Admission requirements
Admission to the MA International Relations. Students who are interested in taking this course, but who are not admitted to the mentioned master programmes are requested to contact the co-ordinator of studies.
Description
This elective course discusses the complex relationship between diasporas, cultures and nations with emphasis on the South Asian diaspora. From the anthropology of global flows, displacement and migration to the cultural contexts of these movements, the course will attempt to understand ‘nation’ and ‘nationalism’ in times of physical and cultural fluidity in the context of the South Asian diaspora. It will interrogate themes such as cultural articulation of the South Asian diasporic communities, issues of belonging and integration, transnational cultural flows, long-distance nationalism, and the impact of emerging global cultural artefacts like Bollywood on diasporic as well as ‘crossover audiences’. While focusing on current issues and themes in the field, students will be exposed to theoretical and methodological debates, including current and recurring points of reference in cultural studies, anthropology and politics.
Course objectives
The aim of this elective course is to enable students to think critically about the complexity of understanding diasporas and their relationship with home and host cultures. The objective remains the development of critical analytical faculties in engaging with an important contemporary academic question or issue and addressing it from a considered position and being able to defend that position. Addtionally, students should be able to analyse and interpret relevant secondary literature pertinent to the topic in a seminar session from week to week and be able to think broadly about their position on the issue.
Timetable
Time and date on which the course is offered or a link to the website. The administration will complete this with the link to the website.
The timetable is available on the International Relations website
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Course Load
Total course load 10 EC x 28 hours= 280 hours
Lectures: 24 Hours of classes
Study of compulsory literature: 120 hours of reading (5 hours per week over 12 weeks)
Assignment(s): 60 hours to prepare and complete assignments
Final Essay: 46 hours to complete the final essay
Presentation: 30 hours to prepare presentation
Assessment method
Assessment
Students are expected to:
- do the pre-assigned readings prior to each class, and participate fully in the discussions;
- submit 1,200-word essays on weeks 3, 6, 9, 12 on key topics and issues discussed during the seminars
- referring to the assigned literature (and other selected literature)
- submit a proposal for an end-of-term research essay and present the following in class:
Introduction to topic
Research question or hypothesis
Literature review
Methodology
Preliminary bibliography
- Submit a research essay of 4,000 words max.
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average.
Resit
The resit for the final examined element is only available to students whose mark of the final examined element is insufficient.
Exam review
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used for:
Announcements
Making the syllabus available
Readings will not be available on Blackborad due to copyright concerns.
Reading list
The booktitles and / or syllabi to be used in the course, where it can be purchased and how this literature should be studied beforehand.
Cohen, Robin. 1997. Global diasporas: An introduction. Seattle: Univ. of Washington Press.
Clifford, James. 1994. Diasporas. Current Anthropology 9.3: 302–338.
Brubaker, Rogers. 2005. The “diaspora” diaspora. Ethnic and Racial Studies 28.1: 1–19.
Brown, Judith M. 2006. Global South Asians: Introducing the Modern Diaspora. Cambridge University Press.
Chatterji, Joya and David Washbrook. 2013. Routledge Handbook of the South Asian Diaspora. London: Routledge.
Vertovec, Steven. 1997. Three meanings of “diaspora,” exemplified among South Asian religions. Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies 6.3: 277–299.
Registration
This has to be filled out by the key-user of the department.
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available in English and Dutch
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Not applicable
Contact
Remarks
None