The course will consider anthropological approaches to the analysis of religion and society in India. It will examine contemporary ethnographic studies of village and urban life giving particular attention to caste, gender and family relations. It will also examine the manner in which the religious ideology of the subaltern classes complements and contradicts that of the Brahmanic elite through a close examination of oral traditions and popular religious practices. Finally, students will be introduced to some to the contemporary debates about approaches to the analysis of Indian society and culture.

Tutorial attendance and participation (10%), 2500 word essay (45%) and final take-home exam (45%).

2 hours of lectures and one hour of tutorial per week

Any two first year courses to the value of 12 units from the Faculty of Arts or Faculty of Asian Studies.

Textbook
*Fuller, C. J. The Camphor Flame: Popular Hinduism and Society in India, Princeton, pb, 1992.

*Das, V. Critical Event: An Anthropological Perspective on Contemporary India, Oxford, pb, 1995.

This course may be counted towards an Anthropology, Development Studies, or Religious Studies major