ENG
INA
10th Series Seminar on Cultural Studies (Cultural Narratives) Discusses Power Relations and Identity in Custom Preservation and French Language Education
The 10th National Student Seminar on Cultural Studies (Cultural Narratives) was held online on Friday, February 27, 2026, with the theme of power relations and identity in the preservation of customs and the learning of French. The two-hour activity was attended by 53 participants from among students, lecturers, alumni, and researchers, and was moderated by Andriko Sandria, a doctoral student in Cultural Studies at UNS Surakarta. The webinar was a collaboration between the Doctoral Program in Cultural Studies at the Faculty of Humanities Udayana University, and Sebelas Maret University. The event was opened by the Coordinator of the Doctoral Program in Cultural Studies at UNS, Prof. Dra. S.K. Habsari, M.Hum., Ph.D., who emphasized that cultural studies serve as a space for critical analysis of power relations in everyday social practices, and was closed by the Coordinator of the Doctoral Program in Cultural Studies at Faculty of Humanities Udayana University, Prof. I Nyoman Darma Putra, Ph.D.
Two speakers, IB Prajna Yogi from the Doctoral Program in Cultural Studies at Udayana University and Sri Handayani from the Doctoral Program in Cultural Studies at UNS, discussed power relations in different but interrelated contexts. IB Prajna Yogi explained the cultural dynamics of the Dayak Tomun community in Central Kalimantan through the concepts of Hidup Baadat and Mati Bapati. He explained that customary practices became an arena of contestation between customs, Protestant Christianity, and the state, which influenced the formation of community identity. Using the theories of Michel Foucault, Pierre Bourdieu, and Anthony Giddens, this research shows that customs are not merely traditional heritage, but social practices that continue to be negotiated in power relations, including when customs are utilized in development and tourism.
Meanwhile, Sri Handayani highlights French language learning in higher education as a space for cultural production that is laden with power relations and the spread of Western ideology. She found that French textbooks tend to display French cultural dominance, so that Indonesian learners absorb more foreign cultural values without space for reflection on local identity. Through qualitative research at Semarang State University, she proposed the integration of critical pedagogy, critical intercultural literacy, and ethnopedagogy so that language learning is not only a means of communication, but also strengthens local cultural awareness and learner identity.
The discussion was actively participated in by the attendees until the end of the session. In his closing remarks, Prof. I Nyoman Darma Putra assessed that the two materials presented were very original and were able to examine issues of identity and language education through a deep approach to power relations. He also emphasized the commitment to continue the Narasi Budaya seminar as an academic learning space that will involve master's and doctoral students in Cultural Studies from both universities in the future. The event concluded with the moderator symbolically presenting certificates to the speakers.
UDAYANA UNIVERSITY