Indo-Canadian courses at UFV
Note this excellent UFV resource online: South Asia History Bibliography by Dr. David Milobar.
Certificate in India-Canada Studies
More details.
For Current Semester offerings of India Canada Studies Courses: More details
INCS 390: Study Tour to India, February 2010
UFV students will be required to take at least 15 credits as part of this offering, which involves field study in India. More details (view PDF document).
INCS 392: Immigration and Social Integration: The Indo-Canadian Experience
This course focuses on the lived experiences of Indo Canadians to explore the context of cultural transfer for immigrants from the Indian subcontinent. A century of cultural adjustment and integration will be explored in the context of cross cultural relations and conflict. Students will examine the use of social services by the Indo Canadian community. Integration into the social, educational,. Cultural and economic areas will also be explored. Intergenerational conflict will be discussed as well as the experience of second and third generation individuals.
INCS 396: Cultural politics, identity and social services
This course will explore contemporary social issues within the Indo Canadian community in Canada and the impact of the 21st century on India. A deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of social identity and cultural politics on Canadians of Indian decent in the Diaspora will also be a focus.
HIST 264: History of India: Akbar to Independence
History of India: Akbar to Independence. The Indian subcontinent comprises a vast geographic area embracing a startlingly complex and ancient array of culture. The first objective of History 264 is to provide an introduction to the region with reference to the main themes that shaped its evolution from the Mughal Empire to Independence. The course will begin by studying the historiography of South Asia in both the imperial and post-imperial eras. The Mughal Empire, Company Raj and imperial rule will be explored with reference to Indian society. The impact of the 'Indian Mutiny' and the rise of Indian nationalism leading to independence will be studied. History 264 will also study the impact of India on Britain and the Indian Diaspora on the world.
History 265: India and the Indo-Pacific World
Students of modern Indian history often focus on the internal development of the Subcontinent and the relationship between India and European imperialism. This course will examine the relationship between South Asia and the peoples of the Indo-Pacific world from the arrival of Islam to recent times. It will explore the influence of South Asian civilization on the economic and cultural development of the many societies bordering on the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Rim. It will also examine the impact of those societies on the South Asian economic and cultural world.
History 314: Rise and Fall of the British Empire
This course will examine the forces that shaped the emergence, development and collapse of the British Empire from the 17th to 20th century. The impact of the Empire on the British economy and society as well as its impact on its colonial subjects will be considered. Issues such as race, gender, and class in the context of constantly changing metropolitan and imperial cultural structures will receive special consideration.
History 364: Indian Social History
This course will examine the forces shaping the emergence of modern Indian society from the 17th century to the 1980s. Issues such as imperialism, nationalism, and industrialization will be explored with reference to their impact on ethnicity, caste, class, and gender in Indian society to recent times.
History 464: India, Punjab and Diaspora: A Study of Migration and Community Formation in Canada
The Punjab and adjacent regions of northern India have long been a major source of South Asian migration to Canada. History 464 seeks to understand the factors that encouraged the pre- and post-Independence South Asian Diaspora to Canada with special reference to the Punjab. The course will focus on the process of community formation as South Asians sought to gain a foothold amongst an often hostile Anglo-Canadian society. History 464 will explore the maturation of Indo-Canadian society and its integration into the broader Canadian cultural mosaic.
History 465: British India
This course will explore the rise of the British presence in India and the emergence of a distinct Anglo-Indian society from the 18th century to Indian independence. The impact of Anglo-Indian society on Britain as well as India will be considered. Issues such as imperialism, racism, gender, and class in the context of a hybrid colonial-metropolitan society will receive special consideration.
GEOG 233: Selected Regions: South Asia
Selected regions of South Asia will be explored – for example Bangladesh, Pakistan and India have many things in common along with their topography. The people, their environment and the socio-political forces that shape them will be the focus of this course.
GEOG 433: Landscapes of Punjab – Regional perspectives
This course will develop an appreciation of the physical environment, economic, cultural and political geography of Punjab – the north-west frontier province of India. Social, cultural and economic environments in the lower mainland and the Fraser Valley will be explored in the context of the Diaspora.
