Spring 2007

ANT 324L • Nationalism & Gender in South Asia

Course Description

This course asks why nationalist movements so often take reform of women's roles as central to their political projects. By focusing on gender, the course explores the consequences of Partition for the subcontinent, and examines the cases of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka to understand what role Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism have played in the genesis of nationalist ideologies and ethnic conflict. The course is interdisciplinary and draws upon commercial and independent cinema, documentary film, novels and memoirs, as well as contemporary historiography and social science to analyze South Asian nationalist movements.

Texts

Readings: Assigned articles marked with a "ª" will be available in a reader at Abel's Copy (alternatively, on Blackboard). Books are available for purchase at the University Coop . The books and assigned articles will also be on reserve in PCL. REQUIRED BOOKS: Paola Bacchetta. 2004. Gender in the Hindu Nation. Delhi: Women Unlimited ª. Chetan Bhatt. 2001, Hindu Nationalism: Origins, Ideologies, Modern Myths. Berg. Anuradha Chenoy. 2002. Militarism and Women in South Asia. Delhi: Kali Manjari Katju. 2003. Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Indian Politics. Delhi: Orient Longmanª Sunita Mehta (ed). 2002. Women for Afghan Women. N.Y: Palgrave. Taslima Nasreen. 1994. Lajja. N.Y: Penguin. Ahmed Rashid. 2001. Taliban. Yale. Shanaz Rouse. 2004. Shifting Body Politics: Gender, Nation and State in Pakistan. Delhi: Women Unlimited. Shyam Selvadurai. Funny Boy. Recommended: Ayesha Jalal and Sugata Bose. 2003. Modern South Asia. NY: Routledge. Ritu Menon and Kamla Bhasin. 1998. Borders and Boundaries. Delhi: Kali. Angana Chatterji and Lubna Chaudhry "Gendered Violence in South Asia" Special Issue of Cultural Dynamics. (16:2/3) October 2004 Mumtaz Shah Nawaz. 2004. The Heart Divided. Penguin Lise McKean. 1996. Divine Enterprise: Gurus and the Hindu Natuionalist Movement. University of Chicago Press.

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