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COURSE OUTLINE
SOUTH ASIA, GEOGRAPHY- 176- 401
SPRING, 1999

 

 3 credit hours   Office; Howard 125
 M.W. 2:00 -3:15  Telephone: 271- 3974
 238 Meredith  
  Office Hours:
MW 11:00 -12:00
TTH 10:00- 11:30
 Dr. Ramesh Dhussa  



Main Objective:

This upper level regional geography course provides a survey of the physical and human geography of South Asia. The seminar type structure of this course is aimed at gaining an in-depth geographic insight and understanding of the cultural realm of South Asia. While the entire realm of South Asia will be surveyed, the emphasis of the course is on India. Some of the important topics considered are geology, land forms, climate, settlement, population, historical geography, economic activities, and various aspects of cultural landscapes, including religious diversities, linguistic mosaic, social structure, and caste system.

This course should enable you to begin to make sense of the major geographical patterns, processes, issues and problems related with religious, ethnic, and linguistic diversity, the modernization process, economic development, population, resources, interrelationships between South Asian nations, and the impact of external forces and linkages.


Required Text Books:

1. Norton, James, H.K. India and South Asia (Third Edition),
Sluice Dock, Guilford, Connecticut.: The Duskin Publishing Group, 1997.

2. Dutt, Ashok K., Atlas of South Asia: Geographic Analysis by Countries.
New Delhi: Oxford and IBH Publications.

3. Goode's World Atlas, 19th Edition, Rand McNally and Company,
1995.

4. Handouts in the class.



OUTSIDE READING RECOMMENDATION:

1. Akhtar, Rais, Contemporary Approaches to Indian Geography, New Delhi: APH Publishing Corporation, 1997.

2. Tirtha, Ranjit. Emerging India: A Geographical Introduction.
Ann Arbor, Michigan: Conpub, 1992.

3. Farmer, B.H., An Introduction to South Asia. 2nd edition.
New York: Routledge, 1993.

4. Prithwish Nag and Smita Sen Gupta, 1992. Geography of India, New Delhi: Concept Publications.

5. C.D.Deshpande, 1992. India: A Regional Interpretation. New Delhi: Indian Council of Social Science.

6. Jayamala, Deddee (Ed.) 1991. Emerging Trends in Indian Geography, Jaipur: Rawat Publications.


Examinations and Quizzes:

There will be two short quizzes, two mid-term examinations and a final examination. Mid-term examinations will be segmental exams. The final exam will be a comprehensive exam. The exams will employ essays, short notes, and objective types of questions.


POLICY ABOUT MAKE-UP

MAKE-UPS ARE LIMITED TO TWO.

ANY MAKE-UPS will be given on the last day of the class i.e. on the Wednesday, May 5th. The make-up test or Examination will be of different version.

If you miss a map location test or an examination and intend to make up, please provide me immediately a 5x3 card for each test or examination giving me the details of why you missed the test or examination (Only compelling medical or personal emergencies justify a make-up). Please do not forget to write your name and the phone number on the card.

VIDEO TAPES. TEST QUESTIONS FROM FILMS :- Occasionally films or video films will be shown in the class. Test questions will/may be asked from the information contained in these films.



The exam schedule is as follows:

 Exam I - -5th week of the class--  Wednesday, Feb. 17th
 Exam II - -13th week of the class--  Wednesday , April 14th
 Final Exam - (Comprehensive)  Monday, May 10- 2:00-3:50



Grading:

Your grade will be determined as follows:


 1. Exams, 100 points X2 total =  200 points
 2. Final exam--(Comprehensive)=  100 points
 3. Two short quizzes  40 points
 4. Visual Images of South Asia in Videos (report due within a week of viewing) 10x2 =  20 points
 5. Group paper assignment (Geographic Images of South Asia Through literature) 20+40=   60 points
 6. Group interview-research Project (Interview persons from South Asia and write a report)   60 points
 7. Class participation   20 points

 Total

  500

Note:

50% will be deducted for
late submission in all cases.


__________________
Grand total 500 points


The class average will be calculated.
A letter grade will be assigned as follows:

A - 90% to 100%
B - 80% to 89%
C - 70% to 79%
D - 60% to 69%
F - 59% or less



Class Attendance:

You are expected to attend regularly and attendance may/will be taken. After 3 absences one letter grade will be lowered. After 6 absences 2 letter grade will be lowered.

Problems:

If you have any problems during the course of this semester, come in and see me. I encourage you to come early. There is little I can do for you in the 15th week.



ADDITIONAL READING RECOMMENDATION:


1. Bhardwaj, S. M. Hindu Places of Pilgrimage in India. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1983.

2. Johnson, B.L.C. Bangladesh. Totowa, N.J.: Barnes and Noble, 1982.

3. Johnson, B.L.C. Sri Lanka, Land, People, and Economy. London: Heinemann Educational Books, 1981.

4. Karan, P.P. Himalayan Kingdoms: Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal.
Princeton, N.J.: Van Nostrand, 1963.

5. Spare, O.H.K., and A.T.A. Learmonth India and Pakistan: A General and Regional Geography. New Delhi, India: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1984.

