Syllabus of Anthropology 142
(Anthro 142: Pepoles and Cultures of India)

E-mail: mkundu@es.ucsb.edu

Voice mail: 893-3752

Teaching Assistant: John Warneke

TA’s office and office hours:
Mondays and Wednesdays from 1-2pm in HSSB 2075.

TA’s E-mail: <jwarneke@umail.ucsb.edu>

Course Outline:
The course pays attention to different groups of people living in contemporary India. Since the Hindus are majority in the nation, the current course pays most of its attention to their traditional as well as contemporary social structure, economic system, and religious beliefs. Of course, some attention will be given to the cultures of different minority groups. The impact of modernization, Westernization, and globalization will be analyzed. The followings are some of the topics that will be discussed in great detail:

• Traditional rural life of farming communities; importance of joint household, role of kinship; arranged marriages; status of women
• Caste system, the notion of purity and pollution, “untouchables”, traditional economic system based on the caste system
• Two epics: the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata
• Modernization, Westernization, globalization and its impact on urban lifestyle, departure from some of the traditional values, and continuation of some other values
• Hindu religious practices and the deities; religion in politics; caste system in politics
• The Green Revolution and its impact on rural economy, politics, and social structure.
• Rapid population growth, attitude toward birth control, discrimination against female children
• National politics, democracy in a rigidly hierarchical society; scheduled castes; OBC
• 73rd amendment of India’s constitution and the empowerment of women
• The relationship of the Hindus with other minorities such as Muslims, Christians, Sikhs etc.
• The impact of rapid technological development, print and audio-visual media on the society.

Textbook:
Remembered Village by M.N. Srinivas. UC Press, Berkeley. 1976

Reader:
Students have to buy a compiled reader after 3rd week from one of the copy stores at Isla Vista.

Exams:
There will be one midterm and one final. Reading and lecture materials of the midterm are cumulative to the final. Midterm and final will carry 1/3rd and 2/3rd of the final grade respectively. The tests will contain only multiple choice and True/False questions. Please bring a pink/red scantron (approximate size 8 ½ X 11inches) and a #2 pencil for each test. There is no system of getting extra credit in the course. Make-up exams are against my policy unless you face an unforeseen medical emergency. You must have to prove the real emergency with a letter from your physician. Otherwise you will be penalized one full grade for not taking the tests with other students in the class. Grading will be relative.

Schedule of Exams

Mid-term: Friday, May 2, 2007
Final Exam: Thursday, June 12, 2007

Films:
A few documentary films relevant to the course will be shown in this course. Each exam will include a few questions on the films.

Reading assignments for the midterm:

Week 1 (March 31 - April 5) - Remembered Village: Chapters I & II
Week 2 (April 6-12) - Remembered Village: Chapter III
Week 3 (April 13-19) - Remembered Village: Chapters IV & V
Week 4 (April 20-26) - Remembered Village: Chapters VI & VII
Week 5 (April 27-May 1) – Chapter VIII and also revise the lecture notes and the reading assignments for the midterm

MIDTERM: Friday, May 2, 2007
Study Guide

Week 6 (May 4-10) - Remembered Village: Chapter IX, & X
Week 7 (May 11-17) – Reader: Pages 1-44
Week 8 (May 18-24) - Reader: Pages 45-88
Week 9 (May 25-May 31) – Reader: Pages 89-122
Week 10 (June 2-8) – Reader: Pages 123-165
Final’s Week – Revise all of the lecture notes, and the reading assignments. The final is cumulative.