Paper short abstract:

This paper theorizes the nature of values through discussion of the invocation of adat (tradition, customary law) among the Bentian, a Dayak group of Indonesian Borneo.

Paper long abstract:

In Bentian everyday discourse, adat stands out as one of the most often invoked sources of authority. As in so many other Indo-Malaysian societies, people frequently call upon adat - in the general sense of tradition or customary law, or with specific reference to some particular precepts or interdictions with which it is associated - to legitimize or criticize a variety of social actions and conditions. While not a distinct value in its own right, it is of elevated sanctity and forms something of a supervalue, a paramount value in Dumont's sense, which encompasses a broad range of subordinated values which bear upon of interpersonal respect. Adat shares many qualities with values in general and exemplifies the nature of values. If forms a certain frame of interpretation that may, or may not, be superimposed on what takes or has taken place. Its principal site of application and source of influence is in social processes of authorization. While normative, it is invoked pragmatically for more than value-rational ends. It is amenable to articulating not just ethical but also political and strategic considerations. Its cogency is based on the exteriorization of authority in super-personal sources; collective recognition by significant others; and resonance with personal experiences and concerns pertinent within the actor's horizons of relevance in the life-world.