Cultures with Apparently Maximum Privacy
Balinese culture. Geertz (cited in Westin, 1967) described Balinese culture as seemingly characterized by maximum privacy, especially to outsiders. Families lived in houses surrounded by high walls, entrance ways to yards were through narrow doorways that weren’t always open, and only family and close friends freely entered house yards. While this suggests an isolated existence, Geertz (cited in Westin, 1967, p. 7) noted “a tremendous warmth, humor [and] openness” among the Balinese, reflecting mechanisms to facilitate accessibility together with behaviors to restrict interaction.