Course Filter
| Title | Instructors | Location | Time | Description | Cross listings | Fulfills | Registration notes | Syllabus | Syllabus URL | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BENG 0400-680 | Intermediate Bengali Part II | Sanjukta Banerjee | TR 5:15 PM-6:44 PM | This course develops the student's prior knowledge of Bengali. An attempt is made to gear the syllabus to meet the specific needs of students. The focus of the course is to develop the oral and aural skills of the learner as well as improve writing skills and reading strategies. Emphasis is also laid on increasing the sociolinguistic and strategic competence of the learners so that they will be able to function in the target culture. Besides discussions on various aspects of Bengali life, students read some short literary texts in the original Bengali version. | BENG5400680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | |||||
| BENG 5400-680 | Intermediate Bengali Part II | Sanjukta Banerjee | TR 5:15 PM-6:44 PM | This course develops the student's prior knowledge of Bengali. An attempt is made to gear the syllabus to meet the specific needs of students. The focus of the course is to develop the oral and aural skills of the learner as well as improve writing skills and reading strategies. Emphasis is also laid on increasing the sociolinguistic and strategic competence of the learners so that they will be able to function in the target culture. Besides discussions on various aspects of Bengali life, students read some short literary texts in the original Bengali version. | BENG0400680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | |||||
| GUJR 0200-680 | Beginning Gujarati Part II | Babubhai Suthar | TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | During the first year of Gujarati, major emphasis is placed on acquiring phonetics, grammatical patterns, and basic vocabulary. These goals are accomplished through guided drills and conversations accompanied by formal instruction on Gujarati grammar. From the outset, students are also taught the Gujarati writing system, which is used for all materials. By the end of the first year of instruction, student should be able to carry on coherent conversations on selected topics, read simple texts and compose short pieces in Gujarati. | GUJR5200680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | |||||
| GUJR 0400-680 | Intermediate Gujarati Part II | Babubhai Suthar | TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | This course is designed as a continuation of intermediate Gujarati I. Course objectives are to expand the mastery of sentence patterns and augment vocabulary and its usage through intensive grammar and comprehension exercises. A special emphasis will be placed on greater cultural awareness. Upon completion of this course students should be able to interact socially with added confidence and greater expressiveness. Students should also experience a great improvement in their comprehension of spoken and written language. During the second year of Gujarati, students are introduced to progressively more difficult reading selections, along with additional instructions in the formal grammar of the language. To maintain and develop oral and aural command of the language, readings are discussed in Gujarati. To develop their writing abilities, students are also expected to compose short essays on their readings. | GUJR5400680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | |||||
| GUJR 1501-680 | Advanced Gujarati II | Babubhai Suthar | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | Comprehensive study in reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension to gain advanced knowledge of Gujarati. Instructor may use poetry and/or prose as tools to engage students while having them create their own written works. Contact instructor for details. | GUJR5501680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | |||||
| GUJR 5200-680 | Beginning Gujarati Part II | Babubhai Suthar | TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | During the first year of Gujarati, major emphasis is placed on acquiring phonetics, grammatical patterns, and basic vocabulary. These goals are accomplished through guided drills and conversations accompanied by formal instruction on Gujarati grammar. From the outset, students are also taught the Gujarati writing system, which is used for all materials. By the end of the first year of instruction, student should be able to carry on coherent conversations on selected topics, read simple texts and compose short pieces in Gujarati. | GUJR0200680 | ||||||
| GUJR 5400-680 | Intermediate Gujarati Part II | Babubhai Suthar | TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | This course is designed as a continuation of intermediate Gujarati I. Course objectives are to expand the mastery of sentence patterns and augment vocabulary and its usage through intensive grammar and comprehension exercises. A special emphasis will be placed on greater cultural awareness. Upon completion of this course students should be able to interact socially with added confidence and greater expressiveness. Students should also experience a great improvement in their comprehension of spoken and written language. During the second year of Gujarati, students are introduced to progressively more difficult reading selections, along with additional instructions in the formal grammar of the language. To maintain and develop oral and aural command of the language, readings are discussed in Gujarati. To develop their writing abilities, students are also expected to compose short essays on their readings. | GUJR0400680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | |||||
| GUJR 5501-680 | Advanced Gujarati II | Babubhai Suthar | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | Comprehensive study in reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension to gain advanced knowledge of Gujarati. Instructor may use poetry and/or prose as tools to engage students while having them create their own written works. Contact instructor for details. | GUJR1501680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | |||||
| HIND 0200-401 | Beginning Hindi-Urdu II | Mustafa A Menai | MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM | Beginning Hindi-Urdu II is the second part of the first-year Hindi-Urdu sequence. In this course, students continue to learn the fundamentals of Hindi-Urdu through hands-on practice using the language. Classes are interactive and there is a strong emphasis on the acquisition of speaking skills; students also continue to improve literacy skills in the script of their choice (Hindi or Urdu – all materials are provided in both scripts). New topics include but are not limited to: future plans, recounting past events, traveling in South Asia, and navigating shopping and travel-related situations. Students will also engage with level-appropriate authentic materials from the Hindi-Urdu speaking world. After completing this course, students will be able to interact successfully with native speakers in a variety of everyday communication contexts. Beginning Hindi-Urdu II assumes one prior semester of classroom study or the equivalent proficiency. Students with some speaking ability but no reading-writing abilities may place into the course but should contact the instructor a few weeks before the beginning of the semester to ensure that this is the appropriate level. | HIND5200401, URDU0200401, URDU5200401 | ||||||
