F0606 Homelands and Diasporas

This course consists of a survey of the historical and sociopolitical circumstances that have brought about the emigration of thousands of citizens from the Indian subcontinent to various parts of the world, a phenomenon commonly referred to as the South Asian diaspora. The creative writing and cultural productions that have emerged from these diasporic communities will be analysed from a post-colonial perspective using the most recent and most influential theories of diaspora studies.\r\n

The first part of the course (approximately 5-6 sessions) will take a close look at the the first wave of migrants who were mostly indentured labourers during the 19th century settling in the Caribbean, East and South Africa and Fiji. The early work of V.S. Naipaul (Trinidad) will be used as an example of this first wave of South Asians who, through lack of contact with India, created \"imagined homelands\" in their new countries.

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The second part of the course will focus on the voluntary migration of South Asians to first world countries such as Britain, the US and Canada. The works of two writers and/or filmmakers from each country will be discussed in depth as examples of this more recent migration.

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Post World War II migration to Britain as a clear response to a demand for labour in the former metropolis.
Discussion of the socioeconomic profile of early arrivals from rural parts of India and Pakistan.
Immigration legislation and issues of multicultualism and hybridity. Discussion of the film Bhaji on the Beach, directed by Gurinder Chadha.

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Migration of South Asians to the US and Canada since the 1970s. Changing profile: middle class, often highly qualified, persons.
New diasporas of the border: the era of plane trips, video, films and digital technology.
Second and third generation of hyphenated South Asians (British Asians, Indian-Americans etc) and their often ambivalent attitudes to the \"homeland\". The importance of Bollywood in the lives of the South Asian communities.
Discussion of the films Mississippi Masala, directed by Mira Nair, Fire and Earth
Directed by Deepa Mehta.

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Objectives

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The course aims to familiarize students with the recent theories of the diaspora and with the work of writers and filmmakers with a South Asian background. At the end of the course the students should have acquired the necessary tools to read and analyze migrant writing. They should also be able to understand the cultural politics of South Asian diasporic films.

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Methodology

\r\nAt the beginning of the three sections into which the course is divided, the instructor will provide initial introductory sessions on the historical and sociopolitical background to the emigration of South Asians. The major diaspora theories will be introduced and explained. After these more general lectures, teaching will then be based on detailed text analysis and in-depth class discussion. Depending on class size, the group may be divided into smaller units to encourage student participation. Individual students or small groups of two or three students will be expected to lead the discussion on one of the texts or films and relate their analysis to the theoretical models previously introduced.