THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EATING DURING RAMADAN: CONSUMPTION AND EXCHANGE OF FOOD IN A VILLAGE IN WEST JAV

When I first read the abstract of this article I assumed that it was going to be about the economic and fiscal impacts of Ramadan on the food industry. Being a Political Science major I was instantly interested, however upon further reading, I discovered my assumptions were incorrect. I was not greatly disappointing because this article was in fact enlightening. The author seems to suggest that although Ramadan is a widely observed ritual it is in fact an important time of personal reflection and a focus, or re-centering of the self, which concentrates on personal needs. When breaking fast in the evenings, individuals seldom speak to each other, seemingly everyone eats in "private". I drew an interesting parallel with this because up until now all that I have learned about Islam has seem to show that Islam is a strict focus on loving Alah and being kind to others, a "good Muslim". In my experience of Christianity I have learned that in order to love god and love others, you must first learn to love one's self. This article brought to light that interesting parallel of the importance of the "Me" in both Isam and Christianity.