South Asian Studies is an interdisciplinary concentration in which students work across the humanities and social sciences, geographical locations, and time periods. The concentration emphasizes both the diversity of South Asia as a region, as well as the long-term historical connections among people and places in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. The concentration takes a comparative approach, bringing attention to history, politics, and culture within the region, as well as in the equally vital global South Asian diaspora.
For additional information, please visit the department's website: https://www.brown.edu/academics/south-asia/
SAST 0700. Introduction to Modern South Asia.
The seminar aims to introduce South Asia in terms of a plurality in ways of being. It shall study themes beginning with colonialism and ranging from the colonial mapping of tradition; anticolonial ethics; partition and the creation of a separate state; communalism; democracy; secularism; nationalism; welfare; and the global war on terror. The seminar will be an intensive reading and writing experience that transgresses academic disciplines. Writings include important tracts and speeches of intellectuals and thinkers of South Asia; writings of scholars and activists; and literary and artistic works. There are no prerequisites for taking this course.
| Fall | SAST0700 | S01 | 17575 | Th | 4:00-6:30(04) | (R. Kadambi) |
SAST 1970. Independent Study.
Section numbers vary by instructor. Please check CAB for the correct section number and CRN to use when registering for this course.
SAST XLIST. Courses of Interest to Concentrators.
| Fall 2018 | ||||||
| The following courses offered by other departments are pre-approved to meet major or minor humanities or social science requirements for the South Asian Studies Concentration. Please refer to the Center for Contemporary South Asia website to determine which requirements are fulfilled by these courses. Anthropology ANTH 1250 Film and Anthropology: Identity and Images of Indian Societies Classics CLAS 1145 Goddesses and Women Gurus in South Asian Religious Traditions Contemplative Studies COST 0036 Love and War in India COST 0145 Karma, Rebirth and Liberation: Life and Death in South Asian Religions COST 0200 Meditation and the Brain COST 0570 Science, Religion, and the Search for Happiness in Traditional Asian Thought Economics ECON 0510 Development and the International Economy ECON 1530 Health Hunger, and the Household in Developing Countries ECON 2510 Economic Development I History HIST 1620 Gandhi's India: South Asian Before 1947 Hindi HNDI 0100 Beginning Hindi or Urdu HNDI 0300 Intermediate Hindi-Urdu HNDI 1080 Advanced Hindi-Urdu Cogut Institute for Humanities HMAN 2400H Art History from the South: Circulations, Simulations, Transfigurations HMAN 2400L Religion and Internationalism Religious Studies RELS 0100 Buddhist Thought, Practice, and Society RELS 0140 Food, Religion and Politics in South Asia RELS 2705 Sufism Seminar Sanskrit SANS 0100 Elementary Sanskrit SANS 0300 Sanskrit epic Narrative SANS 1080 Critical Episodes of the Mahabharata Sociology SOC 1620 Globalization and Social Conflict |
South Asian Studies
The diversity and shared histories of South Asia's cultures, religions, languages, and nations are an important area of engagement in the world today. While India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and neighboring nation-states constitute a recognizable geographic region, the equally vital diasporic communities from South Asia and their globally dispersed networks extend our understanding of an old and yet changing South Asia. South Asian Studies is an interdisciplinary concentration in which students work in a specified chronological period (e.g. ancient, medieval, early modern, or contemporary), in a geographical area (e.g. Bangladesh, Bengal, Maharashtra, North India, Pakistan, South India), or in a particular discipline (e.g. anthropology, Hindi/Urdu, history, religion, or Sanskrit) but also take courses outside of their chosen area of emphasis in disciplines such as economics, literature, philosophy, political science, or theatre arts.
Course Requirements
All South Asian Studies concentrators must take and pass 10 courses as approved by their concentration advisor. Students who wish to earn honors must take 12 courses total (see Senior-Year Project below).
