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If the course you are searching for is not described below, please see the appropriate department for further information. American Culture - Anthropology - Architecture & Urban Planning - Asian Studies Buddhist Studies - South Asia: Language & Area Courses - Business - Comparative Literature - Economics - History - History of Art - Law - Literature - Music Ensemble & Musicology - Natural Resources & Environment - Political Science - Psychology - Public Health - Religion - Residential College - Sociology - Studies Abroad - Women's Studies American Culture Department Link 215 Introduction to Asian American Studies Credits: (3). This course is an introductory survey of the experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. through the study of autobiographical narratives, art, poetry, plays, and fiction. We will examine fascinating literature by Americans of Asian/Pacific Islander descent, including (but not limited to) Chinese, Filipino, Hawaiian, Japanese, Korean, South Asian, and Southeast Asians, focusing on nineteenth and twentieth-century America. By placing the texts in a social, economic, personal, historical, cultural, and ideological context, we will compare diverse perspectives and generations of American life. As an introduction to Asian Pacific American literature, part of the course objective is to look critically at how fiction can intersect with autobiography and how cultural literacy can inform our understanding of texts and community. We will also examine some forms of literary and cultural productions, through films, dance, and/or music. Texts range from works by early Asian American immigrants to contemporary authors, emerging writers, as well as musical, visual, and spoken word artists. Assignments include facilitating and participating in class discussions, exams, as well as a final project, such as analyzing and/or producing an Asian/Pacific American creative text. 314/His 378 History of Asian Americans in the U.S. Credits: (4). This course provides an overview of Asian/Pacific American history from the time of early migrations to the present. Groups to be examined include Korean, Filipino, South Asian, Southeast Asian, Pacific Islander, Chinese, and Japanese Americans. We will place these experiences into a national and international context of comparative race relations and U.S.-Asia relations. Our study will begin with the questions: What does it mean to study history from an Asian/Pacific American perspective? How and why has Asian/Pacific American history become a part of the curriculum? Readings and lectures will engage the following historical issues and themes: 1) pre-World War II immigration and efforts to build community in the face of racial exclusion; 2) the place of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the construction of the U.S. empire; 3) the changing demographics and community composition created by post-1965 immigration; 4) the impact of the Vietnam War and the resettlement of Southeast Asian refugees; 5) the construction of gender and the experience of women in Asian/Pacific American communities; 6) the shifting position of Asian/Pacific American labor in the capitalist economy; 7) the emergence of Asian/Pacific American activism in the fight for social justice. Examples of required readings include Strangers From a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans, Through Harsh Winters: The Life of a Japanese Immigrant Woman, Philip Vera Cruz: A Personal History of Filipino Immigrants and the Farmworkers Movement, The Karma of Brown Folk, and Resistance in Paradise: Rethinking 100 Years of U.S. Involvement in the Caribbean and the Pacific. Course requirements: attendance/participation in lecture and discussion, a take-home midterm, research paper (10-15 pages), and in-class final. Some knowledge of U.S. history and/or Asian/Pacific American Studies is useful but not required. [ Top ] Anthropology Department Link 282 Introduction to Prehistoric Archaeology Basic principles and methods of archaeological research. Survey of prehistoric cultures in the Eastern and Western hemispheres from earliest times to the rise of high civilization. Lectures and discussion. 405 Peoples and Cultures of India Credits (3). Prerequisites: Anthro. 101 or 222 Forms of society and culture in traditional India. Family, caste, village, region, and religion. 407 Archaeology of South Asia Credits (3). Prerequisites: Anthro. 