| HIND 0400-401 | Intermediate Hindi II | Josh Pien | TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | Intermediate Hindi II is the second part of the second-year Hindi sequence. The course refines and expands students’ incoming language skills. It provides students with the tools needed to engage confidently and substantively with other Hindi speakers and with authentic materials in Hindi. Course materials include Bollywood film clips, folk tales and mythology, news media, and additional materials addressing topics of relevance in current north Indian society. The materials are carefully selected for students of this level, they engage a mix of reading and listening skills, and they present core vocabulary which students will find useful in real-world communication contexts. In-class activities emphasize speaking through structured, form-focused practice; pair and group discussions based on assigned materials; and a variety of additional engaging topics. The course assumes the prior successful completion of Intermediate Hindi I. Students who have not previously taken Hindi should contact the instructor for placement into the appropriate level. This course fulfills the College’s language requirement. | HIND5400401 | ||||||
| HIND 1500-401 | Advanced Hindi | Josh Pien | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | This is an advanced course designed to expand students’ language abilities while also deepening their understanding of the Hindi-speaking world. The course is organized around the following three areas of focus: 1) Surveying Hindi – We survey a range of Hindi sources – literary, journalistic, contemporary, historical, print, video – that provide diverse viewpoints on the social and cultural life of South Asia and Hindi-speaking communities. 2) Situating Hindi – The course places course materials in historical context and explores Hindi's place in the language politics of South Asia. 3) Using Hindi – We devote time to understanding the linguistic structure of Hindi and its vocabulary to enable students to speak and write Hindi with greater confidence and precision. Classes are interactive. Prerequisite: Intermediate Hindi II or the equivalent proficiency. Please contact the instructor for placement. This course fulfills the College’s cross-cultural analysis requirement. Topics vary by semester and the course may be repeated for credit. Students who complete two semesters may earn a Hindi Language Certificate, which will be noted on their transcript. | HIND5500401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | |||||
| HIND 5200-401 | Beginning Hindi-Urdu II | Mustafa A Menai | MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM | This introductory course core proficiency in Hindi-Urdu up to the intermediate level. It is designed for students with little or no prior exposure to Hindi or Urdu. The course covers all four language skills (speaking, lsitening, reading, and writing) and all three models of communication (interpersonal, presentational, interpretive). Students will develop literacy skills in the primary script of their choice (Hindi or Urdu script). All written materials will be provided in both scripts. All meetings are interactive and students acquire the language by using it in realistic contexts. Culture is embedded in the activities and is also introduced through various authentic materials. | HIND0200401, URDU0200401, URDU5200401 | ||||||
| HIND 5400-401 | Intermediate Hindi II | Josh Pien | TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | In Intermediate Hindi the student continues to develop the four language skills, with an emphasis on real-life situations--through hearing and practicing conversation on everyday topics, reading a variety of authentic texts ranging from advertisements to short stories, watching segments of current films, and carrying out short research projects using Hindi sources. There is a strong emphasis on vocabulary development and on using contextually appropriate styles of spoken and written Hindi. | HIND0400401 | ||||||
| HIND 5500-401 | Advanced Hindi | Josh Pien | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | Advanced Hindi aims at systematically developing higher level linguistic functions and cultural nuances. Students learn to describe, narrate and support opinions in informal and formal styles. The objective of the course is to promote a meaningful interaction with written literature and with native speakers in a socially acceptable manner in a variety of simple and complicated situations. A variety of authentic materials are used, such as short stories, plays, newspapers, magazines, videos, television and radio broadcasts, and interviews. Every semester the course materials and foci vary depending on the needs and interests of students in the class. | HIND1500401 | ||||||
| MLYM 0400-680 | Intermediate Malayalam Part II | Priyamvada Nambrath | TR 3:30 PM-4:59 PM | This course is designed to further the language skills learned in Beginning Malayalam. Direct and indirect speech, passive voice, postpositions, and rules of joining words, will be included. Reading and discussion of texts from current Malayalam literature (essays, narration, short stories, and poems) will be a major portion of the course. | MLYM5400680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | |||||
| MLYM 5400-680 | Intermediate Malayalam Part II | Priyamvada Nambrath | TR 3:30 PM-4:59 PM | This course is designed to further the language skills learned in Beginning Malayalam. Direct and indirect speech, passive voice, postpositions, and rules of joining words, will be included. Reading and discussion of texts from current Malayalam literature (essays, narration, short stories, and poems) will be a major portion of the course. | MLYM0400680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | |||||
| PUNJ 0200-680 | Beginning Punjabi Part II | Amrit Gahunia | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | This course emphasizes speaking and reading skills in Punjabi. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to interact meaningfully and in a socially acceptable manner in a variety of simple situations involving everyday conversational topics. Further, students should be able to read and understand the main idea and most details of simple connected texts. This course will utilize authentic printed, audio, and video materials and will provide opportunities for natural communication both within and outside the classroom. | PUNJ5200680 | ||||||
