Explore Indonesia’s flourishing arts, diverse and historically tolerant religions, and contemporary social change that shapes sociocultural discourses on the side-by-side islands of Java and Bali. In this program you will examine the close relationship between religion, fine arts, performing arts, and social organization in contemporary Bali. You will discover the dynamic ways in which Balinese traditional arts are changing, especially in urban settings, in response to the pressures of globalization and increased Balinese engagement with global networks.
Explore Java’s religious sites, temples, and mosques; view street art with Javanese peers; and roam mountains. Java is the original home batik textiles, where culinary and fabrics have played a significant role in influencing the renowned Silk Road. In a simple village in Bali’s Tabanan district, study the local agriculture and unique practices of the subak societies, which govern rice field irrigation. Plant rice, cook traditional dishes, and make brown sugar and handicrafts. Meet healers and make traditional medicines. Hear and play Indonesia’s peculiar and widely influential traditional gamelan music that have entertained even the ancient kingdoms of Bali and Java. Attend visual arts and ballet performances, as well as Hindu and Muslim ceremonies in Bali and Java.
SIT semester programs include the following components: one-week orientation, intensive language study, homestay (in urban and rural areas), thematic seminar, field methods seminar, independent study project (last month of program), and program evaluation.
For further information about the program, including dates and course information, please visit: SIT: Arts, Religion, and Social Change