Anthropology of Hinduism
This
course is an anthropological exploration of Hindu religious life in India. We will investigate the interrelated themes
of: Hindu village life and religious practices, local conceptions of families
and persons; life-cycle conceptions and rituals, healing and medicine;
possession by gods, demons and ancestral spirits. The course includes lectures,
ethnographic readings, films and discussion.
Introduction and Overview of Hinduism
Week I
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T
Aug. 30: Introduction to the course |
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Th Sept. 1:
Overview of Hinduism: ·
Way of Action ·
Way of Knowledge |
·
Knott, Chs. 2 & 3 |
Week
II
|
T
Sept. 6: Overview of Hinduism ·
Way of Devotion Film: 330
Million Gods |
·
Knott, Chs. 4 & 5 |
|
Sept.
8 & 13 : No Class - Meckel at Society for Cultural Psychology Bi-annual
Conference in Erlangen, Germany: Anthropology
and Cultural Psychology of Religion(s) |
Hindu Worship and Local Gods
Week
III
|
Th Sept.
15: Religion in an Indian Village Film: The Wages
of Action |
·
Babb, Ch. 1, special attention to pp. 23-29 (“The
problem of levels”). |
Gods, Goddesses and Sacred Geography
Week
IV
|
T
Sept. 20: Feeding the Gods in Chhatisgarh Discussion Leaders: Charles & Jessica Respondents: Colin & Caitlyn |
·
Babb, Ch. 2, “The Foods of the Gods: Puja” |
|
Th Sept. 22:
Local Gods Discussion Leaders: Nanna & Asad Respondents: Kati & Pooja |
·
Mines, Diane P.
“The Hindu gods in a South Indian Village” ·
Marriott, McKim.
“The Feast of Love” |
Week V
|
Monday Sept. 26, 8:00 AM: Kali and Tantra Visiting
Professor: Jeff Kripal Discussion Leaders: Jeran &
Suzanne Respondents: Jessica & Kati |
·
Kripal, Why the Tantrika is a
Hero · Kripal, Remembering Ourselves |
|
Th Sept.
29: Sacred Geography and Ganga Mata Discussion Leaders:
Olivia & Paul Respondents: Jennifer
& Charles |
·
The Goddess and Sacred Geography ·
Ganga Ma (selection
from Barrett, “The Cosmic Sink” in Aghor Medicine:
Pollution, Death, and Healing in Northern India) |
Possession and Exorcism
Week
VI
|
T
Oct. 4: Dancing Gods in a Himalayan Village Video Clips: Discussion Leaders: Kati & Colin Respondents: Asad &
Suzanne |
·
Opler, Morris. “Spirit
Possession in a Rural Area of Northern India” ·
Daniel, Sheryl.
“The Tool Box Approach of the Tamil” · Meckel. Descriptions of the Mandan in Anidasu Village |
|
Th Oct. 6: Possession and Women 1 Film: Eyes of
Stone |
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Week
VII
|
M Oct. 10: Paper
prospectus due by email before 5 PM.
Put “Initial Prospectus” in the subject line. |
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|
T
Oct. 11: No Class: Reading Day |
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Th Oct. 13:
Possession and Women 2 Discussion Leaders: Caitlyn & Jennifer Respondents: Nanna & Jeran |
·
Nabokov, Isabelle. “Expel the Lover, Recover the Wife:
Symbolic Analysis of a South Indian Exorcism” |
Week VIII
|
M Oct. 17: Final prospectus due by
email before Noon. Put “Final
Prospectus” in the subject line. |
|
|
T
Oct. 18: Exam 1 |
|
Family and the Life Cycle
|
Th Oct. 20:
Hindu Families Film: Dadi’s Family Discussion Leaders: Pooja & Charles Respondents: Olivia & Kevin |
·
Mines &
Lamb, pp. 9-13 ·
Lamb, White Saris and Sweet Mangos: Aging,
Gender and Body in North India, Ch. 2 ·
Wadley, Susan.
“One Straw from a Broom Cannot Sweep” pp. 11-22 |
Week
IX
|
T
Oct. 25: Samskaras
and the Cycle of Life Discussion Leaders: Jennifer & Olivia Respondents: Colin & Charles |
·
Babb, Ch. 3.
“Rites of the Life Cycle” |
|
Th Oct. 27:
Marriage Discussion Leaders: Suzanne & Pooja Respondents: Jessica & Olivia |
·
Nanda, Serena.