6. Isenberg, Irwin (ed.) The Nations of Indian Subcontinent. New York: The H. W. Wilson Company, 1974.

7. Schwartzberg, J. A Historical Atlas of South Asia. (Second edition) Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992.

8. Sopher, David E. An Exploration of India: A Geographical Perspective on Society and Culture. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1980.

9. Tirtha, Ranjith. Society and Development in Contemporary India: Geographical Perspectives. Detroit: Harlo Press, 1980.

10. Bandyopadhyay, Pranab. Hindu Faith and Religion. New Delhi: South Asia Books, 1987.

11. Kublin, Hyman. India. (Revised edition) Houghton Mifflin Company, 1973.

12. Lamb, Beatrice Pitney. India: A World in Transition. (Fourth edition) New York: Praeger Publishers, 1976.

13. Naele, Walter C., and John Adams. India. (Second edition) New York: D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc., 1976.

14. Basham, A.L. The Wonder That Was India. Bombay: Orient Longmans Limited, 1963.

15. Noble, Allen G., and Ashok K. Dutt (eds.). India: Cultural Patterns and Processes. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1982.

(Only the following four chapters from the above book)



a. Gurdev S. Gosal, "The Spatial Variation of Indian Literacy"
pp. 29-43.

b. Janet P. Gemmill, "The City as Jungle in the Indo-English
Novel" pp. 45-67.

c. Allen G. Noble and Ramesh Dhussa, "Ethnic Neighborhoods in Indian Cities: The Paras of Dumka and the Bengali Tola of Bhagalpur" pp. 81-103.

d. Asok Mitra, "Rural House Types and Village Settlement
Patterns" pp. 105-124.

e. Ramesh C. Dhussa and Surinder M. Bhardwaj. "Delhi as
Viewed by Expatriate Writers." The National Geographical Journal of India, Vol. 34, Pt. 1 (March, 1988) pp. 33-40.


USEFUL REFERENCE LIST

India, A Reference Manual
Pakistan Yearbook
Census of India
Census of Pakistan
Quarterly Economic Review
Bibliography of Asian Studies (Annual)
Area Handbooks for India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Bibliography of South Asia

PERIODICALS/NEWSPAPERS

India Today
National Geographical Journal of India
Pakistan Geographical Review
Journal of Asian Studies
Man in India
Economic and Political Weekly
The Times of India (Newspaper)
The Statesman (Newspaper)
The Illustrated Weekly of India
The India Magazine
India News (Govt. Pub.)
The Indian Economic Review
The Indian Economic and Social History Review
The Pakistan Development Review
Pakistan Economic and Social Review
Pakistan Horizon
Journal of Pakistan Historical Society
Pakistan Pictorial
Pakistan and Gulf Economist

NEWSPAPERS ETC.

India Abroad (Weekly)
Bangladesh News (Occasional)

It is strongly recommended that you watch PBS programs especially those are related to South Asia.

Tentative Course Syllabus

GEOGRAPHY -176--SOUTH ASIA

SPRING, 1999


WEEK
 1. JAN 18-22.
  Introduction:
Orienting to South Asia.
 

January 18th, Martin Luther King Jr. Day (No classes)

 2. JAN.25-29  South Asia as a Cultural Realm- A justification
 3. FEB. 1-5  Political geography of South Asia : Evolution of Various political units.
 4. FEB. 8-12

 Historical geography of South Asia

a. Indus Valley Period
b. The Hindu Period
 5. FEB.15-19

 Historical geography of South Asia

c. The Moslem Era
d. The British Rule or Raj --The Maharajas
e. Post Colonial Time --Kashmir Dispute

 FIRST MIDTERM EXAM.
Wednesday, February 17th

 (Introduction, Cultural realm, Political geography, and Historical geography)

 6. FEB.22-26
 Geological Personality of South Asia.
(Precambrian to Recent
 7. MARCH 1-5
Physiographic features of Indian sub-continent
(South Asia). A well defined physiographic region)
Himalayas to Coastal Plains.
 8. MARCH 8-12  Group project presentation and discussions.
 9. MARCH 15-19  Group project presentation and discussions.
 10. MARCH 22-26   SPRING RECESS
 11. MARCH 29- APRIL 2
 Physiographic features of Indian sub-continent
(South Asia). A well defined physiographic region)
Himalayas to Coastal Plains
 12. APRIL5-9-
 Climate of the Indian sub-continent (South Asia).
Monsoon -- The lifeblood of South Asian people.
Dynamics of the wet monsoon
Population: Settlement patterns, distribution, problems,
 13. APRIL 12-16  

   SECOND MIDTERM EXAM.
Wednesday, April 14th

   (Geology, Physiography, and Climate)

1 4. APRIL 19-23  Religions of South Asia:

Distribution and Impact on Political Organization of space. Emergence of Pakistan.
 15 APRIL 26-30
 Languages of South Asia.
Problems of Communication.
 16.MAY 3-7

 The social geography of South Asia.

The "SCHEDULED" castes and their problems.

OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE

 (Day free for study-- Friday May 7th )

 17. MAY 10-14   Finals week
   FINAL EXAM

Monday, May 10th, 2:00-3:50 p.m.