| PUNJ 0400-680 | Intermediate Punjabi Part II | Amrit Gahunia | TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | This course is designed as a continuation of Beginning Punjabi, but can also be taken by anyone who can demonstrate a similar level in proficiency of the language. The course objectives are to expand the mastery of sentence patterns and augment vocabulary and its usage through intensive grammar review and comprehension exercises. A special emphasis will also be placed on greater cultural awareness. Upon completion of this course students should be able to interact socially with added confidence and greater expressiveness. Students should also experience a great improvement in their comprehension of the spoken and written language. | PUNJ5400680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | |||||
| PUNJ 5200-680 | Beginning Punjabi Part II | Amrit Gahunia | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | This course emphasizes speaking and reading skills in Punjabi. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to interact meaningfully and in a socially acceptable manner in a variety of simple situations involving everyday conversational topics. Further, students should be able to read and understand the main idea and most details of simple connected texts. This course will utilize authentic printed, audio, and video materials and will provide opportunities for natural communication both within and outside the classroom. | PUNJ0200680 | ||||||
| PUNJ 5400-680 | Inermediate Punjabi Part II | Amrit Gahunia | TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | This course is designed as a continuation of Beginning Punjabi, but can also be taken by anyone who can demonstrate a similar level in proficiency of the language. The course objectives are to expand the mastery of sentence patterns and augment vocabulary and its usage through intensive grammar review and comprehension exercises. A special emphasis will also be placed on greater cultural awareness. Upon completion of this course students should be able to interact socially with added confidence and greater expressiveness. Students should also experience a great improvement in their comprehension of the spoken and written language. | PUNJ0400680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | |||||
| SAST 0006-401 | Hindu Mythology | Deven Patel | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | Premodern India produced some of the world's greatest myths and stories: tales of gods, goddesses, heroes, princesses, kings and lovers that continue to capture the imaginations of millions of readers and hearers. In this course, we will look closely at some of these stories especially as found in Purana-s, great compendia composed in Sanskrit, including the chief stories of the central gods of Hinduism: Visnu, Siva, and the Goddess. We will also consider the relationship between these texts and the earlier myths of the Vedas and the Indian Epics, the diversity of the narrative and mythic materials within and across different texts, and the re-imagining of these stories in the modern world. | COML0006401, RELS0006401 | Arts & Letters Sector Cross Cultural Analysis |
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| SAST 0007-401 | Introduction to Modern South Asian Literatures | Gregory Goulding | TR 3:30 PM-4:59 PM | This course will provide a wide-ranging introduction to the literatures of South Asia from roughly 1500 to the present, as well as an exploration of their histories and impact on South Asian society today. How are literary movements and individual works - along with the attitudes towards religion, society, and culture associated with them - still influential in literature, film, and popular culture? How have writers across time and language engaged with questions of caste, gender, and identity? We will read from the rich archive of South Asian writing in translation - from languages that include Braj, Urdu, Bangla, and Tamil - to consider how these literatures depict their own society while continuing to resonate across time and space. Topics of dicussion will include the Bhakti poetries of personal devotion, the literature of Dalits - formerly referred to as the Untouchables - and the ways in which literature addresses contemporary political and social problems. Students will leave this course with a sense of the contours of the literatures of South Asia as well as ways of exploring the role of these literatures in the larger world. No prior knowledge of South Asia is required; this course fulfills the cross-cultural analysis requirement, and the Arts and Letters sector requirement. | COML0007401 | Arts & Letters Sector Cross Cultural Analysis |
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| SAST 0009-001 | Introduction to Hinduism | Davesh Soneji | TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | This course introduces students to the history, texts, philosophies and rituals of South Asia's oldest living religious traditions, represented today by the term "Hinduism." At the same time, it problematizes the idea of a monolithic "Hindu Tradition", in favor of an approach that recognizes several distinct, dynamic, yet symbiotic Hindu religious cultures. The course also places emphasis on the vitality of today's Hinduism(s), and the various historical, ritual, cultural, and social contexts that they represent and constitute. The course is organized around six modules: (1)Issues in the Academic Study of Hinduism; (2) Sanskrit (textual) tradition; (3) Philosophy; (4) Theology; (5) Ritual; and (6) Modernity and Contemporary Politics. | Cross Cultural Analysis | ||||||
| SAST 0101-001 | Hindustani Vocal: Voice, Raga and the World of Indian Classical Music | W 3:30 PM-5:00 PM T 5:15 PM-6:44 PM |
This course offers students an intimate encounter with Hindustani classical music, a sophisticated musical tradition from North India. Through guided practice, listening, and performance, students enter the world of raga and tala, gaining an understanding of the music through the act of making it. No prior musical experience required; some exposure to Indian music may be beneficial. The course culminates in a public end-of-semester performance. | ||||||||
| SAST 0110-001 | Beginning Tabla II | Aqeel Bhatti | MW 5:15 PM-6:44 PM | A continuation of Tabla I, also open to beginning students. | |||||||
| SAST 1171-401 | Devotion's New Market: Religion, Economics, and the City | Afsar Mohammad | MW 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | This graduate and undergraduate level course introduces students to the new forms of devotion as circulated in various urban centers in South Asia with a focus on growing market economy and urbanization. This course will particularly discuss case studies of how different modes of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and other minor religions operate in an urbanized middle-class and educated communities. We will read theoretical and ethnographical works of contemporary research in religious studies and anthropology that deal with the questions of modernity, reformism and economic developmentalism. Throughout the semester, we focus on 1) how does religious forms such as sainthood practices, private and public rituals, narrative modes and everyday life evolve in the background of growing politics of development; 2) we discuss the tensions between classical notions of devotion and their new transformations in the city life, and finally 3) theoretically, we analyze concepts such as reformism, fundamentalism, recent discourses on identity politics and gender implications as connected to urban religious life. | ANTH1171401, RELS1640401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | |||||
