Gary Dean

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essay 1 Aug 2026 by Biksu Okusi

3: In Search of Dharma

The Dharmas of the Samin of Java

An illiterate Javanese farmer built a dharma from scratch in 1890. A century on, his heirs set feet in cement to defend the same principles.

article 22 Mar 2026

Doing Business in Indonesia 2026

Looking Back After 25 Years

Gary Dean's 2026 update on doing business in Indonesia: how Javanese culture, patronage, musyawarah and law shape investment 25 years after Reformasi.

essay 1 May 2001

Culture Matters in Indonesia

An email exchange with Dennis De Tray, Indonesia country director, World Bank 1997-1999

Why understanding Javanese and Indonesian culture is vital for foreign business success, illustrated by a consultant's real case from Tasikmalaya.

article 1 Jun 1999

Javanese Santri Islam

Same, but very different

Exploring Javanese Santri Islam: the santri-abangan divide, traditionalist vs modernist strands, and how mysticism shapes religious identity in Java.

gallery 1 Jul 1998

Rumahku Yogyakarta 1998

My house in Yogyakarta in 1998.

Personal photo collection from Yogyakarta 1998 featuring a traditional Indonesian home with tiger-proof walls, Mercedes car, and daily life scenes.

essay 2 Jun 1998

Analysing the end of Suharto's Indonesia

The role of culture in Indonesian politics

Javanese cosmology and aliran streams, not Western political science, explain Suharto's 1998 fall—an anthropological analysis.