101, 282, or junior standing Provides an overview of South Asian Archaeology from the earliest evidence for hominids at c. 1.5 million years ago through the emergence of early historic states and empires. Discusses major cultural transitions and important sites in several regions of South Asia, in the context of the history of archaeological research in this area. [ Top ] Architecture and Urban Planning Department Link Architecture 563 Colonial/Post-Colonial Architecture and Urbanism Credits (3). Prerequisite: Arch 323 or permission of instructor The course examines a range of intellectual and material practices that have shaped the production of architecture and urban discourse in colonial and post-colonial settings. Topics include the production, circulation and reshaping of colonial knowledge(s); the import and export of architectural ideas and styles between colonies and metropoles; material and cultural hybridity in colonial and post-colonial cities; and recent initiatives in theorizing subalternity, post-structuralism and post-colonial discourse. The course is thematic and comparative and will draw on both "classic" theoretical formulations and analyses more firmly grounded in specific historical, social and cultural contexts. Urban Planning 424 Cities and International Development Credits (3) Students will gain a conceptual understanding of the physical, socio-economic-cultural structure of cities. The objective is to evoke in students an enthusiasm and excitement or discovery about the physical fabric of city space. Multimedia presentations and multidisciplinary guest lectures will be used to bring to the classroom the sights, sounds, and the texture city life. The course is based on the premise that cities such as Bombay, Shanghai, Sao Paulo, Lagos, London, Cairo, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Beijing, Delhi, Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Detroit, Johannesburg, Calcutta and Toronto have important parallels as well as differences in their historical evolution and in their emerging roles in a globalized world. These will be explored. Understanding cities is a task that involves comprehending in three and four dimensions. Students will: learn the history of city development; study maps and architecture of the city to read the impact of social, political, and demographic forces on city evolution; analyze the spatial evolution of cities in industrializing to postindustrial societies; and learn how cities of the future are currently imagined and shaped, in societies throughout the world. Cross-cultural, cross-national, historical assessment of the changing role of cities and their regions will be key in this analysis. 600 Learning by Comparison: First World/Third World Cities Credits: (3) Is the so-called first world cities of Europe and North America to the so-called third world cities of Africa, Asia, and Latin America like 'comparing apples to oranges'? Why even bother to conduct such international comparative analyses? And how exactly do we go about doing such work? This interdisciplinary graduate seminar for masters and doctoral students examines the purposes, methodologies, and benefits of comparing 'first world' cities to 'third world' cities and vice-versa, from the perspective of both scholars and practitioners. Readings, lectures, discussions and case studies explore the potentials and pitfalls of international comparative analyses at the urban scale. Students learn to conduct such analyses in a relevant and rigorous manner by undertaking their own analyses structured around similar issues faced by different cities, including metropolitan governance, urban planning, social services and infrastructure, housing finance and design, poverty alleviation, community development, and cross-cultural learning in an era of economic globalization. 658 Urban and Regional Planning in Developing Countries Credits (3) This course is designed to emphasize the theories that underlie planning interventions in countries that are newly industrialized or industrializing. Countries such as India, Jamaica, Malaysia, Guatemala, China, Thailand, Tanzania, Hong Kong, Venezuela, and Egypt, varying in size and historical antecedent, will be used for drawing illustrative case studies. The demographic, technological, and ideological changes that have resulted in unprecedented population growth and migration during the development decades will be reviewed. Responses to migration, housing scarcity, need for physical and social infrastructure, for jobs and amenities will be studied. [ Top ] Asian Languages and Cultures: Asian Studies Department Link 111/His 151 Indian Civilization See History 151 . 150/Theater 399 First Year Seminar in Asian Studies: Civilizations of Asia: Who Owns Culture?: Debates in Contemporary Cross Cultural Performance Credits (3). Prerequisites & Distribution: No knowledge of Asian Languages required. Only first-year students, including those with sophomore standing, may pre-register for First-Year Seminars. All others need permission of instructor. 220/Bud 220 Introduction to the Study of Asian Religions Credits (4) An introduction to the study of Asian religions. We consider representative material drawn from some of the major Asian traditions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, etc.) from ancient times to the present day. 223/SSEA 223/ Rel 223 Bhagavad-Gita: The Activist View of Hinduism Credits (3) See Asian Languages and Cultures: South Asia 223 . 224/SSEA 224 Traditions of Poetry in India See Asian Languages and Cultures: South Asia 224 . 225/SSEA 225/Rel 225 Hinduism See Asian Languages and Cultures: South Asia 225 . 226 Other Hearts and Other Minds: Poetries of Asia Credits (3) Introduces students to traditions of poetic theory and practice in times and places distant from their own: the poetries of China, Korea, Japan, India, and Indonesia. The primary objective of the course is to explore a rangeof different conceptions of what poetry is, how it should form (or transform) the ways in which people interpret their lives, and what relation it should have to other parts of social life. 230/Bud 230/Rel 230/Phil 230 Introduction to Buddhism See Asian Languages and Cultures: Buddhist Studies 230 . 