21F.040 A Passage to India: Introduction to Modern Indian Culture and Society, Spring 2005

This course introduces students to Indian Culture through films, short-stories, novels, essays, and newspaper articles. The course examines some major social and political controversies of contemporary India through discussions centered on India's history, politics and religion. The focus is on issues such as ethnic tension and terrorism, poverty and inequality, caste conflict, the "missing women," and the effects of globalization on popular and folk cultures. Particular emphasis is on the IT revolution, outsourcing, the "new global India," and the enormous regional and sub-cultural differences.