Bureaucratisation of Indigenous Organisation: Case Study of Adat-based Covid-19 Prevention Task Force in the Adat Village of Denpasar

This research will examine the bureaucratization process involving traditional village institutions (desa adat) of Denpasar. The Provincial Government of Bali has relied on the role of the adat village through the formation of a customary village-based Covid-19 Task Force to fight the ongoing outbreak ever since the beginning of the pandemic. Denpasar Traditional Village is one of the traditional villages that has activated the Covid-19 Gotong Royong Task Force in its territory and its position as one of the epicenters of the spread of Covid-19 is the main reason for choosing this traditional village as a research object. The bureaucratization of the adat village itself has been going on since the issuance of the Bali Province Regional Regulation No. 4 of 2019. This process focuses on the formation of a state hierarchy of social institutions that were previously scattered and relatively independent. This research will focus on looking at the layered and complex interactions of various social and political interests at the village level while looking at the impact of this process on the essence of traditional organizations on the socio-political life of village communities and the implicit implications for future policies.