“Arranging a Marriage in India” ·
Bumiller, Elizabeth. “Marriage Now, Love Later” |
Week X
|
T
Nov. 1: Class in the evening (no class during the day because of All Day
Advising). Film: Monsoon Wedding 8:15 PM in Library 321 |
|
|
Th Nov. 3: Old
Age Discussion Leaders: Kati & Kevin Respondents: Asad & Jeran |
·
Lamb, Sarah.
Love and Aging in Bengali Families. |
Week
XI
|
No Class: Compensation for Nov. 1
evening video. Meckel at Rice University in Houston to give paper. |
Week XII
|
T
Nov. 15: Death Film: Ganges:
River to Heaven
Respondents:
Nanna & Caitlyn |
|
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Th Nov. 17: (no
Class) Work on you papers! |
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M
Nov. 28: Paper due by email any time from today
until 5 PM on Dec 2nd. Put “First Paper
Submission” in the subject line. |
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Week
XIII
|
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Caste, Class and Untouchability
Week
XIV
|
T
Nov. 29: Caste 1 Discussion Leaders: Colin Respondents:
Paul |
·
Dickey, Sarah. “Anjali’s
Prospects: Class Mobility in Urban India” ·
Seven Prevalent Misconceptions about India’s
Caste System ·
Anand, Mulk Raj. Untouchable, pp. 9-74 |
|
Th Dec. 1:
Caste 2 Discussion Leaders: Nanna & Caitlyn Respondents:
Suzanne & Pooja |
·
Gandhi. Mohandas K. Caste
and Untouchability: in The Penguin Gandhi Reader, pp. 205-233. ·
Anand, Mulk Raj. Untouchable, pp. 74-157. |
Genders and Sexuality
Week
XV
|
T
Dec. 6 (day): Shifting Identities |
·
Gold, Ann Grodzins. New
Light in the House: Schooling Girls in Rural Northern India ·
Gamburd, Michelle
Ruth. Breadwinners No More: Identities
in Flux |
|
T
Dec. 6 (evening): Film: “Fire” 8:15 in
Library 321 |
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Th Dec. 8: Exam
2 |
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Week
XVI
|
Dec. 14: Paper Resubmission due by Noon. Send to me by email. Put “Final Paper Submission” in the subject
line. |
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|
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Exam 1 |
200 |
|
Exam 2 |
200 |
|
Discussion Leading (2) |
150 |
|
Discussion Responses (2) |
150 |
|
Research Paper |
200 |
|
Basic Participation Active participation |
60 40 |
Final Grade Values
1000 Points Possible
|
900 to 919 = A- 880 to 899 = B+ 820 to 879 = B 800 to 819 = B- 780 to 799 = C+ |
700 to 719 = C- 680 to 699 = D+ 620 to 679 = D 600 to 619 = D- 599 and below = F |
Track your progress in the class on Blackboard
Descriptions of Assignments:
Exams: The two exams invite you to show (a) your
knowledge of the content of the course readings and (b) your developed
reflections on these readings. Each exam
will invite medium-length essay responses (minimum two long paragraphs) and
shorter responses (one or two paragraphs).
There will be at least two medium-length essay questions and four short
essay questions. Each exam will take up
the full class period.
Discussion Questions: Each student will direct
two discussion sessions in class, in cooperation with one other student. I will assign the dates for leading
discussion. The two students should come
up with four discussions questions each (covering each of the readings) and
consult with each other in advance to be sure that the questions are
sufficiently different and that together they should generate a comprehensive
discussion of the reading assignment(s) for that day. After completing the questions, one of the
two students should compile them into one document. That document must be sent to me via email by
5:00 PM, two days before the class
discussion. I will approve the
questions or suggest alterations. The
final list of four questions should be posted as one document on the discussion
board by 8:00 PM the evening before the
discussion. List each set of
questions under the name of the discussion leader who wrote them. Each student should then write responses to
his or her own two questions. Those
responses should be at least one substantial paragraph each. Do not post these responses. At the end of class on the day of the
discussion, one of the two students should give me a paper copy of the eight
questions along with the responses from both students.
Point reductions for lateness or undoc absence:
·
Any of the following will result in a 5 point reduction: late
submission of the questions for my approval, late posting of the questions on the
question board, late submission of the responses.
·
If a student does not show up in class to lead a discussion, s/he
receives no points for the assignment plus a 20 point reduction from the basic
participation score.
Discussion Responses: Each student will respond
to questions for two discussion postings.
I will assign the two dates for each student. The student will compose written responses of
no less than one full paragraph for two questions from each discussion
leader. These responses should be submitted
to me on the day of the discussion. No
need to post the responses. Late responses will not be accepted.
