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"Insofar as India is part of the Indo-European world (Sanskrit, hence Hindi, Bengali, and so forth being related to Greek, Latin, and so forth), she is part of our culture, she is non-other. But insofar as India ... is geographically, racially, and politically alien to us, she is other." (W. Doniger)
India, marking as it does the intersection of specifically European and Indian elements, appears to be a country as 'exotic', 'puzzling', and 'full of contrasts and contradictions', as travellers' tales proclaim it to be. In using transcultural and intermedial pathways, we will be looking at a variety of contemporary materials on this perennially fascinating subject, including documentary films on India made by foreigners as well as by diasporic Indians, at contemporary travel literature on the country, including documentation based on the premise of the 'Culture Shock' that awaits the visitor. What kind of knowledge/s about India, i.e. clichés, stereotypes, fears, and pipe dreams, do these texts seek to provide us with, and why is this so?
Course material will either be placed in the Semesterapparat (IB) or, if otherwise inaccessible, be made available in CLIX.
Participation
All lecture series material to be read as follows: once right through before the first session, and a second time before the session for which the text is scheduled; regular attendance of the full lecture series; end of term written test. Please check the TAS website under "Your Studies" for guidelines, especially on note-taking during a lecture series. |