| SAST 1400-401 | Asian Am Gendersexuality | Rupa Pillai | TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | This course explores the intersection of gender, sexuality, and race in Asian America. Through interdisciplinary and cultural texts, students will consider how Asian American gender and sexualities are constructed in relation to racism while learning theories on and methods to study gender, sex, and race. We will discuss masculinities, femininities, race-conscious feminisms, LGBTQ+ identities, interracial and intraracial relationships, and kinship structures. | ASAM1400401, GSWS1400401 | Cultural Diversity in the U.S. | |||||
| SAST 1460-401 | Islam in Modern World | Jamal J. Elias | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | This course key issues facing Muslims in the modern world with an emphasis on gaining an understanding of how Muslims view themselves and the world in which they live. Beginning with a discussion of the impact of colonialism, we will examine Islamic ideas and trends from the late colonial period until the present. Readings include religious, political and literary writings by important Muslim figures and focus on pressing issues in the Islamic world an beyond: the place of religion in modern national politics; the changing status of women; constructions of sexuality (including masculinity); pressing issues in bioethics; Islam, race and immigration in America; the role of violence; and the manifestations of religion in popular culture. | MELC0555401, RELS1460401 | Cross Cultural Analysis Humanities & Social Science Sector |
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| SAST 1530-401 | Women and the Making of Modern South Asia | Ramya Sreenivasan | MW 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | This course on women in South Asian history has four objectives - 1. To acquaint ourselves with the historiography on South Asian women. 2. To gain an understanding of evolving institutions and practices shaping women's lives, such as the family, law and religious traditions. 3. To understand the impact of historical processes - the formation and breakdown of empire, colonialism, nationalism and decolonization - upon South Asian women between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries. 4. To become familiar with some of the significant texts written about and by women in this period. We will read a wide variety of primary sources including a Mughal princess' account, devotional verse authored by women, conduct books, tracts, autobiographies and novels. | GSWS1530401, HIST1530401 | ||||||
| SAST 1540-401 | Religion & Politics South Asia | Ramya Sreenivasan | MW 3:30 PM-4:59 PM | This lecture course will examine the relationship between religion and politics in a region which has seen renewed conflicts in the name of religious communities over the past thirty years: South Asia. The course will cover the history of such conflicts between 1800 and 2000 C.E., and the genealogy of present-day conflicts, whether rooted in the recent past or in the distant past. The emphasis will be on political patronage of religious shrines and its converse, iconoclasm; on religious conversions; on clashes that were perceived as clashes between religious communities; on doctrinal and legal reforms of religious traditions and on popular religious movements and their appeal at particular historical moments. We will explore the politics of religion and of religious affiliation from the nineteenth to the twentieth centuries by reading primary sources and reviewing the rich historiography. No prior knowledge of South Asia is expected. | HIST1540401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | |||||
| SAST 1615-401 | Migration & Middle East | Heather Sharkey | T 1:45 PM-4:44 PM | This reading-and discussion-intensive seminar examines the phenomenon of migration into, out of, within, and across the Middle East and North Africa. We will focus on the period from the late nineteenth century to the present, and will emphasize the cultural (rather than economic) consequences of migration. Along the way we will trace connections between the Middle East and other regions-- notably the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, the Caucasus, and Western Europe. Readings are interdisciplinary and include works of history, anthropology, sociology, medical research, literature, political science, geography, and human rights advocacy. As students develop final projects on topics of their choice, we will spend time throughout the semester discussing tactics for research and writing. | ASAM2010401, MELC1615401, MELC6615401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | |||||
| SAST 2225-401 | Imagining New Futures: Science Fiction and the Fantastic in South Asian Literature | Gregory Goulding | TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | This course examines the many ways in which writers have imagined the future, the past, and the unreal in South Asia. Rather than view science fiction as an isolated, modern genre, we will situate it alongside a range of genres and approaches to the fantastic. Although literature called science fiction is today a dynamic genre across South Asian languages, with a literary history in the twentieth and nineteenth centuries, writers draw from a range of other South Asian literary and cultural traditions, including Hindu mythology, Persian Qissa story cycles, and Sanskrit literature. In this course, therefore, we will explore the many genealogies of contemporary South Asian literature. Science fiction, and fantastic literature more generally, often functions as a means to depict social and technological change, the perception of the larger world, and contemporary politics. How did writers use amazing stories of brilliant inventions, dreams of a woman-led utopia, or dark conspiracies of disease to explore a range of questions. We will also consider how popular literary genres, such as the detective story, intersect with these other genres. Students will leave this course with a knowledge of the dynamic history of South Asian science fiction as part of a long history of imaginative literature, as well as well as a deeper understanding of genre and the social history of literature. | COML2225401, ENGL2161401 | ||||||