231/Bud 231/Rel 231 Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism See Asian Languages and Cultures: Buddhist Studies 231 . 253/SSEA 250 Undergraduate Seminar in South and Southeast Asian Culture: Religion in Modern India See Asian Languages and Cultures: South Asia 250 . 303/SSEA 303/ Rel 303 Sikhism See Asian Languages and Cultures: South Asia 303 . 320/SSEA 320 Sikh History I (18th-19th Centuries) See Asian Languages and Cultures: South Asia 320 . 321/SSEA 321 Sikh History II (19th Century-Present) See Asian Languages and Cultures: South Asia 321 . 380/HA 493 Topics in Asian Studies: Art and Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent from the 1st through the 17th Centuries, CE See History of Art 493 . 492 Topics in S&SE Asian Studies Credits (1-3). May be repeated for a total of six credits. This course is a topics course that allows visiting faculty, sponsored by the Center for South & Southeast Asian Studies, to teach seminar courses to departmental MA students. [ Top ] Buddhist Studies Department Link 220/AS 220. Introduction to the Study of Asian Religions See Asian Languages & Cultures: Asian Studies 220 . 230/Rel 230/AS 230/ Phil 230 Introduction to Buddhism Credits (4) Introductory readings and lectures on the history and literature of Buddhism in India and Tibet followed by a discussion of the basic problems of Buddhist religion and philosophy in the light of selected Buddhist texts in translation. 231/AS 231/Rel 231 Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism Credits (4) This course surveys the development of Buddhism in Tibet. It begins with an introduction to those doctrines and practices of Indian Buddhism that would come to hold an important place in the Tibetan tradition and goes on to examine the process of transmission of Buddhism from India to Tibet. [ Top ] South Asia (SSEA) Department Link Language Courses 105/106 Elementary Hindi-Urdu: Hindi Credits (4). Prerequisites: No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in SSEA 315 or 365. South and Southeast Asia 105-106 is the first year in the sequence of Hindi-Urdu courses offered by the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures. Hindi and Urdu are the respective national languages of India and Pakistan. This course concentrates on developing skills in reading, writing, speaking, and aural comprehension. Evaluation is based on attendance, written homework assignments, quizzes, dictations, and examinations. There are no prerequisites (no previous knowledge of Hindi is required). Only the Devanagari writing system is introduced. 105/106 Elementary Hindi-Urdu: Urdu Credits: (4). Prerequisites: No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in SSEA 315 or 365. South and Southeast Asia 105-106 is the first year in the sequence of Hindi-Urdu courses offered by the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures. Hindi and Urdu are the respective national languages of India and Pakistan. This section develops skills in reading, writing, speaking, and understanding Urdu. The Urdu script is introduced from the beginning. Evaluation is based on homework, attendance, quizzes, and tests. There are no prerequisites. 109/110 Beginning Sanskrit Credits: (4). Prerequisites: No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in SSEA 369. This course will work toward developing a proficiency with the basic tools necessary to read and write Sanskrit, the classical language of India. Lessons will include study of the script (Devanagari), elementary grammar and vocabulary. The grade will be based on completion of regular homework assignments, weekly quizzes, a midterm, and a final exam. 113/114 Elementary Tamil Credits: (4). Prerequisites: No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in SSEA 373. This course begins an introduction to the language, land, history, culture, and traditions of Tamil Nadu, one of the states in India. Tamil, the major Dravidian language spoken in Tamil Nadu and by the largest minority in Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Malaysia, is one of the oldest languages of the world with a rich literary tradition beginning in 3 B.C. All major language skills; listening, speaking, reading, and writing are covered. The aim of this course is achieving proficiency in speaking comprehension; to enable the student to function effectively in everyday situations. Class meets in a computer lab once or twice a week to practice listening and reading using a multimedia HyperCard software implemented for Tamil. A standard textbook is used, supplemented by reference texts and additional materials selected or specially prepared by the instructor. Recitation sections emphasize speaking and listening in native contexts at normal speed with near-native pronunciation, intonation, rhythm, and appropriate body language. Students learn to handle the script in which Tamil is written. Reading materials introduce the students to the culture and the religion of Tamil-speaking people. Evaluation is based on classroom performance, homework assignments, tests, and a final exam. 125 Hindi-Urdu for Heritage Learners Credits (2). Prerequisites: Permission of instructor. Some knowledge of spoken Hindi or Urdu as determined by interview with the instructor. