South Asian Cultures- Global Cultures (SAGC-UF)

This course provides a broad understanding of the social developments of the Indian sub-continent. The countries studied may include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and/or Sri Lanka. Coverage may focus on the pre-modern, modern and/or contemporary aspects of the region?s experiences, which span thousands of years. A variety of materials, from fictional and non-fictional texts to video and film may be used to explore the interactions of tradition and change in different time periods, and to illuminate such issues as colonialism, sectarianism, and modernization.

This course introduces students to key debates on national identity, cultural belonging, and religious difference in postcolonial South Asia. It begins with an exploration of colonial epistemologies and "gate keeping" concepts that endure in popular and scholarly imaginaries. Topics covered include the 1947 partition and its legacies, ethnic/communal violence, Dalit belonging, geo-politics, the war on terror and global capitalism, religious nationalism and the politics of "racial" supremacism. The course also covers the (violently) gendered and sexualized nature of community boundaries and nation-making. You will learn about the histories of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka through following the questions at the heart of the course: who belongs and who is an outsider/danger? Why?