| SAST 2262-001 | The Making of Medieval India | Daud Ali | MW 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | This course will provide an in-depth understanding of South Asia in what is often called its 'medieval' period--from the rise of the great temple kingdoms until the end of the Delhi Sultanate in the sixteenth century (c. 500 CE - c. 1500 CE). This millenium is arguably one of the most transformative in South Asia's history, a period when many of its most distinctive social and cultural features evolved. The course will provide both an overview of the period as well as an introduction to major interpretations and types of sources (textual, visual, and archaeological). The focus throughout the course will be on the heterogeneous development of states, societies and cultures with special attention to long-term processes of transformation. One set of themes explored will be largely social and economic, focusing on the development of agrarian and peasant societies, aristocracies and intellectuals, as well as the role of mercantile, pastoralist, nomadic and forest-living groups. Another set of themes will explore cultural transformation, including the development, transformation and interaction of religious practices, the emergence of cosmopolitan and regional literary cultures, and the rise of distinctive urban, courtly, and rural world views. Special themes of discussion may include violence and manners, material cultures, religious conflict, devotional religion and gender relations. | SAST6262001 | Cross Cultural Analysis | |||||
| SAST 2600-401 | Asian American Food | Fariha Khan | TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | You are what you eat. Asian American Food explores the history, politics, and ethnic identity of food through a cultural lens. Growing food, eating, and sharing meals serve as intimate expressions of self and community. By examining the production and consumption of food, the course investigates the ways that Asian Americans navigate traditions, gender norms, religious dietary laws, food habits, and employment as they create lives in the United States. The course overviews the history of Asian American foodways, but has a particular focus on Philadelphia's Asian American communities. | ASAM2600401, URBS2600401 | Cultural Diversity in the U.S. | |||||
| SAST 2610-401 | The Asian Caribbean | Rupa Pillai | TR 3:30 PM-4:59 PM | Although Asians have lived in the Americas for centuries, the Asian American community and experience tends to be defined by the post-1965 wave of immigration to the United States. In an effort to correct this narrative this course will explore the histories, experiences, and contributions of some of the forgotten Asians of the Americas. In particular, we will focus on the earlier labor migrations of Chinese and South Asian individuals to the Caribbean and the United States. The experiences of these individuals, who built railroads, cut sugarcane, and replaced African slave labor, complicate our understandings of race today. By examining the legal and social debates surrounding their labor in the 19th century and exploring how their experiences are forgotten and their descendants are rendered invisible today, we will complicate what is Asian America and consider how this history shapes immigration policies today. | ASAM2610401, GSWS2610401, LALS2601401 | Cultural Diversity in the U.S. | |||||
| SAST 2680-401 | Art and Empire in India | Sonal Khullar | MW 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | This course surveys transformations in visual culture between the Mughal and British empires in India from the mid-eighteenth through the nineteenth centuries. We shall consider changes in artistic production, patronage, publics, and viewing protocols in the contexts of the court and bazaar. We shall examine the emergence of new technologies and its impact on visual forms, media, and genres, focusing on the interplay of photography, print, and painting. We shall explore the role of institutions -the art school, the museum, and the archeological survey- and the professions and practices they engendered. We shall analyze how architecture and urban planning created new built environments and social relationships in colonial India. We shall view objects first-hand in the Penn Museum, Penn Libraries, and Philadelphia Museum of Art. This is a reading- and writing-intensive course. Students with a background in related disciplines such as literature, history, religion, anthropology, and South Asian Studies are welcome. | ARTH2680401, ARTH6680401, SAST6680401 | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202710&c=SAST2680401 | |||||
| SAST 5110-401 | Topics in S. Asian Art | Sonal Khullar | M 10:15 AM-1:14 PM | This seminar engages topics in the history and theory of South Asian art from antiquity to the present emphasizing global connections and comparisons. Topics vary from year to year and might include the arts of the book in South Asia; Indian Ocean art worlds; and fragments, ruins, and traces in the art of South Asia. We shall explore objects in area collections and incorporate special excursions and programs when possible. A background in South Asian studies or languages is not required. Students from related disciplines such history, anthropology, literary studies, religious studies, feminist studies, cinema and media studies, and architecture are welcome. | ARTH5110401, COML5113401 | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202710&c=SAST5110401 | |||||
| SAST 5580-401 | Monument, Memory, and Place in South Asia | Mark T Lycett | TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | Drawing on the archaeology and landscape history of South Asia, this seminar explores place-making and social geographies as they play out through a series of inter-related themes: situated history, embodiment, monumentality, social memory, and appropriation. We consider approaches to site, monument, and image as experienced and construed through audience, circumstance, and politics; and how these conditions both inform and transform the meaningful construction of place, commemoration, and heritage. This discussion sets the stage for a broader consideration of the politics of heritage in contemporary South Asia. | ANTH5580401 | ||||||
| SAST 6202-401 | Philology and Reading Practices | Kashi Gomez | M 10:15 AM-1:14 PM | In the nineteenth century, philology was forged as a preeminent “science” that defined what it meant to be a rigorous scholar. Comparative philology, often modeled on the philological methods of Classical Studies, became central to the founding of Oriental Studies departments and, later, Area Studies departments. Philological methods, privileging the study of language, historical linguistics, and grammar, left a lasting mark on Area Studies fields and debates about the relationship between language, culture, history, and religion. This course surveys a history of philology, its critiques and its revivals across Classical Studies and Area Studies, alongside alternative reading practices informed by intersectional scholarship, postcolonial theory, and queer theory. In this course, we will read and discuss scholarship alongside applied examples of philological and alternative close-reading methods drawn from a range of Area Studies disciplines. This course is open to graduate students working across disciplines and historical periods who want to engage in close reading of literary texts, textual archives, or oral archives. The course will prepare students to evaluate the stakes of reading practices in their own scholarship. |