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in SSEA 105. Provides instruction in elementary Hindi for students who have some knowledge of spoken Hindi or spoken Urdu but are unable to read or write it. After completing the course it is expected that students would continue their study of Hindi-Urdu by enrolling in SSEA 106. 205/206 Intermediate Hindi-Urdu Credits: (4). Prerequisites: SSEA 106. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in SSEA 316 or 366. This course is intended to increase students' skills and proficiency in speaking, comprehending, reading, and writing the Devanagari (Hindi) script. Evaluation is based on attendance, written homework assignments, quizzes, dictations, and examinations. Students with a background in Hindi-Urdu may also enter the sequence at this point. See the instructor for placement examination. 211/212 Intermediate Punjabi Credits: (3). Prerequisites: SSEA 112 or 371. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in SSEA 372. This course is intended for students with an elementary knowledge of the Punjabi language. The emphasis will be on advanced grammatical constructions, composition, vocabulary development, and conversational skills. The grammatical parts of speech and inflection will be explained in detail. A particular attention will be paid toward developing a basic practical proficiency in the language. Also, the Sacred Language of the Sikhs will be introduced. Readings will include items from Sikh poetry and plays. Students will be introduced to the rich cultural heritage of the Punjab. A video film will be shown to examinethe spoken language of the Punjab. Throughout the course the students will be encouraged to communicate in Punjabi language. Course Requirements: There will be two tests: a midterm worth 20% and a final worth 30%. In addition there will be homework assignments worth 30%. The remaining 20% of marks will be allotted to oral communication, dictation, and instructor's own evaluation. 213/214 Intermediate Tamil Credits: (3). Prerequisites: SSEA 114 or 373. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in SSEA 374. This course is a continuation of Tamil 114. Students with prior knowledge of Tamil may also join this course. See the instructor for placement. This course is designed to develop further skills in speaking and writing as well as increase their proficiency in reading and comprehension. A standard textbook is used, supplemented by HyperCard Tamil software consisting of a sequence of graded dialogues chosen from daily conversations and Tamil movies. Evaluation is based on classroom performance, homework assignments, tests, and a final exam. 405/406 Advanced Hindi-Urdu Credits: (3). Prerequisites: S&SEA 206. South and Southeast Asia 405 is the fifth term in the sequence of courses offered in Hindi-Urdu. Meeting three times a week, the course is intended to further students' skills in speaking and aural comprehension as well as increase their proficiency in reading and writing both Hindi and, for those interested, Urdu. Students with prior knowledge of Hindi-Urdu may be able to join the sequence at this point. See the instructor for placement. 409/410 Advanced Readings in Sanskrit Credits (3). Prerequisites: 210 or equivalent for 409, 409 or equivalent for 410. 413/414. Advanced Tamil Credits: (3). Prerequisites: SSEA 214 or 374. This course is designed to develop students' skills in speaking and writing contemporary Tamil, as well as providing an exposure to Tamil poetry from Sangam to the modern period. The skill of understanding and using idiomatic expressions and proverbs in Tamil is developed using selected texts from Tamil short stories, novels, radio plays, and movie dialogues. Attempts are made to let the students acquire near native competence. Throughout the course, the students will be encouraged to listen to audio tapes, use the multimedia HyperCard Tamil software and speak Tamil in the class as frequently as possible. Evaluation is based on classroom performance, writing short letters and essays on a given topic, oral interviews, and an exam. Students who have not taken the sequence of Tamil courses offered by this department may be able to join this course, provided they have prior knowledge of the language by some other means. See the instructor for placement. 420 Hindi-Urdu Poetry from 1800 to the Present Credits (3). Prerequisites: SSEA 206, 316, 366, or 405. Intended primarily for learners of Hindi-Urdu, this course seeks to improve their reading proficiency and at the same time give them an introduction to the poetry written over the past two centuries. Course includes writing textual explications in Hindi or Urdu, class discussions, exam, and course paper. While the course required the ability to read Hindi, poetry in Urdu is provided in the Devanagari transcription. 487 South Asian Languages Credits: (3). Prerequisites: A course in phonology and a course in syntax. This is a "directed readings" course, designed for students who have a specific need for individualized language instruction in a South Asian Language. Permission of the department is required. 