Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2022 - IS 313W E100

Nationalism, Democracy and Development in Modern India (4)

Class Number: 8122

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 10 – Apr 11, 2022: Tue, 5:30–9:20 p.m.
    Vancouver

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Apr 14, 2022
    Thu, 7:00–10:00 p.m.
    Vancouver

  • Prerequisites:

    45 units. Recommended: IS 210 or 220.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An examination of the differing narratives of nation and modernity in the struggle for independence from colonial rule in India, and their implications for the post-colonial state, for politics and for India's economic development. Writing.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course is designed to introduce students to politics in South Asia in the period after independence from colonial rule. The course pays greatest attention to the region’s largest country, India, but will also incorporate the experiences of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in substantial measure. The themes discussed during the course will be those that are important both to South Asia as well as to a general study of politics in developing countries. The course is organized around seven different themes – colonial inheritance, state formation and nation-building, democracy and authoritarianism, state and society, ethnic and secessionist conflict, political economy of development, and international issues.

The course will begin by analyzing the impact of colonialism and then trace the historical process of political change and nation-building in mainly India. After analyzing varied democratic trajectories in the region, the course turns its focus to state institutions and state-society interactions. In the second term, the course delves into various challenges to state and nation-building, issues related to the political economy of development, and ends with a brief focus on international issues.

We will also consider the impediments to democratic development, and why some states in South Asia have not been able to overcome these impediments. Time will be devoted to discussing and debating the causes and consequences of the Asian economic miracle and the Asian economic crisis that followed. We will examine the future of democracy in the region and the role political institutions play in policy making. Key internal conflicts affecting the human security of millions of South Asians will be analyzed in their unique historical and cultural context.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

The objective of the course is to promote critical engagement with a wide range of empirical, historical and narrative literature. Students will learn to display this engagement through analytical essay writing and the presentation of complex arguments in seminar discussions and presentations. By the end of the course, they should have acquired a sound knowledge of key theoretical and practical debates on the issue of nationalism and India.

As this is a writing intensive course, emphasis will be placed on enhancing proper writing skills in the discipline. Detailed feedback will be provided on the draft writing assignment. This will help students properly present and engage in the Indian debate.

Grading

  • Term Paper outline 5%
  • Term Paper Draft and Final version 30%
  • Presentation and Seminar Participation 25%
  • Midterm 15%
  • Final Exam 25%

NOTES:

Students will be required to upload assignments to Canvas and through Turnitin.com in order to receive credit for the assignments and for the course.

The School for International Studies strictly enforces the University's policies regarding plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty. Information about these policies can be found at: http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/teaching.html.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Rajeev Bhargava (eds.), Understanding Contemporary India: Critical Perspectives, Orient Black Swan, 2015, ISBN 978-81-25-4272-3, available via kindle

Yasmin Khan, The Great Partition: The Making of India/Pakistan, Yale University Press, 2007, ISBN 978-0-300-12078-3, available on VitalSource via the bookstore.

Additional readings will be made available via Canvas or will be linked online. Canvas will also be used to place lecture recordings and also to view lecture powerpoints.

Links to video clips will also be linked to the Canvas page.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN SPRING 2022

Teaching at SFU in spring 2022 will involve primarily in-person instruction, with safety plans in place.  Some courses will still be offered through remote methods, and if so, this will be clearly identified in the schedule of classes.  You will also know at enrollment whether remote course components will be “live” (synchronous) or at your own pace (asynchronous).

Enrolling in a course acknowledges that you are able to attend in whatever format is required.  You should not enroll in a course that is in-person if you are not able to return to campus, and should be aware that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who may need class or exam accommodations, including in the context of remote learning, are advised to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as early as possible in order to prepare for the spring 2022 term.