Courses proposed to be offered in the fall of 2002 include:
Conversational Sinhala
85-90 hours of intensive language instruction in colloquial Sinhala, emphasizing functional use of the language in contexts that students can be expected to encounter in daily life. [Required]
Material Culture
- Study of archaeological sites in the northern parts of Sri Lanka. [Required]
Independent Study
- In-depth field study project, in a context chosen by the student in consultation with the faculty director, culminating in a written report and oral seminar presentation. [Required]
Electives: Four must be selected, two per session:
| | Environmental Studies
- Lectures and field trips focusing upon challenges to Sri Lanka's environment.
Theravada Buddhist Doctrine
- An introduction to Buddhist ideas about self, society, the cosmos, and the Buddhist spiritual path as articulated in the primary texts of the Pali canon. (Recommended for interested students without prior background in the study of Buddhism.)
Buddhist Ethics
- Study of fundamental Buddhist theories of action as articulated in canonical texts, and their applicability in the context of moral and psychological dilemmas in con-temporary life. Recommended for advanced students and those who have completed Theravada Buddhist Doctrine (see above).
Ethnicity and Social Identity
- Examination of factors such as "race," religion, language, and historical associations that are used to classify and determine social status of individuals and groups in Sri Lankan society.
Ritual and Folk Culture
- A guided field study of Sri Lankan folklife, involving readings, observation, and interpretation of rites and symbols of social, cultural, and religious importance a traditional Sinhalese life.
Modern Sri Lankan Politics
- Critical review of political dynamics from 1948 to the present, giving particular attention to the application of ethnicity-based arguments to "legitimize" political activities during volatile periods of ethnic conflict, especially in the 1950s and 198Os, and present strategies for resolving the conflict.
Images of the Feminine and the Social Experiences of Women
- Conceptions of what it means to be a female in Sri Lankan society as understood in Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim sociocultural contexts, and processes through which women are seeking to enhance the status of themselves and their families.
Modern Lankan Literature and Theatre
A survey study of social, cultural, political, and religious themes in 20th-C. Sri Lankan novels, fine arts, and drama.
Colonial History of Sri Lanka
- Discussion of the political, social, and economic impacts of Portuguese, Dutch, and British hegemony from the 16th century through 1948.
Development and Change in Modern Sri Lanka
- Close-up views of a developing nation's attempts at econornic transformation to deal with the colonial legacy of a plantation economy, including problems related to poverty, nutrition, education, and land distribution.
Art in a Traditional Society
- Examination of the different styles of painting, ranging from temple murals to modern art and popular art, from historical and sociological perspectives to trace the various processes that influenced the transformations in Sri Lankan art. The study will cover trends from the 16th to 20th centuries.
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