491 Individual Study of South and Southeast Asian Language Credits: (1-5). Prerequisites: Permission of instructor. May be repeated for a total of ten credits. A course for students who want to arrange a program of individual directed study of a South Asian language. [ Top ] Area Courses 223/AS 223/ Rel 223 Bhagavad-Gita: The Activist View of Hinduism Credits: (3) This class introduces Hinduism to students through an intensive study of this single most important scriptural text, the Bhagavad-Gita. We spend half the time going over the text-in-translation, chapter by chapter. The other half of the class time is devoted to critical issues relating to the text, i.e., history of the text, its transmission, its location within the history of Hinduism, its connections with political/cultural history, its ancient and modern interpretations. 224/ AS 224 Traditions of Poetry in India Credits: (3) Through readings and discussions this course introduces the student to six traditions of poetry in India: (1) Vedic-Upanishadic mystic poetry; (2) Tamil Sangam love poetry; (3) classical Sanskrit and Prakrit court poetry; (4) medieval devotional poetry; (5) Urdu metaphysical poetry; and (6) modern secular poetry. 225/AS 225/ Rel 225 Introduction to Hinduism Credits: (3) Hinduism is a major world religion practiced by over a billion people, primarily in South Asia, but it also was the precursor of Buddhism, and along with Buddhism it had a major impact on the civilizations in East and Southeast Asia. This class will cover its origins and development, its literature, its belief and practices, its unique social structures and doctrines, its interactions with other religions, and finally its confrontation with and accommodation of "modernity." We will use reading materials, lectures, discussions, and audio and video resources. 250/AS 253 Undergraduate Seminar in South and Southeast Asian Culture: Religion in Modern India Credits: (3). Prerequisites: No knowledge of any Asian language required. Only first-year students, including those with sophomore standing, may pre-register for First-Year Seminars. All others need permission of instructor. This course is about the diversity of religious life in modern India. It will begin with the examination of the following three points, namely, (1) that ancient layers of India's religious life are alive and well in contemporary India; (2) that the hybrid discourse of the "secular state" is itself a religious discourse in modern India; and (3) that India's unique agony over religion is instructive for rethinking some of our most general notions about "religion" and "secularization." In this course we will discuss the overall periodization of the various layers of India's religious life, namely: 1.the Indus Valley (c. 3000-1500 BCE) 2.the Indo-Brahmanical (c. 1500-600 BEC) 3.the Indo-Sramanical (c.600 BCE-300BCE) 4.the Indic (Hindu-Buddhist-Jain) (c. 300-1200) 5.the Indo-Islamic (c.1200-1757) 6.the Indo-Anglian (c. 1757-present). We will then apply the overall analysis to the five salient religious crises in contemporary India: the Sikhs in the Punjab, the Muslim issue in Kashmir, the Shah Banno case and the Muslim Women's Bill, the Mandal Commission Report on Other Backward Classes, and the controversy in Ayodhya. We will also examine the role of ethnic and racial conflicts that led to these crises. 303/AS 303/ Rel 303 Sikhism Credits: (3). The aim of this course is to study Sikh religious beliefs, practices, and institutions. The emphasis will be on the teachings of the founder, Guru Nanak, and the major doctrinal developments under subsequent Gurus. Particular attention will be paid to the scripture, the Adi Granth, and other Sikh texts as means to understanding the evolution of the Sikh community. The course begins with the examination of the formation of early Sikh tradition in the socio-religious context of North India and ends with the analysis of the historical and social processes through which the Khalsa Panth was consolidated. An essay of 3,000 words will carry 30% of the course marks. There will be two tests: a mid-term worth 20% and a final worth 30%. The remaining 20% of marks will be allotted to the presentation and participation in tutorial discussions. 320/AS 320 Sikh History I (18th-19th Centuries) Credits: (3). Study of the historical context of North India which provides the basic impetus for the emergence of a new religious tradition in the beginning of the 16th century. The emphasis is on religio-cultural innovation of Guru Nanak (1469-1539) and his nine successors. Particular attention is paid to the evolution of the Sikh community (Panth) in tension with Mughals and Afghans. We also examine the influence of Banda Bahadur and the Misals on the Hkalsa as established by Guru Gobind Singh. 321/AS 321 Sikh History II (19th Century-Present) Credits (3). Study of the five phases of Sikh history (1800-1993), beginning with the Sikh Kingdom of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The emphasis is on religious and cultural transformation that took place under the British Raj. We examine a series of socio-religious movements of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that gave rise to modern Sikh identity. Particular attention is paid to the Singh Sabha and the Akali movements. We also examine the Sikh situation between 1925 and Independence. We end with the last phase of Sikh history in Independent India (1947-1993). 