ABSTRACT
This chapter is intended to introduce the context in which memories of violence are formed. This context is a village called Donomulyo, which has undergone different state transformations. I will scrutinize the structural influence of those transformations on life in Donomulyo, particularly the social inequalities and the clientelistic practices between classes that evolved historically. Although the state had transformed, the inequality and patronage relations tend to endure. This continuity occurred not only because of state penetration in rural areas, but also because rural elites needed to form alliances with the state to maintain their privileged position, access, and properties. At the same time, clientelistic practices exacerbate the inequality in the area, leaving out those who are not involved in the patron’s circle.
