REL 278: Religion in the Himalayas: Coexistence, Conflict, and Change
MW 9:00-10:20
Constance Kassor ckassor@smith.edu
Dewey 213 413-585-3429
Office hours: Tues 11-12, and by appointment
Course Description
This course examines the religious life of the Himalayan regions of Pakistan, India, Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan, paying particular attention to the construction of religious identity. As we progress through the semester, we will travel through the Himalayas from west to east, investigating practices in Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and local traditions, through text, film, music, and art. We will also explore the ways in which these practices negotiate political change and modernization.
Readings
All readings will be posted on Moodle. You are required to bring the assigned reading with you to every class meeting. (It doesn’t matter to me whether you print out your readings or save them electronically, as long as you bring them to class.)
Course Requirements
- Participation (10%)
Students are expected to come to class prepared to discuss the readings. This means being able to summarize and discuss the main argument(s) presented in the reading, as well as having insights or questions about particularly intriguing or difficult passages.
- In-class Presentation(20%)
The week after Spring Break, all students will give a “PechaKucha”-style presentation in class, elaborating on a topic that we have covered during the first half of the semester. More information on this style of presentation will be given in class, but in short, this is a concise style of presentation in which one presents exactly 20 slides for exactly 20 seconds each.
- Short papers and comments (40%; papers = 30%, comments = 10%)
– Students are required to writethree short papers(approx. 500 words each) and post them on our course blog (http://blogs.smith.edu/blog/himalayas15) at assigned times throughout the semester, indicated on the class schedule. Groups are determined by students’ last names:
- Group A = last name A-Mc
- Group B = last name Me-Q
- group C = last name R-Z
– If you do not write a paper in any given week, you are required to comment on at least one of your fellow classmates’ papers. Comments do not have to be extensive, but should be at least 2-3 sentences, and should raise a question or offer a critical insight into the content of the paper. In other words, comments should contribute to the discussion in a constructive way; they should say something more than simply, “This is an interesting idea!”
– Papers are due each week by Sunday at 11:59pm; comments are due by the following Tuesday at 5pm.
- Final Paper (30%)
The final paper (8-10 pages) can be written on any topic of your choosing, provided that it is relevant to the class. A thesis statement and a draft of your paper are required in advance of the final due date, both of which count toward your overall grade for this assignment.
Technology Policy:
Laptops, tablets, and smartphones are welcome in class, provided that you are using them for class-related activities. In other words, you are welcome to use these devices to refer to class readings, type notes, or follow our course blog. You should not, however, use these tools to read your email, check Facebook, send text messages, etc. Misuse of technology may result in the banning of all electronics in class.
This course relies on technology. Readings will be posted online, and all assignments and essays will be submitted electronically. Sometimes when you’re working with computers, things can go wrong. Computers crash, servers go down, and files get lost. These will not be acceptable excuses for late work or missed assignments. Please be sure to regularly back up your work and complete your assignments well enough in advance that you can avoid these problems.
Policy on late assignments:
I’ve designed this class with your stress levels in mind; if you keep up with readings and adhere to due dates, this class should be less stress-inducing than many of your other classes! For that reason, I do not grant extensions on assignments,* except in emergency circumstances. (Being in the hospital constitutes an emergency; having a headache the night before an assignment is due does not.) A fraction of a letter grade will be deducted for each 24-hour period that an assignment is late. E.g., an A- will become a B+ if it is submitted up to 24 hours late, a B if it is submitted 24-48 hours late, etc.
*There is one exception to this rule: all students are allowed one 72-hour extension on any written assignment this semester (with the exception of the final paper). This is a no-questions-asked, no-excuses-necessary extension. All that you need to do is email me before the deadline for the assignment, and let me know that you’d like to use your extension. This extension applies to all short papers, comments on the blog, or drafts of your final papers. I will not grant any extensions for the in-class presentations (because that will mess up our class schedule), or for the final paper (because I am bound by the College’s deadlines at the end of the semester).