420 Hindi-Urdu Poetry from 1800 to the Present See South Asia Language Courses [ Top ] Business Administration: International Business Please see the Business School for course information. [ Top ] Comparative Literature Department Link 490 Reading Across Culture Credits: (3) What is it we do when we try to understand words and gestures from worlds that are not our own? In this course, we will look at various attempts to explore this question in such disciplines as comparative literature, anthropology, and philosophy. Among the writers that we will read are Roland Barthes, Erich Auerbach, Claude Levi-Strauss, and Paul Ricoeur. Are we always condemned to approximation when we try to interpret a poem, belief, or ritual that is separated from us by history or culture? Is translation from one languge to another an accurate model for alll interpretation? Our discussions will be guided by such questions, and we will practice these ideas about culture and interpretation by reading a small number of literary works from different periods and cultures. The requirements for the course consist of periodic response papers, two 6-8 page papers, and a mid-term and a final. 611 Subaltern Studies: Colonial History and Cultural Critique Credits: (3) This Course is an advanced graduate seminar concerned with exploring a number of questions about the nature of modernity in a colonial and postcolonial setting. It will do so primarily through an engagement with the work of the Subaltern Studies collective of Indian historians and the debates that have surrounded their work. We will be centrally concerned with the ways in which the protocols of contemporary criticism have been transformed, or have come under pressure, with the setting up of a new paradigm of questions about colonial history: What is the nature of the bourgeoisie in a colonial society? What kind of modernization does it seek? What is the nature of the metropolitan bourgeoisie to the indigenous one? What is the class geography of nationalism? What role does gender play in the solidarities of anti-colonial nationalism? Who rebels against colonial authorities and why? Is the colonial state a secular state? Is the postcolonial? We will take these historiographical discussions as a starting point for our own explorations of what it means to practice cultural criticism and critique in this historical moment: what becomes of the secular and the universalist models of critique established by the Enlightenment once their links to forms of colonial knowledge have been revealed? Given the disruptures that colonialism represents for the colonized (and postcolonial) cultures, through what gestures of recuperation can an "authentic" critique of culture and society be produced today? The requirements for this course include class presentations and a full-length research paper. [ Top ] Economics Please see the Department of Economics for course information. [ Top ] History Department Link 151/AS 111 Indian Civilization Credits: (4) A lecture survey of the civilization of India and its neighboring countries - Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka - from earliest times to the present. 255 Gandhi's India Credits (4). Prerequisites: History 151 recommended. This course considers the life and times of Mohandas Gandhi, the Indian nationalist leader who both mobilized mass resistance to British colonial rule and fashioned a political program premised on non-violent civil disobedience. In addition to reading works by and about Gandhi, the course involves a detailed examination of the history of Indian nationalism, the myriad effects of colonial rule, and the reconstruction of a vision of Indian civilization in the context of colonial and postcolonial modernity. 378/AC 314 History of Asian Americans in the U.S. See American Culture 314 His 454 The Formation of Indian Civilization to 320 A.D. Credits: (3) From the Indus Valley civilization to the establishment of the Gupta Empire, the formation of ancient India culture. His 455 Classical India and the Coming of Islam 320-1526 A.D. Credits: (3) From the Gupta Empire to the establishment of the Mughal Empire, the maturity and decline of ancient Indian culture, the coming of Islam, and the Hindu kingdom of the South. 456 Mughal India Credits: (3). Islamic world in 1500. Struggle for Mughal supremacy in India, Akbar's creation of an imperial system, the nobility, agricultural economy and international trade, religious experimentation, court culture, peasant revolt, and the new political systems of the eighteenth century. 457 History of India, 1750-1900 Credits: (3) The establishment of company rule in India and the transfer to the British Crown. Development of new population centers, transportation networks, and regional elites. 