Indian and South Asian Studies Minor

Total units 24 Units

Areas of interest Anthropology, Cultural Studies, History, Asian Studies, Literature
Minor code INDS-MIN

Academic career Undergraduate
Academic Contact Dr Stephanie Majcher

This minor brings alive the social, cultural and political debates that have defined India and its neighbours in the region known as South Asia. Indians constitute the second largest migrant group in Australia, and strategic partnerships and economic ties between Australia and India are growing. An understanding of India and its neighbours is thus a valuable asset for students seeking to understand these connections and to pursue careers in diverse fields, including business, government, the arts, and other sectors. This minor examines Indian political institutions and the rise of Indian democracy, ongoing questions of poverty, development and violence, the transformative influences of technology, the role of the diaspora, and the vibrant cultural traditions and innovations from India and its region that have inspired the world. The study of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and other parts of South Asia will give students unique insight into a part of Asia that is emerging as a crucial force in the 21st Century.

The Indian and South Asian Studies minor is designed to complement the Hindi and Sanskrit language majors, though knowledge of these languages is not required for courses in the Indian and South Asian Studies minor.

Learning Outcomes

Explain historical and current events and developments that have shaped the South Asian subcontinent and contemporary India.
Identify the contemporary socio-cultural and political systems of India and South Asia.
Explain the global significance of events and developments in India and across the region.
Understand the processes and disciplinary approaches through which current knowledge about Indian and South Asian Studies has developed.
Discuss and evaluate issues of cooperation in relation to tensions in South Asian traditions.