South Asian Studies 2A (AS0095)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 8 ? Acronym : SPS-2-SO2ah

CONTEMPORARY INDIA: SOCIETY, POLITICS AND CULTURE

The first of two complementary half-courses designed to provide an introduction to South Asia, this course explores social, cultural, religious and political life in contemporary India. It will cover issues such as caste, gender, religion, family life, youth culture, sexuality, poverty and economy in order to give an overview of the basic social and political institutions of contemporary India. The course will draw on historical, political, sociological and anthropological research by South Asian and foreign scholars as well as on literature and film.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : Normally available only to students in the second or later years of their curriculum.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

South Asian Studies, (School of Social and Political Studies, Schedule J)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 2nd year

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 3 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
19/09/2007	10:00	10:50	Room 4.01, David Hume Tower	Central

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Monday	10:00	10:50	Central
Lecture	Wednesday	10:00	10:50	Central

? Additional Class Information : Two lectures plus one lecture/video plus one tutorial weekly.

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will gain a broad appreciation of the rich traditions and cultural diversity of South Asia, as well as the social, political, religious and economic problems facing its inhabitants and nation-states. They will be in a position to assess media coverage and political debates on South Asian issues on a sound factual basis, and from the particular standpoints of a wide range of specialist disciplines. They will be aware of the contributions those disciplines have made to the understanding of South Asia, and the contributions they have the potential to make in future. Completion of the course will thus add further dimensions to their perspective on their own particular discipline, and thereby feed back into their curriculum as a whole.

Assessment Information

Each half-course will require students to complete one assessed essay of around 2500 words. At the end of the semester, students will take a degree examination consisting of one 2-hour paper. In assessing their overall mark the essay will carry a one-third weighting and the examination will be weighted two-thirds.