Grounded in ten years of research, this collection of essays works to capture the value of stepping out of the classroom environment and away from computer screens. From Classrooms to Rice Fields will take readers on a voyage to the culturally rich and complex island of Bali in the Indonesian archipelago. Each year, the sociology and anthropology programs at the University of Guam engage in field studies in Bali with undergraduate students seeking to understand both the world and themselves more deeply. This book captures the stories and experiences of scholars and students alike, including social workers, filmmakers, activists, writers, development practitioners, indigenous farmers, and weavers. From Classrooms to Rice Fields deals with the all-important questions of change for communities and indigenous people in both Asia and the Pacific trying to find their place in the modern world. Readers will be uplifted by the spirit and passion of lessons learned as we all attempt to rediscover community in the 21st century.


Kirk Johnson was raised in the rural mountains of Western India. He received two master’s degrees from Ohio University and a Ph.D. from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He now works as a professor of sociology at the University of Guam. Johnson is the author or editor of four books and has written more than twenty referred journal articles. He has been the director of the Bali Field School since 2004.