Course Description

In the spring semester of this course, we aim to understand various social and economic issues in India. We also compare the cases of India with those of Japan. In the first half of the semester, we study important social issues in India such as caste, religion and gender, and interpret these issues from the perspective of postcolonialism. In the second half, we study various social and economic issues in India such as consumer driven culture in urban areas, education, political behavior of the youth, farmers' issues, and function of the mass media. I will give you a quiz at the end of each class, so that you can check your understanding and express your own opinions on the topics discussed.