Class Schedule
Week 1: Introduction to the Himalayas
Jan 26 – Introductions
- No reading
Jan 28 – Overview of the Himalayas: Languages, cultures, practices
- Berreman, Gerald. “Peoples and Cultures of the Himalayas”
Week 2: Situating Religion in the Himalayas I
Group A papers due by Sunday (2/8)
Feb 2 – On studying the Himalayas
- Said, Orientalism. pp. 9-36
Feb 4 – Introduction to Hinduism
- Encyclopedia of Religion, “Hinduism”
Week 3: Situating Religion in the Himalayas II
Group B papers due by Sunday (2/15)
Feb 9 – No class
- Get a head-start on the reading for Wednesday’s class!
Feb 11 – Introduction to Islam and Buddhism
- Encyclopedia of Religion, “Buddhism: an overview”
- Encyclopedia of Religion, “Islam: an overview”
- Encyclopedia of Religion, “Islam: an overview (Further considerations)”
Week 4: Religion in Ladakh I
Group C papers due by Sunday (2/23)
Feb 16 – Islam in Ladakh
- Aabedi, Emergence of Islam in Ladakh (selections)
Feb 18 – Rally Day – No class!
Week 5: Religion in Ladakh II
Group A papers due by Sunday (3/1)
Feb 23 – Identities and politics in Ladakh
- Aggarwal, Beyond Lines of Control, Introduction
Feb 25 – Buddhism and politics in Ladakh
- Gutschow, “The Politics of Being Buddhist in Zangskar”
Week 6: Buddhism in Ladakh
Group B papers due by Sunday (3/8)
Mar 2 – Nuns in Ladakh
- Gutschow, Being a Buddhist Nun, Chapter 1
Mar 4 – Nuns in Ladakh
- Gutschow, Being a Buddhist Nun, Chapter 3
Week 7: Religion in the Himalayan foothills
Group C papers due by Sunday (3/15)
Mar 9 – Buddhism in the Himalayan foothills
- LaMacchia, “Two Song Genres and Changing Identities of Mahayana Buddhist Nuns of Kinnaur (H.P.), India”
Mar 11 – Hinduism in the Himalayan foothills
- Sax, Dancing the Self, (selections)
SPRING BREAK
Week 8: In-class presentations
Mar 23 – Presentations
Mar 25 – Presentations
Distribution of Final Paper Assignment
Week 9: Religion in Nepal I
Group A papers due by Sunday (4/5)
Mar 30 – Nepal Mandala
- Encyclopedia of Religion, “Sacred Space”
- Encyclopedia of Religion, “Hindu Mandalas”
- Encyclopedia of Religion, “Buddhist Mandalas”
Apr 1 – Gai Jatra and LGBT issues in Nepal
- Grieve, “Forging Mandalic Space”
- Browse through the news articles posted on Moodle
Week 10: Religion in Nepal II
Group B papers due by Sunday (4/12)
Apr 6 – Writing Workshop
Bring thesis statements to class
- Read articles posted on Moodle
Apr 8 – Kumari Worship
- Allen, The Cult of Kumari: Virgin Worship in Nepal, (selections)
- Browse through selected news articles on Moodle
Week 11: Buddhism in Tibet
Group C papers due by Sunday (4/19)
Apr 13 – Buddhism in Tibet I
- Kapstein, The Tibetans, pp. 205-243
Apr 15 – Buddhism in Tibet II
- Sakya Trizin, Freeing the Heart and Mind, (selections)
Week 12: Bön, and Tibet in Exile
Apr 20 – The Bön Tradition
- Powers, Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, pp. 497-514
Apr 22 – Tibetan Buddhism in Exile
Film in class – Dreaming Lhasa
- No reading; Drafts of Final Papers Due
Week 13: Tibetan Buddhism Outside of Tibet
Apr 27 – Tibetan Buddhism in Exile
- Kapstein, The Tibetans, pp. 269-300
Apr 29 – Buddhism in Bhutan
- Dowman, The Divine Madman, (selections)
May 7: Final papers due