Research Paper: The paper is an opportunity to develop your
knowledge and thinking about a focused topic in the anthropological study of
Hinduism. Students must choose a topic
and submit a prospectus by the deadline indicated above. The prospectus should
include:
1. A statement of the focused topic of the paper
2. A research question
related to the topic
3. An initial thesis
4. A bibliography of five scholarly
books or articles that relate directly to the paper topics and question.
Examples of topics:
·
Ganga, Purity and Pollution
·
Spirit Possession among Women in India: Competing Theories
·
The Impact of Spirit Possession on Rural Family Life
·
Images of Old Age in Hindu Settings
·
Puja and Purity
·
The Worship of Ganesha in an Village Temple
·
Ramlila as a Performance Tradition in Southern Indian
·
Contemporary Renderings of the Stories of Krishna in Bharatnatyam
·
Changing Roles of Women in Hindu Families
·
Hindu Environmentalist Movements
·
Caste Relations in Urban Industrial Settings
·
The Life Cycle Rites of Marriage
·
Temple Prostitutes in the History of Indian Dance
·
Death Rites in Banaras
·
Female Hindu Sadhus
·
The Politics of Hindu Temple Construction in the U.S.
·
Etc.
Point reductions for lateness:
·
Initial and final prospectus:
Five points for each day after the deadline. Lateness exceeding five days after the
deadline forfeits the assignment.
·
First submission of paper: Must be submitted within the allotted period
– Nov. 28 to Dec. 2.
·
No resubmissions after the final deadline at noon on Dec 14.
Papers
should be organized in such a way as to present the scholarly topic, formulate
a question, articulate a thesis, support the thesis with good scholarly
material, discuss the implication of your thesis, raise questions that emerge
from your work. Paper must be at least
fifteen pages in length, double spaced.
You may use footnotes or endnotes.
Citations can be in any standard format – e.g., Turabian,
MLA, APA, Chicago – so long as the format is used consistently throughout.
The final grade for the paper will be the averaged score of the two
submissions, or the score of the one submission, if there is only one.
Participation: “Participation”
means (1) present, (2) alert, (3) prepared with assignments, (4) punctual
arrival. Lack of any of these will
affect the grade, excessive lack (e.g., more than 3 undocumented absences) is
reason for dismissal from the class.
Active Participation: “Active Participation”
refers to participation above and beyond the basics; for example, when a
student asks questions, makes comments, seeks clarification, argues a point,
brings outside material (like news articles, books, experiences, etc.) to share
in class. This category includes at
least one individual meeting (10 pts) with me, to be scheduled in advance.
Very Important Info:
My Attendance Policy: Attendance is required. Without regular attendance, students do not
tend to do well in the class. I allow
two free days. As a courtesy, please let
me know when you will be taking a free day; there is no need to say why. After the two free days, each undocumented
absence results in a 20 point reduction. If a student acquires more than
three undocumented absences, s/he must withdraw from the class. After the deadline for withdrawal, the
student will receive an F for the course.
A note from a doctor, dentist, coach, or funeral director -- with
contact information -- is acceptable documentation. The student must present the note on the day that he or she returns to
class, otherwise the absence will be counted as undocumented. Without such a note, or in the case of a late
note, the absence will not be counted as documented. Please
note that a phone call or email message saying that you are ill is not
sufficient, nor is a note from the health center confirming an appointment.
Lateness
to class is
noted. Three times late to class counts as an absence. More than three times is reason for dismissal
from the class.
Online
Syllabus: This
online syllabus can be accessed through
the Blackboard course page but I recommend that you bookmark it so as to bypass
BB when it goes down. I might well alter
the assignment schedule as seems appropriate or necessary; but I will not
change the grading policies.
Email:
Email Communications: Students are responsible for checking the online
syllabus and their email every day. I
will announce any and all changes via email -- e.g., a changed deadline or
altered reading assignment.
No
Emailed Assignments: I cannot accept
them unless you clear it with me in
advance and only under unusual circumstances. While I appreciate that print costs are
considerable, I consider them a legitimate part of college expenses. Running out of pay for print is not a valid
reason for submitting an assignment by email.
Computer Failure: It is not a valid excuse for a late assignment. Be sure to back up. Broken or unreliable computer? Use the computers at the college computer
labs.
Academic dishonesty in any form -- including plagiarism of self or
others, falsified documentation of a doctor’s note, etc. -- will not be
tolerated. Cheating of any kind results,
without exception, in an “F” for the course without the option of withdrawal.
Food in class: Drinks and snacks of
the very quiet variety are allowed in class (e.g., poi, rasgula,
duck pate), nothing else.
No activated cell phones in the classroom (so please turn them off).