COML6202401 | ||||||
| SAST 6207-401 | Reading Caste Critically | Ketaki Umesh Jaywant | T 12:00 PM-2:59 PM | This seminar explores trends and shifts in interdisciplinary scholarship on the caste question. It serves as an introduction to foundational texts and debates in the history of critical caste studies in fields like sociology, history, Indology, and political philosophy. The course will also engage various methods, pedagogical tools, and conceptual frameworks that have emerged out of anti-oppressive writings and anti-caste transformative politics. The course draws on primary and secondary source material, from the 19th century to the present, to examine how questions of labor, gender and sexuality, colonialism, socio-religious reform, and Ambedkarite politics have shaped discourse around both caste and the politics of its annihilation. | COML6207401 | ||||||
| SAST 6262-001 | The Making of Medieval India | Daud Ali | MW 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | This course will provide an in-depth understanding of South Asia in what is often called its 'medieval' period--from the rise of the great temple kingdoms until the end of the Delhi Sultanate in the sixteenth century (c. 500 CE - c. 1500 CE). This millenium is arguably one of the most transformative in South Asia's history, a period when many of its most distinctive social and cultural features evolved. The course will provide both an overview of the period as well as an introduction to major interpretations and types of sources (textual, visual, and archaeological). The focus throughout the course will be on the heterogeneous development of states, societies and cultures with special attention to long-term processes of transformation. One set of themes explored will be largely social and economic, focusing on the development of agrarian and peasant societies, aristocracies and intellectuals, as well as the role of mercantile, pastoralist, nomadic and forest-living groups. Another set of themes will explore cultural transformation, including the development, transformation and interaction of religious practices, the emergence of cosmopolitan and regional literary cultures, and the rise of distinctive urban, courtly, and rural world views. Special themes of discussion may include violence and manners, material cultures, religious conflict, devotional religion and gender relations. | SAST2262001 | ||||||
| SAST 6680-401 | Art and Empire in India | Sonal Khullar | MW 1:45 PM-3:14 PM | This course surveys transformations in visual culture between the Mughal and British empires in India from the mid-eighteenth through the nineteenth centuries. We shall consider changes in artistic production, patronage, publics, and viewing protocols in the contexts of the court and bazaar. We shall examine the emergence of new technologies and its impact on visual forms, media, and genres, focusing on the interplay of photography, print, and painting. We shall explore the role of institutions -the art school, the museum, and the archeological survey- and the professions and practices they engendered. We shall analyze how architecture and urban planning created new built environments and social relationships in colonial India. We shall view objects first-hand in the Penn Museum, Penn Libraries, and Philadelphia Museum of Art. This is a reading- and writing-intensive course. Students with a background in related disciplines such as literature, history, religion, anthropology, and South Asian Studies are welcome. | ARTH2680401, ARTH6680401, SAST2680401 | https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202710&c=SAST6680401 | |||||
| SKRT 0200-401 | Sanskrit 1st Year Part II | Kashi Gomez | TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | During the first semester of beginning Sanskrit, students will be introduced to the script, phonetics, and grammar of the Sanskrit language. By the end of the semester they will be able to begin to read Sanskrit texts and compose Sanskrit sentences in addition to carrying out simple conversation. They will build the requisite skills to read, by the second semester, simple inscriptions and sections from texts like the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita, Pancatantra, and Yoga Sutra. Students will also be introduced to many features of Sanskrit culture. | SKRT5200401 | ||||||
| SKRT 0400-001 | Intermediate Sanskrit Part II | Daud Ali | This course will lead students to consolidate their knowledge of Sanskrit grammar and increase their familiarity with Sanskrit literature of all kinds, including epic, literary, philosophical, and narrative genres of texts. It will also introduce students to the study and reading of inscriptional materials. | SKRT5400001 | |||||||
| SKRT 5200-401 | Sanskrit 1st Year Part II | Kashi Gomez | TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM | During the first semester of beginning Sanskrit, students will be introduced to the script, phonetics, and grammar of the Sanskrit language. By the end of the semester they will be able to begin to read Sanskrit texts and compose Sanskrit sentences in addition to carrying out simple conversation. They will build the requisite skills to read, by the second semester, simple inscriptions and sections from texts like the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita, Pancatantra, and Yoga Sutra. Students will also be introduced to many features of Sanskrit culture. | SKRT0200401 | ||||||
| SKRT 5400-001 | Intermediate Sanskrit Part II | Daud Ali | This course will lead students to consolidate their knowledge of Sanskrit grammar and increase their familiarity with Sanskrit literature of all kinds, including epic, literary, philosophical, and narrative genres of texts. It will also introduce students to the study and reading of inscriptional materials. | SKRT0400001 | |||||||
| TAML 0200-680 | Beginning Tamil Part II | Vasu Renganathan | MW 5:15 PM-7:14 PM | This course is a continuation of the Beginner Tamil TAMIL406. It continues to teach grammar and spoken sill from semester I. Lessons in the class will be based on a set of Tamil learning lessons and videos made available at http://www.southasia.upenn.edu/tamil and the book by the Instructor titled "Tamil Language in Context", information available at http://www.thetamillanguage.com. By the end of the semester, students will have a working knowledge in reading Tamil text with a basic skill to write and speak the language at ACTFL's Beginner High level. | TAML5200680 | ||||||
