Asian Studies
ASIA 1111 CR-3 (formerly HUMN 1111 as of Sept. 2011)
The Religions of India
Students will study the four major religions that originated in India: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. They will study these religions with an emphasis on both scriptural sources and religious practices. They will also examine the development of these religious traditions within their socio-cultural and historical contexts, including Islamic influence.
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
ASIA 2250 CR-3 (formerly SOCI 2100)
South Asians Around the Globe
Students will study the South Asian diaspora—the fragment of an ethnic community that exists outside of its “homeland”—with a focus on the South Asian communities in Western Canada. They will examine social theory related to migration and social adaptation. Students will investigate the major social issues that immigrant communities often face in the process of adaptation to Canada both at the personal and community levels.
Prerequisites: HUMN 1111 or SOCI 1125 or ANTH 1100 or 15 credits of 1100-level courses or higher
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
ASIA 2252 CR-3
Indian Society through Popular Film
Students will examine Indian culture and society through the medium of popular cinema, ranging from post-1947 Hindi classics to some more recent Bollywood blockbusters. They will investigate the ways in which Indian history and culture are depicted in film, including issues like nation building, gender, caste, nationalism versus regionalism/communalism, and globalization. In doing so, students will explore ‘depicted reality’ versus ‘historical reality’, the notion of the family as the symbol of the nation, as well as the relationship between the homeland (desh) and the West/diaspora (pardesh). Students will also study several films made by South Asian filmmakers in the diaspora.
Prerequisites: 15 credits of 1100-level or higher
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
ASIA 2255 CR-3
Women in Modern India
Students will examine the changes and continuities in the lives of women in modern India from the 1800s up to the present. They will explore the various images, statuses, roles and living conditions of women in the Indian subcontinent based on primary texts, secondary literature, film and contemporary news articles. Students will investigate the religious, social, cultural and political forces that have affected and continue to impact women in modern India. Students will also reflect upon current debates or controversies surrounding women both in the Indian subcontinent and in the Indian diaspora.
Prerequisites: SOCI 1125 or HUMN 1111 or HIST 2362 or ANTH 1100
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
ASIA 2399 CR-3
Readings in Asian Studies
Students will examine key issues in Asian society, culture, economy, and/or politics under the direction of a faculty member in Asian Studies with expertise in the area. They will examine a selected topic in depth and will be required to complete both readings and research in this area. Students will be required to identify relevant sources of information and demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the topic.
Prerequisites: 6 credits of 1100-level or higher courses
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
ASIA 4350 CR-3
Canadian East and South Asian Communities
Students will critically examine the theories surrounding the study of migration and adaptation, as well as explore the local experience of East and South Asian communities in Canada, with emphasis on the post-World War II period. They will critically look at immigrants as ‘social actors’ and active contributors to their own social and cultural transformation as they engage with the new and changing social, economic and political structures of Canadian society. Students will conduct a field research project from a social science perspective on an Asian community in the urban field site of Greater Vancouver or in the Fraser Valley region. Students will develop important field research skills and gain exposure to the pertinent issues surrounding the complexity of the Asian immigrant experience in Canada’s multicultural environment.
Note: This is a seminar course.
Prerequisites: (ANTH 1100 or ASIA 2250) and (ANTH 2100 or SOCI 2260 or CRIM 3140 or PSYC 2430 or GEOG 3100) courses
