Undergraduate Course: Hindu Traditions: History, Power and Agency (DIVI10037)
Course Outline
| School | School of Divinity |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
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 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, 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 | Students MUST NOT also be taking
Hindu Traditions: History, Power and Agency (REST10046)
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Other requirements | Students who have previously taken the following course MUST NOT enroll: Hindu Traditions: History, Power and Agency (REST10046) |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting 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
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the contribution of anthropology to the study of religions in general, and the diversity of popular 'Hindu' traditions in particular.
- Able to critically appraise the diversity of terms such as 'Hinduism' in academic and popular understanding.
- Engage with the secondary sources and scholarly debates on the relevant issues.
- Evidence an understanding of the importance of perspective in the study of religions.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
- Ability to gather, evaluate and synthesise different types of information
- Analytical ability and the capacity to formulate questions and solve problems
- Writing skills, including clear expression and citing relevant evidence
- Presentation skills, both oral and written, supported by appropriate technologies |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Paul Fuller
Tel:
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Rachel Dutton
Tel: (0131 6)50 7227
Email: |
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