| TAML 0400-680 | Intermediate Tamil Part II | Vasu Renganathan | TR 5:15 PM-6:44 PM | This course is a continuation of Intermediate Tamil I (TAMIL426) and it continue to develop the skills obtained either from the Beginning Tamil course or from students' prior exposure to Tamil by other means. The emphasis will be on using the language in actual environments both in spoken medium and in written medium. Multimedia materials such as audio and videos as provided in the website http://www.southasia.upenn.edu/tamil or http://www.thetamillanguage.com will be extensively used to provide students an exposure to the Tamil culture and customs as authentic as possible. Besides improving their speech and writing, students will also be introduced gradually to Tamil literature, which has two thousand years of literary history. By the end of this course, students will have ACTFL's intermediate high proficiency level. | TAML5400680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | |||||
| TAML 1600-680 | Tamil Advanced Readings and Culture | Vasu Renganathan | TR 7:00 PM-8:29 PM | This course is an introduction to Tamil literary works produced between the 3rd century BC and 4th century AD prior to bhakti literature which evolved from about the 6th century AD onwards with a specific focus on divinity and religious themes. Classical Tamil, in comparison to bhakti literature, is secular in nature and is devoid of any religious themes. We will read selected poems from the three major divisions of classical Tamil poems namely the eight anthologies, ten songs, and the five epics, and attempt to discuss how the three major themes namely Aham, Puram, and Didactics play a role in them. While the Aham works concentrate on love poems, ethics of love life, moods of the heroes and heroines, the other varieties of poems mainly discuss the political and moral lives of the Tamils. Even though knowledge of Tamil script and some grammar of Tamil would help understand the readings well, no prior knowledge of script and grammar is essential to take this course. We will read the poems in romanized script with English translations and attempt to illustrate the poems in English. Students will be required to write a number of short essays and a final long essay, either in Tamil or in English with transliterations with a research topic based on what is discussed in class. | TAML5600680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | |||||
| TAML 5200-680 | Beginning Tamil Part II | Vasu Renganathan | MW 5:15 PM-7:14 PM | This course is a continuation of the Beginner Tamil TAMIL406. It continues to teach grammar and spoken sill from semester I. Lessons in the class will be based on a set of Tamil learning lessons and videos made available at http://www.southasia.upenn.edu/tamil and the book by the Instructor titled "Tamil Language in Context", information available at http://www.thetamillanguage.com. By the end of the semester, students will have a working knowledge in reading Tamil text with a basic skill to write and speak the language at ACTFL's Beginner High level. | TAML0200680 | ||||||
| TAML 5400-680 | Intermediate Tamil Part II | Vasu Renganathan | TR 5:15 PM-6:44 PM | This course is a continuation of Intermediate Tamil I (TAMIL426) and it continue to develop the skills obtained either from the Beginning Tamil course or from students' prior exposure to Tamil by other means. The emphasis will be on using the language in actual environments both in spoken medium and in written medium. Multimedia materials such as audio and videos as provided in the website http://www.southasia.upenn.edu/tamil or http://www.thetamillanguage.com will be extensively used to provide students an exposure to the Tamil culture and customs as authentic as possible. Besides improving their speech and writing, students will also be introduced gradually to Tamil literature, which has two thousand years of literary history. By the end of this course, students will have ACTFL's intermediate high proficiency level. | TAML0400680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | |||||
| TAML 5600-680 | Tamil Advanced Readings and Culture | Vasu Renganathan | TR 7:00 PM-8:29 PM | This course is an introduction to Tamil literary works produced between the 3rd century BC and 4th century AD prior to bhakti literature which evolved from about the 6th century AD onwards with a specific focus on divinity and religious themes. Classical Tamil, in comparison to bhakti literature, is secular in nature and is devoid of any religious themes. We will read selected poems from the three major divisions of classical Tamil poems namely the eight anthologies, ten songs, and the five epics, and attempt to discuss how the three major themes namely Aham, Puram, and Didactics play a role in them. While the Aham works concentrate on love poems, ethics of love life, moods of the heroes and heroines, the other varieties of poems mainly discuss the political and moral lives of the Tamils.Even though knowledge of Tamil script and some grammar of Tamil would help understand the readings well, no prior knowledge of script and grammar is essential to take this course. We will read the poems in romanized script with English translations and attempt to illustrate the poems in English.Students will be required to write a number of short essays and a final long essay, either in Tamil or in English with transliterations with a research topic based on what is discussed in class. | TAML1600680 | Penn Lang Center Perm needed | |||||
| TELU 0200-401 | Beginning Telegu II | Afsar Mohammad | MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM | This course continues tudents to the basic Telugu language skills, with an emphasis on practice for listening comprehension, and speaking Telugu. Combined with exposure to Andhra culture, the classroom and online work in this course will enable interested students to pursue further language study in Telugu at the intermediate level, to carry out field research in Andhra Pradesh, or to prepare them to advanced work in Telugu Studies. An introduction to Telugu like this will also be useful for students who just want to acquire basic Telugu language skills for learning a new language or being able to communicate with Telugu speaking family and friends or to enjoy Telugu music and films. | TELU5200401 | ||||||
| TELU 0400-401 | Intermediate Telugu II | Afsar Mohammad | This course is designed to expand the students' basic language skills in Telugu in order to allow them to function adequately in a Telugu-speaking environment, to immerse themselves in the rich Andhra culture, and to accomplish a more advanced competency in an interesting foreign language. This course is also aimed at students planning to conduct scholarly research in Telugu history, literature or society, or humanities or social science fieldwork in Telugu speaking areas. | TELU5400401 | |||||||
| TELU 1500-401 | Advanced Telugu | Afsar Mohammad | This is a course designed for students who have completed four semesters of Telugu. | TELU5500401 | |||||||
