Critical Social Inquiry 0223 - Past Performed

In this course students will engage analytically and creatively with the memories of refugees in India and Pakistan. These are Hindu and Muslim refugees who often witnessed, and fled from, genocidal ethnic violence that accompanied the partition of British India into India and Pakistan. Their reminiscences, preserved as audio and video files in several online archives and blogs, offer a unique perspective of history 'from below'. Through an informed engagement with these voices from the past students will explore broad questions of universal relevance: how do refugees negotiate displacement? What impact does violence and trauma have upon identities? How does memory and identity interact in the telling of life stories? This course will use online documentaries, videos, movies and audio-visual interviews, along with necessary readings. The final and culminating part of the course conceptualizes hearing as an active and creative process. Students use creative formats, such as acting, dance, movement etc. to reinterpret and perform voices from the past. No prior knowledge of South Asia is necessary, but some experience or comfort with performance and creativity is recommended.

Power, Community and Social Justice Multiple Cultural Perspectives Students are expected to spend at least six to eight hours a week of preparation and work outside of class time.