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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2015/2016

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Divinity : Religious Studies

Undergraduate Course: Hindu Traditions: History, Power and Agency (REST10046)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Divinity CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course will explore popular Hindu traditions, and will investigate its diversity through history, power and agency. It will challenge the homogenised 'world religions' model using anthropological methods in understanding religions, and highlight the significance of perspectives using ethnographic, textual, theoretical, and visual sources.
Course description Academic Description:
This course aims to enrich students' engagement with Hindu traditions in South Asia by using visual and textual materials. Visual materials such as documentary and film will be used to illustrate the diversity of Hindu traditions. Complementing the visual element will be readings dealing with empirical case studies that enable consideration of how traditions are negotiated on the ground and their value for broader comparative and theoretical discussions. One of the important aspects of this course is to look at understudied aspects of South Asia, particularly its tribal and indigenous communities and their engagement with Hindu and other traditions. These debates will be carefully considered both in the lectures and the seminar discussions based on visual and textual material that are both empirically rich and theoretically innovative.

Syllabus/Outline Content:
The complexity and richness of the course will be illustrated through thematic considerations such as deities, caste, gender, karma, dharma, fundamentalism, pilgrimage, gurus, and 'tribes'. It will utilise key anthropological and historical texts that examine the richness of the region, while using video documentaries and film to illustrate and visually aid how Hindu traditions negotiate the different social/religious/political boundaries.

Student Learning Experience Information:
The course has a programme of two-hour weekly meetings consisting of one-hour weekly lectures and video, and one-hour seminar discussions. The meetings will be interactive and will allow students to engage with the topic through lecture/video and seminar discussion. Each student will do a presentation based on the assigned reading and will be responsible for leading class discussion during the seminar hour. Students are also required to write a weekly-assessed blog that will demonstrate their understanding and engagement with the readings. Through their participation in lectures, seminars, written work, final examination, and feedback offered, students will demonstrate their achievement of the intended learning outcomes.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed: Lived Religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam (REST08009) AND Global Religions: South Asian, Indigenous and New Traditions (REST08010) AND Religion in Culture: Theory, History and Interpretation (REST08011) AND Religion in Society: Community, People and Mind (REST08012)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements Students, without the necessary pre-requisites, may contact the Course Manager to request permission.
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesVisiting students should have at least 3 Divinity/Religious Studies courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses.
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2015/16, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22, Feedback/Feedforward Hours 1, Revision Session Hours 1, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 172 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 80 %, Practical Exam 20 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Seminar participation - 10%;
Seminar presentation - 10%
Two class essays of 2,500 words each worth 40% - 80% of overall course mark.
Feedback Not entered
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the contribution of anthropology to the study of religions in general, and the diversity of popular ¿Hindu¿ ..traditions in particular
  2. Able to critically appraise the diversity of terms such as 'Hinduism' in academic and popular understanding.
  3. Engage with the secondary sources and scholarly debates on the relevant issues.
  4. Evidence an understanding of the importance of perspective in the study of religions.
  5. Demonstrate an ability to identify key terms and their meanings, and demonstrate good judgement about how to assess the relative importance of items on course bibliographies.
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsHinduT
Contacts
Course organiserDr Arkotong Longkumer
Tel: (0131 6)50 8781
Email: A.Longkumer@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Katrina Munro
Tel: (0131 6)50 8900
Email: Kate.Munro@ed.ac.uk
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