Department of History Spring 2000
 

Due to unforseen circumstances, I am afraid I need to modify the syllabus for HIS 599. The course remains much the same in intent, and overall approach. The course policies too remain the same. However, I have made some minor revisions to the reading assignments, and fairly drastic changes to the meeting schedule, which you will find below. Peter van der Veer's Conversion to Modernity has been dropped from the list of readings for graduate students. We meet only once to discuss each of the other graduate readings. We also have one extra meeting to discuss each of the undergraduate readings, which remain part of the assigned readings for graduate students as well. At those meetings I would like you to bring potential questions for undergradate discussions which you will moderate/lead. You also need to take charge of any ONE of the classes in section Four of the course (on Leila Ahmed's book). You will of course continue with your attendance and participation in the undergraduate part of the class. 
 

The revised assignments for the class are as below.
 

1. A 15 page research or historiographical paper on a topic to be decided upon after consultation with the instructor. Either just before, or right after the Spring Break, I expect all graduate students to submit a WRITTEN proposal for the paper outlining its historical and/or historiographical significance and including at least a tentative bibliography. All students should meet with me individually at least once to discuss their proposed paper. (40%) Only the percentage of this assignment has changed.
 

2. Presentations on the three GRADUATE readings. (30%) New category
 

3. Questions for and leading of undergraduate discussions. (20%) New category

4. Class participation (10%) unchanged
 

Grading Scale: 90-100% = A; 80-89% = B; 70-79% = C; 60-69%= D; below 60% = F unchanged
 

Revised (Still Provisional!) Schedule 

(GRADUATE SCHEDULE IN CAPITALS BOLD AND ITALICS)
 

WED. FEB. 2 CASANOVA, CONCLUSION.
 

Thu. February 3 Asad, Chapter Six.
 

Tue. February 8 Asad, Chapter Seven.
 

WED. FEB. 09 DISCUSS ASAD. PREPARE FOR LEADING UNDERGRADUATE DISCUSSION. PLEASE BRING POSSIBLE QUESTIONS TO ASSIGN TO STUDENTS TO REVIEW/DISCUSS ASAD.
 

Thu. February 10 Asad, Chapter Eight.

Informal Report on Section One due.
 

Tue. February 15 Discussion #1: Religion as Historically Determined Category.
 

Section Two: The Creation of Religious Identities: A Case Study

Thu. February 17 Richard Eaton, Rise of Islam. Introduction and Chapter One.
 

Tue. February 22 Eaton, Chapters Two and Three.

Formal Review of Talal Asad's book due.
 

Thu. February 24 Eaton, Chapters Four and Five.

Tue. February 29 Eaton Chapters Six and Seven.
 

WED. MARCH 1 DISCUSS EATON AND BRING POTENTIAL QUESTIONS FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO DISCUSS/EVALUATE EATON'S BOOK. (n.b. the Wed. Meeting time will be 1:45 to 2:45)
 

Thu. March 2 Eaton, Chapters Eight and Nine.
 

SPRING BREAK
 

Tue. March 14 Eaton, Chapters Ten and Eleven (Conclusion).

Informal Report of Section Two due.
 

Thu. March 16 Discussion #2: What is Religious Identity? How and When did people become Muslim in Bengal? 
 

FRI. MARCH 17 PETER VAN DER VEER. NATION AND RELIGION. CHAPTERS 1, 2 PLUS PRESENT ON TWO OF 3-8.
 

Section Three: The Modernization of Religion and "Communalism"

Tue. March 21 David Ludden, "Introduction" from his book, Contesting the Nation.
 

Thu. March 23 Nandy, "Hinduism Versus Hindutva." 

URL http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Socissues/hindutva.html

Formal Review of Eaton due.
 

Tue. March 28 Achin Vanaik "Situating the Threat of Hindu Nationalism" Economic and Political Weekly of India July 9, 1994, 1729-1748. 

Sumit Sarkar, "Fascism of the Sangh Parivar." 

URL http://members.xoom.com/indowindow/godown/secular/FOTSP.htm
 

Thu. March 30 Film: Anand Patwardhan's Father Son Holy War: Trial By Fire.
 

FRI. MARCH 31 DISCUSS UNDERGRADUATE READINGS, PLEASE BRING QUESTIONS FOR UNDERGRADUATE DISCUSSION.
 

Tue. April 4 Film: Father Son Holy War: Hero Pharmacy.

Informal Report on Section Three due.
 

Thu. April 6 Discussion # 3: Furies of Modernized Religion.
 

Section Four: Religion, Gender, and (Trans)National Movements
 

GRADUATE STUDENTS NEED TO TAKE COMPLETE CHARGE OF ANYONE OF THE CLASSES IN THIS SECTION. YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO LECTURE FOR PART OF THE TIME, BRINGING IN INFORMATION FROM ABU-LUGHOD'S TEXT.
 

Tue. April 11 Leila Ahmed, A Border Passage, Chapter One (1-31)

Screening of film Women and Islam, followed by a discussion. 
 

Thu. April 13 Ahmed, Chapters Two-Three. (32-67)
 

Tue. April 18 Ahmed, Chapters Four-Five. (68-134)
 

Thu. April 20 Ahmed, Chapters Six-Seven, (135-178)
 

FRI APRIL 21 LILA ABU-LUGHOD, REMAKING WOMEN, INTRODUCTION AND PRESENT ON TWO CHAPTERS FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BOOK.
 

Tue. April 25 Ahmed, Chapters Eight-Nine. (179-205)
 

Thu. April 27 Ahmed, Chapter Ten. (206-242)
 

FRI APRIL 28 DISCUSS AHMED, QUESTIONS FOR U/G DISCUSSIONS.
 

Tue. May 2 Ahmed, Chapter Eleven and Epilogue. (243-307)

Informal report on Section Four due.*
 

Thu. May 4 Discussion: Religion and Women: Oppression or Empowerment?

Formal Review of Ahmed's book due.* 

*To keep reading week free, BOTH the above assignments can be turned in on April 27.
 

FRI MAY 5 WRAPPING UP SESSION? WE'LL SEE IF WE NEED IT! Combine it with dinner if possible??