India’s Identities is a course that travels to Kerala and Tamil Nadu, two states in Southern India. This course emphasizes the diversity of contemporary Indian Identities, devoting particular attention to religion, caste and gender. Once the course has begun we’re going to be visiting religious spaces associated with Hindu, Jain, Muslim, Christian and Jewish traditions. We’ll be coming into contact with Indians from all different caste backgrounds, education levels and occupations.We’ll be looking at the cultural expectations attached to gender, seeing to what degree caste matters in modern India, and analyzing the complex interactions of tradition and modernity in the world’s largest democracy.
Course Goals
- To be knowledgeable about Indian religious traditions, including Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, & Jainism
- To understand how gender, caste and religion affect life in contemporary South India
- To learn first hand about Indian family life, including marriage and childhood
Estimated Itinerary (dates & activities subject to change)
Highlights & Course Information
- 3 credits
- Fulfills experiential requirement
- Open to sophomores, juniors, seniors
- Faculty-led course with MC and Elon students and professors
- Includes pre-departure orientation & ongoing lessons
Throughout the course, students will engage in reading and writing assignments, Directed Study opportunities, and presentations order to prepare for site visits and interactions with locals. There will be regular lectures by faculty and local experts.
Course topics will include: Indian languages and literatures, religious identity and traditions, folk arts, colonialism’s impact, and cultural life...
Estimated Program Fee: $3,875
Program fee includes:
· Round-trip airfare
· Transportation
· Housing
· 2 meals/day
· Travel insurance
Does not include:
· Passport
· Travel Visa
· Immunizations or vaccinations
· Spending money
· Tips
Faculty Leaders
 |
| Dr. Pennington & Dr. Allocco |
Dr. Brian Pennington
· MC Professor of Religion
· Past MC faculty leader to India
· Extensive research and experience in India for over 20 years
&
· Distinguished Emerging Scholar of Religion at Elon University
· More than 15 years of experience in South India
· Fluent in Indian language Tamil
· Past MC faculty leader to India
APPLY by March 1, 2014
SCHOLARSHIPS available
Get a glimpse from the last program @ http://indiasidentities.wordpress.com/
APPLY by March 1, 2014
Selection decisions are made by faculty members and are based upon the entire application packet: application, essay, references, GPA, student conduct, matching student and course goals, etc.
Apply by March 1 with $100 deposit. Only students who are not selected for any listed sites will receive a refund of this application fee. Selected students will need to make a $200 deposit by April 15.
SCHOLARSHIPS available
Get a glimpse from the last program @ http://indiasidentities.wordpress.com/
