Anthropology

Understanding Contemporary India

Module code: L6057
Level 6
30 credits in spring semester
Teaching method: Seminar
Assessment modes: Dissertation

On this module, you’ll use an anthropological lens to explore the processes of social, economic and political transformation currently animating everyday life in India. You’ll:

• review anthropological theories of caste
• explore experiences of caste from a Dalit perspective
• look at marriage
• focus on gender and gender-based violence in urban India.

You’ll then address the rise of the Indian middle classes and the role of consumption in society. You’ll also examine India’s informal economy and the role of the state in everyday life.

The module concludes with a look at how digital technologies are transforming Indian society.

Module learning outcomes

• Demonstrate an awareness of key contemporary themes/debates in the anthropology of India
• Demonstrate an awareness of the contributions that anthropology makes to the understanding of contemporary social, economic and political relations in India
• Demonstrate an ability to relate contemporary issues of culture and society in India to anthropological analysis and theory
• Demonstrate an ability to critically read and assess accounts of society, economy and politics in Indian society
• Express adequate understanding of the above through written means, using theoretical and empirical data