Cultures of
An 332
Allen Zagarell
Summer 2008
Office hours
Monday/Weds
Objective:To introduce the student to the history and culture of South Asian Society
Requirements: Do all the reading. Participate in discussions. There will be three examinations. Each examination represents one third of total class grade.
Required
Texts: Mines and Lamb 2002 Everyday
Life in
Emadi 2005 Culture
and Customs of
Class Schedule:
May 5 Week 1
1)Introduction to Course
May 7 Geography/Climate/Populations
Film: Asian Earth (22 minutes)
Map of Afghanistan and Vicinity
Context and History
May 12 Week 2 1)Orientalism
2)South Asian Pre and Early History (the Roots of Civilization)
Film: Messages from the Past
Harappan Civilization
Regional Archaeology
May 14 1)Indo Europeans; South
Asians; the Centers of Culture;
Aryans, Greeks, Mauryans, Kushan and Islamic Influences
The explanation
and first edict of Ashoka
Read page 2
Film: In the Footsteps of Alexander (60
minutes);The Splendor of the Moghuls (44 minutes)
May 19 Week 3 1)From Colonial Rule to Independence/Resistance to Colonial Rule
Film: Earth (partition; 101 minutes)
Jinnah and Pakistani
Independence
May 21 Examination
I
Lecture: Tribal Life
May 26 Memorial Day
May 28 Week 4 1)Daily Life
Tribes/settled and nomad/village life/caste
Look through the 8 pages of photos
Film
June 2 Week 5
1)Village/Caste/kinship/class/gender
Film: Caste and Family
June 4
1)Religions of
From Vedic Beliefs to Hinduism
Film:Wedding of a Goddess
June 9 Week 6 1)Hinduism/Political Hinduism/Buddhism/Jainism/Sikhism/Parsis (Zoroastrianism)
June 11
1)Islam; Sunni, Shia, Sufi; traditional and new influences
Look at Sunni, Shia (twelevers) and Ismailite
As well as Deobandi and Wahabism
Film:Islamic Mysticism (30 minutes)
June 16 Week 7 Examination II
Lecture:
June 18 Lecture:
Extremism and Understanding
The BJP/Taliban/Al Qaeda
Film:The Kiterunner
June 23 Week 8 1)Recent
Trends; History, Social, Economic
In
June 25 Final Examination
Send email to mailto:Allen.Zagarell@wmich.edu