471/WS 470 Gender & Sexuality in India Credits: (3) See Women's Studies 470 546/Rel 496/WS 471/AAPTIS 495 Gender and Politics in Early Modern Islam See Women's Studies 471 [ Top ] History of Art Department Link 103 Introduction to the Arts of Asia Credits: (4) This course will take a topical approach to the arts of India, China and Japan rather than attempt a broad survey. Lectures typically focus on one or two monuments as case studies so as to treat them in greater depth; images from these case studies will be available for inspection on the web. The course is divided into 6 Topic areas: Paradise; Personal Conflict ; Naturalism; Naturalness; Popular Art; and East/West interchange in the "modern" era. Across these topic areas we will consider a variety of different media, including painting,sculpture, bas relief lacquer, ceramics, calligraphy, prints garden design and architecture. Case studies will highlight specific genres such as narrative painting, devotional sculpture, funerary art, landscape, and popular subjects. Because case studies from two or more traditions will be examined within each topic area, there will be ample opportunity for exploring the basics of comparative art history. Apart from section participation, course work will include two short papers, a midterm and a final examination. The course presumes no previous exposure to the arts of Asia. Cost: 2, WL: 1 (Powers) All are welcome. HA 493 Art of India :Art and Architecture of the Indian subcontinent from the 1st through the 17th Centuries, C.E. Credits: (3) This course will explore the art and architecture of the Indian subcontinent from the 1st through the 17th centuries, C.E., with references to prehistoric periods as well. In addition to providing students with a general exposure to the Indic visual traditions, the course seeks to examine the simplistic modern understanding of Indian art: With the plethora of religio-cultural patterns thoroughly intertwined within what is broadly known as 'Indian culture', issues of religious and nationalist identification of the art of the subcontinent are foremost in the study of Indian art and architectural history. Surveying objects and buildings from the ancient through the Mughal periods, this course will explore the constantly shifting boundaries between what is Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Islamic in the context of the post-Partition subcontinent. 581 Islamic Architecture to 1500: A Millennium of Islamic Architecture: Continuity and Innovation Credits: (3) This course will explore the architecture of the Islamic world from Spain to India, spanning the mid-seventh through eighteenth centuries, C.E. It will provide students with a brief background to the indigenous architectural traditions in regions as geographically diverse as South Asia and southern Europe. Subsequently, the course will explore the development of what is generally classified as Islamic architecture, a single category used in scholarship despite the variation of architectural traditions encompassed within it. The course seeks to deepen the simplistic modern understanding of what is 'Islamic': Students will be asked to identify the constituents of 'Islamic culture', necessary for the eventual identification of Islamic architecture. Essential to this process of identification will be the awareness of strong regional traditions, and the degrees of their confluence and interaction with what was a newly coalescing cultural complex during the first thousand years of its existence. The course will require participation in the weekly discussions, based on the lectures, readings and the issues raised therein. In addition to the mid-term examination, a presentation and a subsequent paper will also be required. [ Top ] Law Please see the Law School for course information. [ Top ] Literature Please see the Department of English & Literature for course information. [ Top ] Music Department Link Ensemble Please see the School of Music for course information. [ Top ] Musicology 467(461) The Music of Asia II Credits: (3). Examines some of the better known musical traditions from West Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Musical examples are studied in relation to their cultural environments, their history, prevailing religious philosophies and contemporary significance. [ Top ] Natural Resources and Environment Please see the School of Natural Resources and Environment for course information. [ Top ] Political Science Department Link 457 Governments and Politics of India and South Asia Credits: (3). Pre-requisites: Two courses in political science. A study of the government and politics of modern India, with some consideration given also to Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), and Nepal in a regional comparative analysis. [ Top ] Psychology Department Link 689/Anth 760 Culture and Cognition Credits: (2). Prerequisites: Graduate student in Anthropology or Psychology and permission of instructor. This seminar is part of an interdisciplinary program initiated by the Departments of Anthropology and Psychology. The seminar includes both students and faculty. In it we will explore how the cultural environment influences, and is influenced by, reasoning and other psychological processes. The cognitive revolution has been based upon the tacit assumption that all humans have the same basic cognitive structures and functions, and that cultures and other social contexts contribute only peripherally important content differences. Anthropologists have long argued that both the context and function of knowledge may be strongly linked to the types of problems that a given culture or social group must habitually solve. The seminar will focus on ways in which cognition may be culturally mediated, socially situated, and contingent on historical forces. Recent research in the field will be presented and discussed. [ Top ] Public Health Please see the School of Public Health for course information. [ Top ] Religion Program Link 220/Bud 220/AS 220 Introduction to the Study of Asian Religions Credits (4) See Asian Languages and Cultures: Asian Studies 220 . 