Yogyakarta, August 30th 2025 – The Media and Cultural Studies Master Program, The Graduate School, Universitas Gadjah Mada, organized a field study as part of the odd semester activities for the 2025/2026 academic year. The activity was designed to enrich students’ insights with empirical experiences while linking classroom theories with real-life practices in the field.
This year’s field study was attended by the 2024 cohort and took place at Gedongsongo Temple and Ayanaz Park in Semarang Regency, Central Java. Early in the morning, participants gathered in front of the Graduate School’s PAU Building before departing together by bus to the study sites.
The first agenda was an observation at Gedongsongo Temple, a historical heritage site chosen to give students the opportunity to analyze how cultural heritage is preserved, consumed, and interpreted in contemporary society. The activity allowed students to critically engage with the practices of cultural consumption and their implications for the construction of cultural identity.
The program then continued at Ayanaz Park, a popular tourist destination located within the Gedongsongo Temple area. The site served as a compelling example of public spaces curated as arenas of entertainment and spectacle in a consumer society. Students were encouraged to critically observe how such tourist spaces are produced, marketed, and experienced by visitors.
After the observation sessions, participants proceeded to a local restaurant for lunch and a short break. The agenda then moved to Bandungan Market, where students observed community practices of consumption within an everyday socio-economic and cultural setting. This activity provided a meaningful contrast to earlier observations at tourism sites, allowing students to compare different forms of consumption in distinct cultural contexts.
Throughout the day, students displayed strong enthusiasm by actively engaging in discussions, documenting findings, and reflecting on various aspects relevant to cultural and media studies. Several students highlighted how cultural heritage sites and tourist attractions are interpreted differently by local communities and visitors.
The program concluded in the afternoon with the return trip to Yogyakarta. For the students, the field study had broadened academic perspectives and also deepened their understanding of Indonesia’s socio-cultural dynamics.
This field study underscores the commitment of the Media and Cultural Studies Master Program to provide contextual, critical, and applied learning. The program, by combining theoretical knowledge with field-based experience, equips its graduates with the ability to critically connect academic concepts to social and cultural realities. Moving forward, the program will continue to hold similar activities to prepare students for both academic and professional challenges in the field of cultural studies and media.
Author: Khoirul Mujazanah