perubahan Sosial, 5(1), 142. https://doi.org/10.22219/satwika.v5i1.15530
Robinson, A., & Meaton, J. (2005). Bali beyond the bomb: disparate discourses and implications for sustainability. Sustainable Development, 13(2), 69. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.246
Robledo, M. A. (2015). Tourism of Spiritual Growth as a Voyage of Discovery. In Tourism social science series (p. 71). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/s1571-504320150000020009
Roem, E. (2022). The Phenomenology of Undercover Prostitution at Padang City: According to Feminism’s View. https://doi.org/10.4108/eai.30-8-2021.2316285
Rosardi, R. G. (2021). POTENSI PARIWISATA BERKELANJUTAN BERBASIS EDUTOURISM DI INDONESIA. RISTEK Jurnal Riset Inovasi Dan Teknologi Kabupaten Batang, 6(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.55686/ristek.v6i1.105
Rudiarta, I. W., Sari, P. P., & Ariani, N. W. (2022). MENANGKAL DESAKRALISASI DESTINASI WISATA PURA MELALUI REVITALISASI AJARAN PENDIDIKAN AGAMA HINDU. Cultoure Jurnal Ilmiah Pariwisata Budaya Hindu, 3(1), 50. https://doi.org/10.55115/cultoure.v3i1.2042
Safitri, B. Y., Saharudin, & Qodri, Muh. S. (2023). Spiritualitas Lawas dalam Tradisi Ponan di Sumbawa Besar: Kajian Semiotika Roland Barthes. Jurnal Bastrindo, 4(1), 109. https://doi.org/10.29303/jb.v4i1.1052
Sahputra, N., Suardi, S., & Daoed, T. S. (2021). PERAN ISTRI DALAM MENINGKATKAN PENDAPATAN KELUARGA MUSLIM DI KAMPUNG NELAYAN KECAMATAN MEDAN LABUHAN. Accounting and Management Journal, 5(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.33086/amj.v5i1.1658
Sanders, T. (2005). “It’s Just Acting”: Sex Workers’ Strategies for Capitalizing on Sexuality. Gender Work and Organization, 12(4), 319. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0432.2005.00276.x
Sastre, A. (2014). Towards a Radical Body Positive. Feminist Media Studies, 14(6), 929. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2014.883420
Scott, J. (1995). Sexual and national boundaries in tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 22(2), 385. https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-7383(94)00083-2
Seuken, A. (2019). How did food consumption affect architecture? Journal of A Sustainable Global South, 3(2), 13. https://doi.org/10.24843/jsgs.2019.v03.i02.p03
Sridhar, N. (2019). Menstruation Across Cultures: A Historical Perspective. https://www.academia.edu/38689170/Menstruation_Across_Cultures_A_Historical_Perspective_by_Nithin_Sridhar_Preview_
Suartika, G. A. M. (2019). Lessons from a Small Island – Density, Spatial Development, and Identity. IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science, 248, 12016. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/248/1/012016
Suartika, G. A. M., & Saputra, K. E. (2019). The Creation of Harmonious Living Spheres - Landscape, Capital, and the Balinese Way. IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science, 248, 12065. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/248/1/012065
Sujana, I. N. (2018). Tourism Business Strengthening through Agreement with a Goodwill Principle. https://doi.org/10.2991/icblt-18.2018.7
Sulastri, R. (2021). DUAL-EARNER FAMILY DALAM PANDANGAN MASYARAKAT DAN PEMAHAMAN KEAGAMAAN ISLAM. Khazanah Multidisiplin, 3(1), 21. https://doi.org/10.15575/kl.v3i1.15808
Sulistyanto, A., Mujab, S., & Harahap, H. (2022). Memorable cultural tourism experience: blogger narrative analysis. Jurnal Pariwisata Pesona, 7(1), 104. https://doi.org/10.26905/jpp.v7i1.6387
Suryandari, N., & Hidayatullah, P. (2020). Face Negotiation Theory in Lived Experiences of Female Sex Workers in Former Dolly. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.201219.093
Tanlaka, E. F., & Aryal, S. (2025). Interpretivist Constructivism: A Valuable Approach for Qualitative Nursing Research. Open Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, 13(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojtr.2025.131002
Tapparan, S. R., Rambulangi, A. C., Mantong, A., & Pongtuluran, A. K. (2022). Strategi pengembangan obyek wisata Hutan Pinus To’Nakka Ulusalu Kecamatan Saluputti Kabupaten Tana Toraja. Fair Value Jurnal Ilmiah Akuntansi Dan Keuangan, 5(4), 1909. https://doi.org/10.32670/fairvalue.v5i4.2621
View of Telusur Sejarah Ogoh-Ogoh sebagai Manifestasi Seni Rupa Bali dari Sudut Pandang Komodifikasi Budaya. (n.d.). Retrieved June 27, 2025, from https://jurnalcikini.ikj.ac.id/index.php/jurnalcikini/article/view/161/107
Wardhana, A. P. S., Farokhah, F. A., & Ramadhani, F. K. (2021). MERAYAKAN HEDONISME: ANALISIS MULTIMODAL VIDEO “MENSCHEN IM HOTEL DES INDES”, AWAL ABAD XX. Pangadereng Jurnal Hasil Penelitian Ilmu Sosial Dan Humaniora, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.36869/pjhpish.v7i1.171
Wenning, D. (2016). Consuming Culture: Effects of Globalization in American Japanese Restaurants. https://scholarship.depauw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1056&context=studentresearch
White, E. R. (2010). In Search of Identity: Inner Diaspora and Psychic Healing in Rudyard Kipling’s Kim and Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children. South Asian Review, 31(2), 9. https://doi.org/10.1080/02759527.2010.11932747
Wibawa, M. I., & Budiasa, I. G. S. (2018). PENGARUH KEBIJAKAN PEMERINTAH, PARTISIPASI MASYARAKAT DAN KEWIRAUSAHAAN TERHADAP KUALITAS DESTINASI WISATA PURA TAMAN AYUN. E-Jurnal Ekonomi Dan Bisnis Universitas Udayana, 1667. https://doi.org/10.24843/eeb.2018.v07.i06.p07
Wiwin, W., Ardika, W., & Putra, N. (2020). Collaborative Governance: As a Conceptual Model of Destination Management in the Besakih Temple Area, Karangasem Regency, Bali Province. Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.15640/jthm.v8n1a8
Zunaidi, A., & Maghfiroh, F. L. (2021). The Role Of Women In Improving The Family Economy. Dinar Jurnal Ekonomi Dan Keuangan Islam, 8(1), 61. https://doi.org/10.21107/dinar.v8i1.10581
