Kinship, Religion and the Self in South Asia (P00664)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : SPS-P-KRSSASIA

This course consists of two related sections. The first considers the Indian family and domestic life-crisis ceremonies in the light of indigenous ideas regarding selfhood, sexuality, and procreation. The second examines contemporary Hinduism in both rural and urban contexts, stressing practice rather than theology or textual sources. The two themes are linked through the study of divine kinship among gods and goddesses, as portrayed in mythology and as acted out in the ceremonies and liturgies of Hindu temples. The aim is to explore cultural consistencies in the areas of religious and domestic life among Hindus.

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Postgraduate (School of Social and Political Studies), (School of Social and Political Studies, Schedule J)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

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

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Postgraduate students attending this course will acquire an understanding of the rich cultural contexts of everyday life in contemporary South Asia, particularly the practical, economic, and ideological importance of families in rural and urban contexts. They will gain an advanced understanding of the varied forms of contemporary Hinduism, focusing on practices of ordinary Hindus rather than scriptural and textual sources. By the conclusion of the course, they will be in a position to assess how these two aspects of modern South Asian life interpenetrate, enrich, and reinforce one another. The course also provides a practical introduction to the ways in which anthropologists employ their distinctive ethnographic and analytical methods in the study of broad cultural themes in complex, literate civilizations.