Postgraduate Course: Hindu Traditions: Critical Investigations (REST11018)
Course Outline
| School | School of Divinity |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This 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 how traditions are negotiated on the ground and its 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 one-hour seminar discussions. This will be complemented by five separate hour-each PG seminars, where more in-depth and advanced discussions will be held. 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. Students will also have the opportunity to construct an essay title that focuses on a topic of their interest in conversation with the lecturer. Through their participation in lectures, seminars, written work, and feedback offered, students will demonstrate their achievement of the intended learning outcomes.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | This is a graduate-level course. Please confirm subject prerequisites with the Course Manager. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- A critical understanding of the contribution of anthropology to the study of religions in general, and the diversity of popular ¿Hindu¿ traditions in particular.
- An ability to critically appraise terms such as 'Hinduism', and assess the importance of perspective in the study of religions.
- In depth engagement with primary and secondary sources from South Asia, and its relation to significant scholarly debates.
- An ability to undertake independent research by devising a 3000-word essay topic of interest.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | HinduTrCI |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Steven Sutcliffe
Tel: (0131 6)50 8947
Email: S.Sutcliffe@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Roisin O'Fee
Tel: (0131 6)50 8921
Email: Roisin.OFee@ed.ac.uk |
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