| ANTH 0700 | Introduction to Modern South Asia | 1 |
| Two courses in the Humanities with a majority focus in South Asia, such as: | 2 | |
| India’s Classical Performing Arts | ||
| Classical Philosophy of India | ||
| Sound, Song and Salvation in South Asia | ||
| Islam in South Asia | ||
| Two courses in the Social Sciences with a majority focus on South Asia, such as: | 2 | |
| Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Anthropology and Global Social Problems: Environment, Development, and Governance | ||
| Ruined History: Visual and Material Culture in South Asia | ||
| Politics, Economy and Society in India | ||
| At least five additional elective courses. Students can take additional courses in the humanities or social sciences with a focus on South Asia, such as: | 5 | |
At least three of the five electives must be drawn from the CCSA pre-approved course listings (or be approved by the DUS/Concentration advisor). The courses on this pre-approved list have significant (at least 25%) South Asia content. | ||
No more than two of the remaining electives can be courses with less empirical South Asia content, but these courses must have theoretical relevance to the study of South Asia (with the approval from the DUS). | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Ideology of Development | ||
| Introduction to Contemplative Studies | ||
| Development and the International Economy | ||
| Economic Development I | ||
| Architecture of the House Through Space and Time | ||
| The Ottomans: Faith, Law, Empire | ||
| Beginning Hindi or Urdu | ||
| Intermediate Hindi-Urdu | ||
| Advanced Hindi-Urdu | ||
| Does Utopia Still Exist? Media, politics and the hope of something else | ||
| Introduction to Comparative Politics | ||
| Ethnic Politics and Conflict | ||
| Buddhist Thought, Practice, and Society | ||
| Elementary Sanskrit II | ||
| Classical Sanskrit Story Literature | ||
| Vedic Sanskrit | ||
| Total Credits | 10 | |
Language Requirements
Proficiency in a South Asian language is required for the concentration. Demonstrating proficiency can entail passing a written and oral examination, 4 semesters of formal language study at Brown or another institution, or a high school transcript indicating that the language of instruction for all courses was a South Asian language. Native Hindi/Urdu speakers are encouraged to fulfill the language requirement by taking another South Asian language for four semester, such as Sanskrit at Brown or a relevant language at another institution. Up to two language courses can count toward fulfilling the student's elective requirements.
Senior-Year Project
Students must complete either a senior capstone project OR an honors thesis.
Capstone projects or honors theses are opportunities for students to creatively synthesize the thinking on South Asia that they have developed during the concentration. The project should exhibit an empirically and theoretically driven research question or argument about some aspect of South Asian Studies. the senior-year project should involve some research in at least one South Asian language.
All students are encouraged to start thinking about their capstones in their junior year.
Capstones can take two primary forms:
- A research paper of approximately 30 pages on a topic related to South Asia for an existing concentration-eligible course, undertaken with the permission of the instructor.
- An independent study-based project. the produce and/or process that constitutes this can be artistic, primary or secondary research-based, internship-related, or something else. the project must be supervised by at least one CCSA faculty member* for at least one semester under SAST 1970. This course can count towards the five elective requirement.
At the end of the junior year, each student should meet with the Director of Undergraduate Study (DUS) to review their plan for completing their capstone. If pursuing a capstone project, students will be required to submit, by the end of the shopping period of the fall of their senior year, a short proposal (300 words) that describes how they are going to complete this requirement.
An Honors Thesis is a two-semester independent study supervised by a thesis advisor (SAST 1970). These two courses constitute the additional courses needed for honors in the concentration.
An honors thesis can be textual, or it can take other forms (multi-media, visual, artistic, or musical, for example). The form and substance of a non-textual honors thesis must conform to the rigorous regulations set out by the relevant department(s) and the Dean of the College.
Additional Honors Requirements
To be eligible for Honors, students will have earned an "A" in the majority of courses for the concentration.
Students may graduate with Honors in South Asian Studies by completing an undergraduate Honors thesis under the supervision of at least one reader drawn from the CCSA faculty* and one additional reader from the Brown (or RISD, in the case of Brown-RISD students) faculty community.
In order to pursue Honors, students must submit the following materials to the CCSA DUS by April 25:
- A prospectus (3-5 pages, describing the major research questions and methods to be used, complete with bibliography) that has been read and vetted by the student's intended primary reader.
- An email from the faculty member who will serve as primary reader to the CCSA DUS noting their willingness to advise on the thesis.
In addition, students must:
- Enroll in a two-semester sequence of Independent Study, SAST 1970 or under a relevant depawrtment course code
- Designate a second reader by September 30 of the senior year. Second readers should also confirm their willingness to serve as a reader by sending an email to the CCSA DUS.
- Be in regular contact with the thesis advisor about the progress of the project.
- Present their research to the CCSA community during their final semester.
For mid-year graduating students, the topic and primary reader must be identified and confirmed by mid-November of the junior year, and a second reader must be arranged and confirmed by January 30 of the senior year.
A complete penultimate draft of the thesis is due to both readers on April 1. A final draft that incorporates readers' comments is due back to the readers on April 15 of the student's senior year.
* This includes all people listed under the Faculty, Postdoctoral Associate, and Visiting Scholars (limited to those in residence at Brown) tabs on the CCSA website.