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188 Panel 4entourage to marry one of its relatives living in theParangtritis Beach. People adjudge that the noise is asignal that lava would soon pass”. In response, thepeople have to perform the ritual.In the same spirit as the labuhan Merapi and Malam 1Suro ceremonies, the becekan lahar capitalizes on theconcept of balance and harmony between humanbeings and nature. However, whereas the earlier tworituals are performed annually, the second is carriedout only when there is an impending lava disaster.From the aforementioned ceremonial rituals, we canconclude that: (1) culture shapes people’s actionstoward natural hazards; and, (2) the actions performedby the people (through rituals) are deemed to keepthem safe and reduce the risk of disasters.PerceptionsThe dwellers of Mount Merapi have their ownappreciation of the volcano. Many residents view theperiodic activities of the volcano in light of theircultural mores rather than science. Scientists view thispropensity of the dwellers as indicative of low-riskperception (Lavigne et al. 2008), cultural vulnerability,and risk denial.Following the 2010 eruption of Mount Merapi, severalinterpretations regarding its explosion surfaced. Forinstance, the state officials responsible for updating thepublic on the situation revealed that the biggest lavadome explosion (November 5, 2010) is part of the100-year eruption cycle of the volcano (the 1930s wasthe last recorded time during which Mount Merapierupted with the same intensity. Several residents sharethe same insight, which phenomenon is credited to thedisaster socialization efforts undertaken by thegovernment to debunk the people’s reliance on mythinsofar as eruptions are concerned.Whenever there is an impending eruption, it alwaysproves difficult for the government to evacuate people.Sunarto (2010) said that, “The residents generallyplace more confidence on cultural leaders than on thegovernment because of their strong culturalattachment”. Additionally, Endri (2010) revealed that,“Since people were born in Mount Merapi and grewup in the area, they are immensely bonded in the area.They believe that the place is where they truly belong”.Given this reality, Endri and his team do not forcethemselves too much on those residents who do notwant to go down to the temporary shelters, in order tospare these residents from whatever trauma that mayarise from being coerced to relocate.So how do those with a non-scientific mindset viewvolcanic eruptions? How do their perception andcultural explanations of natural hazards affect(determine) disaster preparedness? The narrations ofthe residents, as well as data from secondary literature.were woven together to come up with themes relatingto the people’s perceptions of volcanic eruptions.These are:1. Volcanic eruptions mirror the condition of Indonesiansociety and serve as agents of change.Life in Mount Merapi mirrors or resembles theeveryday life of the Javanese (Dove 1986, 2006, 2010;and Dove and Hudyana 2007). Any uneasiness in thenatural world is understood as signifying uneasiness inthe social and political worlds (Dove 2006). The 1994eruption of Mount Merapi was considered theprecursor of Suharto’s downfall (Dove 2006, 239). It isbelieved that Indonesia at that time faced financial,political, and environmental problems, which led tothe fall of Suharto (Dove 2006, 239). Considering thisand as Dove (2006) argues, in the case of MountMerapi, any volcanic activity is seen as an agent ofchange.2. Volcanic eruptions serve to reprimand and warnleaders and their people.Istiyanto (2010) revealed that, “The eruption wasdeemed to be a way for the volcano to reprimand theSultan for his modern beliefs and very rationalthinking that often disregard the Javanese traditionsand give insufficient offerings to the spirits”. Henarrated that, “The spirits are enraged by the currentSultan because of his lack of charisma and hisinefficiency in governing the people of Yogyakarta”.Schlehe (2010) said that the eruptions sought toremind and warn the Sultan of his traditional role andmodern ways, which means traditions need to berevived, most especially in the modern world.On the other hand, Tika (2010) said that, “The cycleof volcanic activities warns the people to protect theenvironment and natural resources. It reminds thepeople to balance life vertically (our relationship withGod) and horizontally (our relationship with natureand fellow human beings)”. According to Tika, “TheJavanese subscribe to the precepts called cegah manganThe Work of the 2010/2011 API Fellows