ABSTRACT
Amir, the goldsmith whom we first met in Chapter 1, lives and works in Makassar, Sulawesi. To gain a greater comprehension of the structure and operations of his enterprise as well as his future business plans, together with those of other small enterprises in the city, it is necessary to understand the social and economic, as well as the political and cultural local and regional contextual environment – the contents of the outer ring of Figure 3.1 – within which the enterprises are situated. To achieve this, I present a brief analysis of the economic and political context nationwide, then bring the focus to a regional level, discussing the disparities within Indonesia in relation to Eastern Indonesia and specifically Sulawesi. An examination of the economy of South Sulawesi and Makassar precedes consideration of the urban design and local industry, and the introduction of the small enterprise realm. We conclude this chapter with an examination of the ethnic and cultural diversity of the city and gender relations within it.