FILM 220: India on Film: Public Culture and the Cinematic Imaginations of India
This course will explore the historical and political dynamics of Indian cinemas and their relationship to and impact on India’s public cultures and society at large. Cinematic imaginations will be located within a diverse landscape of histories, traditions and communities that constitute the contested spaces of Indian public culture. Relations of domination and oppression as well as resistance, resilience and dissent will be examined, and alternate ways of knowing and being in the world will be fore grounded.
Art History 320: Contemporary politics and culture in India
The course will explore contemporary culture and politics in India across national, global and social borders. Narratives and traditions of various communities in India that sustain ethics of humanity and interconnection will be explored in relation to colonialism, nationalism, globalization, and various forms and processes of social justice/injustice. The relationship of social struggles and alternate worldviews to creativity, culture, and representation, will also be examined.
ENGL 245: Indian Literature in English
This course examines Indian literature written in English in its social and historical contexts. The course focuses primarily on fiction by Indo-Canadian authors, but course materials May include influential works by other Indian writers and works in other genres (e.g., autobiographies, essays, film).
ENGL 380: Studies in South Asian Literature
This course offers a historical survey of South Asian writing in English. It examines the contribution of such authors as Rabindranath Tagore, Mulk Raj Anand, Raja Rao, R. K. Narayan, and Salman Rushdie to the development of a South Asian literary tradition in English.
ENGL 382: India in English
During the colonial period, India was not merely a source of wealth and imperial power. It was also an endlessly fecund source of ideas, images, and influences. This course examines how various notions of India--the mysterious East, the origin of civilization, a place of spiritual discovery, a sensual paradise--entered into English culture. The major focus of the course is fiction from the colonial period, but we will also examine other modes of representation, such as travel writing, journalism, film, architecture, photography, and ethnography. Course readings will include some theoretical materials that introduce the fundamental terms of postcolonial studies.
RLST 202: Religions of the East
An examination of the religions of the Eastern tradition using their scriptures and other readings, lectures, discussions, and films. Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism-Taoism will be considered in depth, Jainism, Sikhism and Shintoism will also be examined. We will also explore the impact of the Eastern tradition on the western tradition.
PHIL 353: Philosophies of India
This course will examine Indian philosophy and its answers to fundamental and traditional philosophical questions regarding the nature and meaning of human existence, and the nature and limits of knowledge, and with practical questions concerning how one should live. Over the last 3,000 years a variety of schools have been developed to come to terms with these questions in the Indian context. PHIL 353 will introduce the principal schools of Indian philosophy, drawing attention to their importance in making sense of contemporary Indian society. Influences of Islam, Sikhism, Gandhi, and Aurobindo will be considered. The course will be of interest to students of philosophy who wish to explore an exciting and rich philosophical tradition that is in many ways distinct from that of the West, and to students who wish to develop understanding of Indian society and culture.
PUNJ 101 Introduction to Punjabi I
Students who have little or no previous knowledge of Punjabi (Gurmukhi) script will learn to read and write at the basic level. They will use the communicative approach to develop the ability to speak, comprehend, read, and write Punjabi while exploring the Punjabi culture. Note: Any student with Grade 12 Punjabi or equivalent is not permitted to register in this introductory course.
PUNJ 102 Introduction to Punjabi II
Students will continue to build on basic reading and writing skills learned in Punj 101 as well as improve their oral and listening skills while exploring the Punjabi and Indian cultures. Note: Any student with Grade 12 Punjabi or equivalent is not permitted to register in this introductory course.
PUNJ 210 Intermediate Punjabi I
This course is an introduction to Punjabi (Gurmukhi) script and enhances previous knowledge of modern Punjabi language. It deals with the important grammatical features of Standard Punjabi and its syntax and morphology. The course is restricted to students with familiarity with spoken contemporary Punjabi, but no or little knowledge of reading and writing Gurmukhi Script.
PUNJ 211 Intermediate Punjabi II
This course is a continuation of Punj 210, and provides further study of the Punjabi (Gurmukhi) script and modern Punjabi language. It deals with the important grammatical features of Standard Punjabi and its syntax and morphology. The course is restricted to students with familiarity with spoken contemporary Punjabi, but limited knowledge of reading and writing Gurmukhi Script.
