India Through Literature and Film

Summer 2012 quarter

Faculty

Karen Gaul anthropology

Fields of Study

cultural studies and media studies

Description

India holds a fascination for many of us. Yet, whatever we may think we know about this region, the South Asian subcontinent is one of the most rapidly changing areas of the world.

Novels and films offer rich windows into particular realities of life in India. In this program, we will read novels and short stories by some leading South Asian writers such as Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy, Rohinton Mistry, Aravind Ardiga, and others. We will also view a variety of commercial as well as ethnographic films made by Indian filmmakers.

We will use ethnographic approaches to analyze these literary and filmic portrayals of Indian culture, examining gender, class and caste relations, religious conflict, and political struggle in urban and rural settings. Case studies of particular urban and rural areas will enable us to narrow our focus and gain a more specific understanding of cultural dynamics at play.

We will examine the narratives of these materials as both potential sources of and rebuttals to stereotypes about Indian culture. And we will consider the media themselves, examining issues of representation, translation, interpretation, and voice. This program will be a great introduction to contemporary and historical India through the lenses of ethnography, literature, and film.

Advertised Schedule

9a-4p Tue, 9a-1p Wed, 9a-4p Thu (Jun. 26 - Jul. 26)

Location

Olympia

Online Learning

Enhanced Online Learning

Books

Greener Store

Required Fees

$25 for film rentals

Offered During

Day