Admission requirements
In enrollment for this course, students from the MA Asian Studies 60 EC have priority. A limited number of places is available for students of the MA International Relations. Students who are interested in taking this course, but who are not from the mentioned master programmes are requested to contact their education co-ordinator.
Description
When and how does culture become a form of resistance? The attempts of states, colonial and postcolonial to embrace modernity and development have been complicit in fostering homogeneous, imagined or selective forms of culture. From the colonial policing of the cultural field to the recreation of glorious pasts by building cities and dams, colonial and modern states have bred discontent among their subjects and citizens. Resistance to this project has emerged in the cultural field through counter cultural production as well as in protest movements and political engagement of members of subjugated cultures.
This course brings together multiple disciplinary, theoretical and material approaches to explore how notions of culture and that of resistance interact in colonial and postcolonial contexts. Taking examples essentially from South Asia it will discuss cultural forms such as Dalit literature, institutions such as the museum, and interventions and theorisations that have emerged across transnational contexts during and after colonial rule.
The weekly seminars will move to and fro from theory to practice to critically examine the braiding of culture and the political. Students will be encouraged to explore multiple meanings, forms and possibilities of resistance through and in culture. The seminar will introduce students to material from Asia while engaging with a still broader scope of global theoretical literature from covering texts from Middle-Eastern, African and Latin American studies.
Course objectives
Participants in this course will acquire the following:
an understanding of non-Western perspectives on social and cultural theory
improved research skills, presentation skills, composition skills, and ability to critically evaluate readings
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
The deadline(s) in MyTimetable is/are set for administrative purposes only. The actual date(s) will be communicated by the lecturer(s) in Brightspace.
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Attendance is compulsory for all sessions. Students must prepare well and contribute to in-class discussion. If a student cannot attend because of illness or misadventure, they should promptly inform the convener. Extra assignments may be set to make up for missed class time, at the convener’s discretion. Absence without notification may result in lower grades or exclusion from assessment components and a failing grade for the course.
Assessment method
Academic integrity
Students should familiarize themselves with the notion of academic integrity and the ways in which this plays out in their own work. A good place to start is this page. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Students may not substantially reuse texts they have previously submitted in this or other courses. Minor overlap with previous work is allowed as long as it is duly noted in citation. For information on plagiarism (in the context of academic writing at large), see clips 4-5-6 in this series of video clips.
Students must submit their assignment(s) to Brightspace through Turnitin, so they can be checked for plagiarism. Submission via email is not accepted.
ChatGPT: What is possible and what is allowed? Dos and Don'ts.
Assessment and weighing
| Partial Assessment | Weighing |
|---|---|
| Webpostings/Presentation/Attendance and Participation | 50% |
| Term Paper (+/- 5,000 words) | 50% |
Webpostings and presentation
Guidelines will be given for the webpostings and presentation.
Term paper
The term paper is written in two stages: a first version which will be commented on and a final version. Students who do not meet the deadline for the first version will lose the right to get comments and will only be graded based on their final version.
The final mark for this course is formed by the weighted average.
In order to pass the course, students must obtain an overall mark of 5.50 (=6) or higher.
The course is an integrated whole. All assessment parts must be completed in the same academic year. No partial marks can be carried over into following years
Resit
There is a resit only for the Term Paper (50%) upon obtaining a fail grade for the course (weighted average is 5.49 or lower). In order to qualify for the resit, the student needs to submit a final paper for grading. Only then the student is entitled to submit a new version of the paper.
Inspection and feedback
Feedback will be supplied primarily through Brightspace. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the assessment results, a review will be organized.
Reading list
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Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
MA Asian Studies (research) students are strongly advised to opt for the Research MA version of the course,
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office Herta Mohr