Holding on to Ancestral Heritage: The Role and Dynamics of Weaving Enterprise During and After COVID-19 in Bali

This chapter analyzes the development of small and medium-sized weaving businesses in Bali, which are linked to ancestral cultural heritage, religion, and the Balinese Hindu community. Woven fabric, originally known as wastra, was used for religious ceremonial props and produced by weavers in rural Bali. One of the greatest challenges for weaving businesses is transmitting weaving knowledge to the younger generation. This challenge has intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. This chapter argues that business resilience is absolutely essential for weaving craft businesses to survive any crisis. The resilience of weaving crafts in Bali is highly dependent on pre-existing socio-economic relationships. This aligns with previous studies showing that small and medium-sized enterprises are inherently vulnerable to the risks of external pressures but possess socio-economic capital that is rarely utilized to its full potential. Weaving crafts in Bali have proven to be adaptable to their surroundings and possess social capital in the form of social embeddedness. This social embeddedness is manifested in the social support provided by the community and other stakeholders, in the form of social connections, enabling them to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.