South Asian Studies 2B (AS0096)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 8 ? Acronym : SPS-2-SO2bh

These two half-courses as a whole provide an introduction to issues of identify in South Asia, and their political and social implications, from Mughul times up to the present. They give a historical analysis of the uneven spread of capitalism and the rise of a national bourgeoisie. These trends are linked to the persistence and entrenchment of regional, religious, class, caste and gender inequalities that have rendered political and social stablity an elusive goal in all the countries of the subcontinent. This particular half course will seek to show how these movements, born of reaction to colonialism, continue to conflict with the institutions and ideology of the modern state, obscuring and undermining attempts at the construction of a liberal social order. In aiming to provide an understanding of the basic social and political insititutions of modern India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, this half-course will draw particularly upon sociological and anthropological research by South Asian and foreign scholars, and on studies of contemporary South Asian music and cinema.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : This course is normally available only to students in the second or later years of their curriculum.

? Costs : None

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 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 4 hour(s) per week for 12 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
08/01/2007	10:00	10:50

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Monday	10:00	10:50	Central
Lecture	Tuesday	10:00	10:50	Central
Lecture	Wednesday	10:00	10:50	Central
Lecture	Thursday	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. Compeltion of the course will thus add further dimensions to their perspective on their own particular discpline, 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 academic year, 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 examiniation will be weighted two-thirds.