Fall Courses 2013
SAX 140 South Asia: An Introduction
Ambreen Hai and South Asia faculty
M 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.
This course introduces students to the study of South Asia, the history of the region, the cultures and cultural and cultural productions of South Asia, and the economic, political and religious forces that shape South Asia as well as the impact of South Asia and its diaspora on the contemporary world. It is the gateway course to the South Asia concentration and is required for all concentrators. It is co-taught by all of the Smith faculty associated with the South Asia concentration. Offered first half of the semester only. Graded S/U only. (E)
ARH 226 The Art of India
Marylin Rhie
(Art)
MWF 1:10 - 2:30 p.m.
The art of India and bordering regions to the north from the Indus Valley civilization through the ancient and classical Gupta age, the medieval period, and the Mughal-Rajput period, as expressed in the architecture, sculpture, and painting of the Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and Muslim religions. {A}{H} 4 credits
ENG 241 Introduction to Postcolonial Literatures
Ambreen Hai (English Language and Literature)
MW 1:10 - 2:30 p.m.
An introduction to Anglophone fiction, poetry, drama and film from Africa, the Caribbean and South Asia in the aftermath of the British empire. Concerns include: the cultural work of writers as they respond to histories of colonial dominance; their ambivalence towards English linguistic, literary and cultural legacies; the ways literature can (re)construct national identities and histories, and explore assumptions of race, gender, class and sexuality; the distinctiveness of women writers and their modes of contesting cultural and colonial ideologies; global diasporas, migration and U.S. imperialism. Probable writers: Achebe, Soyinka, Ngugi, Aidoo, Dangarembga, Naipaul, Walcott, Cliff, Rushdie, Kureishi, Arundhati Roy, Jhumpa Lahiri, Meera Syal, and some theoretical essays. {L} 4 credits
ENG 334 Seminar: Servants in Literarure and Film
Ambreen Hai (English Language and Literature)
Th 1:00 - 2:50 p.m.
Often invisible but crucial, servants in English literature have served as comic relief, go-betweens, storytellers, sexual targets, and sometimes as central protagonists. But what roles do they play in contemporary literature and film? What can we learn from them about modernity, class, power relations, sexuality, gender, marriage or family? What new responses do they evoke from us? This seminar will consider how writers from various cultures and times call upon the figure of the domestic servant for different purposes, and how a view from (or of) the margins can change how and what we see. Writers include Shakespeare, Samuel Richardson, Emily Bronte, Wilkie Collins, Kazuo Ishiguro, Nadine Gordimer, Aravind Adiga. Films include "Remains of the Day," "Gosford Park," "The Maid," and "Earth." Admission by permission. Enrollment limited to 12. {L} 4 credits
HST 238 Gender and the British Empire
Jennifer Hall-Witt (History)
MW 1:10 -2:30 p.m.
Traditionally, historians portrayed the British Empire as the province of male explorers, merchants, missionaries, soldiers and bureaucrats. This course treats such men as gendered subjects, investigating intersections between the empire and masculinity. It surveys debates about white women’s colonial experiences and studies the experience of women who were colonized and enslaved. It examines the gendered structure of racial ideologies and the imperial features of feminist concerns. Focus is on the West Indies, Africa, and India from the late 18th to the early 20th centuries. Enrollment limited to 22. {H} 4 credits
IDP 320 Seminar on Global Learning: Women's Health of Tibetan Refugees In India
Leslie Jaffe (Health Services)
Th 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
The purpose of this seminar is to study women's health and cultural issues within India, with a focus on Tibetan refugees, and then apply the knowledge experientially. During J-term, the students will travel to India and deliver workshops on reproductive health topics to young Tibetan women living at the Central University of Tibetan Studies in Sarnath where they will be further educated in Tibetan medicine. The seminar will be by permission of the instructor with interested students required to write an essay explaining their interest and how the seminar furthers their educational goals. Enrollment limited to 5 students. (E) 4 credits
PRS 302 Whose Voice? Whose Tongue? The Indian Renaissance and its Aftermath
Nalini Bhushan (Philosophy)
T 3:00 - 4:50 p.m.
The Indian Renaissance in the mid-19th century represented a resurgence of interest in and development of classical Indian culture and learning. It also involved an explosion of new art, political and social movements and philosophy arising from the confluence of indigenous Indian ideas and imports brought by British colonialists and foreign-returned Indians who traveled in the context of the colonial situation. The ferment generated by the renaissance fueled the Indian independence movement and is the context against which contemporary Indian society is constituted. We will examine India’s vast contributions to contemporary world culture against the backdrop of this fascinating period, reading the philosophy, art, theatre, poetry, politics and religious texts this period produced. Prerequisites: at least two intermediate level courses either in philosophy or south Asian history, including Indian history, literature, art, or philosophy. Enrollment limited to 15 juniors and seniors. (E) {H} {L} 4 credits
Five College Courses
Many courses related to South Asia are taught at the Five Colleges. Please see the Five College Course Catalog.