| TELU 5200-401 | Beginning Telegu II | Afsar Mohammad | MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM | This course continues tudents to the basic Telugu language skills, with an emphasis on practice for listening comprehension, and speaking Telugu. Combined with exposure to Andhra culture, the classroom and online work in this course will enable interested students to pursue further language study in Telugu at the intermediate level, to carry out field research in Andhra Pradesh, or to prepare them to advanced work in Telugu Studies. An introduction to Telugu like this will also be useful for students who just want to acquire basic Telugu language skills for learning a new language or being able to communicate with Telugu speaking family and friends or to enjoy Telugu music and films. | TELU0200401 | ||||||
| TELU 5400-401 | Intermediate Telugu II | Afsar Mohammad | This course is designed to expand the students' basic language skills in Telugu in order to allow them to function adequately in a Telugu-speaking environment, to immerse themselves in the rich Andhra culture, and to accomplish a more advanced competency in an interesting foreign language. This course is also aimed at students planning to conduct scholarly research in Telugu history, literature or society, or humanities or social science fieldwork in Telugu speaking areas. | TELU0400401 | |||||||
| TELU 5500-401 | Advanced Telugu | Afsar Mohammad | This is a course designed for students who have completed four semesters of Telugu. | TELU1500401 | |||||||
| URDU 0200-401 | Beginning Hindi-Urdu II | Mustafa A Menai | MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM | Beginning Hindi-Urdu II is the second part of the first-year Hindi-Urdu sequence. In this course, students continue to learn the fundamentals of Hindi-Urdu through hands-on practice using the language. Classes are interactive and there is a strong emphasis on the acquisition of speaking skills; students also continue to improve literacy skills in the script of their choice (Hindi or Urdu – all materials are provided in both scripts). New topics include but are not limited to: future plans, recounting past events, traveling in South Asia, and navigating shopping and travel-related situations. Students will also engage with level-appropriate authentic materials from the Hindi-Urdu speaking world. After completing this course, students will be able to interact successfully with native speakers in a variety of everyday communication contexts. Beginning Hindi-Urdu II assumes one prior semester of classroom study or the equivalent proficiency. Students with some speaking ability but no reading-writing abilities may place into the course but should contact the instructor a few weeks before the beginning of the semester to ensure that this is the appropriate level. | HIND0200401, HIND5200401, URDU5200401 | ||||||
| URDU 0400-401 | Intermediate Urdu II | Mustafa A Menai | MW 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | This continuing second-year course allows students to continue improving their Urdu proficiency while also gaining a broad foundational understanding of Urdu society and culture throughout South Asia. The course provides students the tools needed to handle a variety of authentic written and spoken Urdu sources including film, music, media reports, folk tales, and simple literature. Students will also continue to increase their speaking and writing proficiency to be able to discuss a broad range of concrete, real-world topics. The course is designed for students with one year of previous Urdu or Hindi study or the equivalent proficiency. | URDU5400401 | ||||||
| URDU 1500-401 | Advanced Urdu | Mustafa A Menai | TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | This course is designed to give in-depth exposure to some of the finest works of classical and modern Urdu prose and poetry along with the historical and socio-political trends they represent. Figures covered range from Ghalib (b.1797) to Faiz, Fehmida Riaz, and post 9/11 Urdu prose and poetry. The course is open to both undergraduates and graduate students, subject to having intermediate level proficiency. The course is repeatable, and hte content changes every semester. Multi-media content such as music, videos, blogs etc. will be actively incorporated. Every effort will be made to accommidate individual interests. Students are encouraged to contact the instructor with any questions, or if they are unsure about eligibility. | URDU5500401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | |||||
| URDU 5200-401 | Beginning Hindi-Urdu II | Mustafa A Menai | MTWR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM | This introductory course core proficiency in Hindi-Urdu up to the intermediate level. It is designed for students with little or no prior exposure to Hindi or Urdu. The course covers all four language skills (speaking, lsitening, reading, and writing) and all three models of communication (interpersonal, presentational, interpretive). Students will develop literacy skills in the primary script of their choice (Hindi or Urdu script). All written materials will be provided in both scripts. All meetings are interactive and students acquire the language by using it in realistic contexts. Culture is embedded in the activities and is also introduced through various authentic materials. | HIND0200401, HIND5200401, URDU0200401 | ||||||
| URDU 5400-401 | Intermediate Urdu II | Mustafa A Menai | MW 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | This continuing second-year course allows students to continue improving their Urdu proficiency while also gaining a broad foundational understanding of Urdu society and culture throughout South Asia. The course provides students the tools needed to handle a variety of authentic written and spoken Urdu sources including film, music, media reports, folk tales, and simple literature. Students will also continue to increase their speaking and writing proficiency to be able to discuss a broad range of concrete, real-world topics. The course is designed for students with one year of previous Urdu or Hindi study or the equivalent proficiency. | URDU0400401 | ||||||
| URDU 5500-401 | Advanced Urdu | Mustafa A Menai | TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM | This course is designed to give in-depth exposure to some of the finest works of classical and modern Urdu prose and poetry along with the historical and socio-political trends they represent. Figures covered range from Ghalib (b.1797) to Faiz, Fehmida Riaz, and post 9/11 Urdu prose and poetry. The course is open to both undergraduates and graduate students, subject to having intermediate level proficiency. The course is repeatable, and hte content changes every semester. Multi-media content such as music, videos, blogs etc. will be actively incorporated. Every effort will be made to accommidate individual interests. Students are encouraged to contact the instructor with any questions, or if they are unsure about eligibility. | URDU1500401 |