Fish and Chips in London, sari shops in Paris and Bollywood dancing classes in Berlin: signs of India proliferate in the Western world. The idea of India is a fascinating one. Conveying many fantasies, this country has become one of the main actors in South Asian development. This course is an invitation to discover different facets of the Indian culture and history and will provide an insight into how the country exists beyond its borders. Based on press articles, fiction and Bollywood films, this course will give the students an opportunity to apprehend the position of India in our globalised world. All one needs to undertake this journey is curiosity and enthusiasm. The students will be expected to write a 4-page-essay on how they see India (homework) and to give an oral presentation in class. At the end of each chapter, students will also work in groups in the form of role-play.
General outline:
1. A historical overview of the birth of the Indian nation: the demise of the Empire, the Indian Army, and the Independence.
2. The legacy of the Empire: cricket and the Commonwealth Games.
3. India in the 70’s: a dreamland for the hippies.
4. Redefining “B&B”: Bangalore and Bombay. (An overview of the big industries of the country against stark social inequalities.)
5. Exporting India: The Taj Maha vs Slumdog Millionaire or the tale of a tourist in India.
6. Onion Bhajis and Cheese Naans: how Indian cuisine conquered the West.
7. Faces of India. Aishwarya Rai, Anish Kapoor, and Salman Rushdie: What does it mean to be of Indian origin?
Bibliography:
CANNADINE, David. Ornementalism, How the British Saw their Empire. New York: OUP, 2002 (2001).
GHOSH, Amitav. The Glass Palace. London: Harper and Collins, 2001 (2000).
THAROOR, Shashi. The Great Indian Novel. New Delhi: Penguin Books India, 1989.
GILBERT, Elizabeth. Eat, Pray, Love. London: Bloomsbury, 2007 (2006).
Filmography:
-Bridget Jones’s Diary, Sharon Maguire (2001)
- Bride and Prejudice, Gurinder Chadha (2004)
-Swades, We, the People, Ashutosh Gowariker (2004)
- Kal Ho Naa Ho, New York Masala, Nikhil Advani (2003)
-Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle (2008)

Dernière mise à jour : lundi 2 avril 2012