223/AS 223/SSEA 223 Bhagavad-Gita: The Activist View of Hinduism Credits (3) See Asian Languages and Cultures: South Asia 223 . Rel 225/SSEA 225/AS 225 Introduction to Hinduism Credits: (3) See Asian Languages and Cultures: South Asia 225 . Rel 230/AS 230/Bud 230/Phil 230 Introduction to Buddhism Credits (4) See Asian Languages and Cultures: Buddhist Studies 230 . 231/Bud 231/AS 231 Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism Credits (4) See Asian Languages and Cultures: Buddhist Studies 231 . 303/SSEA 303/AS 303 Sikhism Credits (3) See Asian Languages and Cultures: South Asia 303 . 496/WS 471/His 546/AAPTIS 495 Gender and Politics in Early Modern Islam See Women's Studies 471 . [ Top ] Residential College: Humanities College Link 235 Topics in World Dance This course will survey a diversity of dance traditions throughout the world. Students will gain insight into the functions, aesthetics, history, and cultural context of dances within specific societies. Theatrical, religious, popular, and social dance traditions will be examined in a variety of cultures including groups in Africa, Japan, India, South America, Aboriginal Australia, Indonesia (Bali, Java), the Mideast, and others. A variety of broad comparative issues will be explored: How does dance reflect the values of the society which produces it? How are gender, class, relationships between individual and group, as well as political and spiritual values displayed through dance structures and movements? What is the creative process for producing these dance works? How is the visual imagery of dance movement designed and how can an audience decipher it? What are the basic elements of dance choreography? How do choreographic structures differ cross- culturally? How do the training, preparation, and performance practices of dancers differ cross-culturally? How do the dances of these cultures employ or integrate other art forms such as music, theater, and costume design? How are dance productions evaluated and critiqued within different cultures? In addition to lectures and readings, the class will feature several guest artist/speaker presentations, viewings of films and videos, and observations of dance rehearsals, classes, and performances. 333 Arts and Ideas of South and Southeast Asia Credits: (4) South and southeast Asia historically have produced some of the world's most highly evolved, diverse and richly complex civilizations. In this century the countries of this region have been exposed to the ideas, technology and political power of the West. How have these countries re-conceptualized their cultures, accomodating to or rejecting Western ideas. Some ancient artistic forms that have been transformed in this century will be investigated. This is an inter-disciplinary course with several of the lectures provided by faculty specialists in the South and Southeast Asian history, literature and film. The emphasis is on an intensive engagement with significant and representative texts, images or musical sounds that have been produced by South and Southeast Asia artists as they have struggled to re-evaluate and re-create their cultures. This course will focus primarily on India, Thailand, and Indonesia. Introductory lectures and films on South and Southeast Asian history and culture will be followed by in-depth discussion of The God of Small Things, a Satyajit Ray film, bharatha natyam dance, Pramoedya Ananta Toer's This Earth of Mankind, classical and popular Indonesian music, and Indian and Thai art. [ Top ] Sociology Please see the Sociology Department for course information. [ Top ] Studies Abroad Please see the Office of International Programs for further information. [ Top ] Women's Studies Department Link 470/His 471 Gender & Sexuality in India Credits: (3) This seminar considers the transformations of gender and sexual relations through time and across regions and social communities in India. The aim of the course is to examine the significance of gender and sexuality as historical constructs for the study of India. 471/Rel 496/His 546/AAPTIS 495 Gender and Politics in Early Modern Islam Credits (3). Prerequisites: Students should preferably have had one course in Islamic Studies. An introduction to Muslim understandings of gender and gender relations, first, through a study of those sacred texts (Qur'an & Hadith) that came to define the ideal woman and man, as well as their roles and relationships. Then, gender participation in the political and cultural life of the Safavi, Ottoman and Mughal Courts shall be explored to view the interplay between theory and practice.
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