ØASPR2100 Professional English: Course A for exchange students Course description

The following work requirements must be met before the examination may be set:

A five week self-study period prior to arrival in Pondicherry, where students read assigned parts of the course literature and write a paper of between 500 and 600 words that summarizes the applications of -power- in the readings; and an oral presentation in English of the chosen topic for the Religion, society and power in South Asia course to teachers/seminar leaders and co-students at the study center in Pondicherry. Should the seminar leaders find that either of the work requirements fail to meet satisfactory academic standards, the student will have to revise and resubmit the paper/prepare a new oral presentation based on feedback from the seminar leaders, at a new date set by the seminar leaders.

Exam in English from upper secondary school or equivalent knowledge of English. A large part of the syllabus is related to subjects within business and economics.

Anthropology: Religion and power: individual home exam, with deadline ten days after handout. Essay of 3,500 words (+/- 10 %), not including list of references. English or either of the Scandinavian languages is admissible. The paper must be submitted electronically in Word or PDF format within the deadline. More information about it may be obtained from HiOAs web pages. The home exam is graded A-E for passed and F for failed. Two internal examiners will assess the paper.

Religion, society and power in South Asia: essay on topic of choice, with supervision from either lecturer or seminar leader. 6,000 words (+/- 10 %) not including list of references. Deadline Dec. 10/June 1. English or either of the Scandinavian languages is admissible. The essay must be submitted electronically in Word or PDF format within the deadline. More information about it may be obtained from HiOAs web pages. The essay is graded A-E for passed and F for failed. One internal and one external examiner will assess the essay.

Students who fail their examination, or who pass but wish to improve their grade, may submit a new paper in connection with the ordinary examinations the following term. This also applies for students with valid absence.

Regulations for new or postponed examinations are available in Regulations relating to studies and examinations at Oslo University College . Students must register for a new or postponed examination. More detailed information about registration and times for new or postponed examinations is available on the web site.

A-E as pass grades and F as fail grade.

Mangler info.

Target groups

The Religion and Power program directs itself to

• bachelor students
• professionals (journalists, teachers, diplomats, NGO workers, etc.) and others who seek to deepen their knowledge on, and analytical skills related to, the course topic

Admission requirements

Applicants must meet the minimum requirements for Higher Education Entrance Qualification in Norway ( generell studiekompetanse ).;;;;;;;;

The program consists of two interdependent courses: Religion, society and power in South Asia and Anthropology: Religion and power

1. Anthropology: Religion and Power (10 ECTS) Anthropology: Religion and Power

The course is suitable for students with prior knowledge of anthropology as well as for students with no formal anthropological training who have an interest in general anthropological issues. The course offers analytical perspectives on enduring anthropological fields of interests ' such as religion and ritual, political structures and the dynamics of power, gender, ethnicity, sociocultural change, and research practices and methodology. Its theoretical emphasis is on the most recent developments within anthropological approaches to religion as a sociocultural phenomenon, paying special attention to how the major world religions of Christianity and Islam are perceived, received and appropriated in different cultural contexts and localities. Based on a selection of ethnographic monographs and articles, the course facilitates and encourages broad cross-cultural comparison, which is a key feature of the discipline. The comparative method promotes an exploration of structural similarities as well as diversities in response to social and ideological change. This opens for a better-informed approach to the otherwise vague and frequently opinionated studies of so-called globalization. In addition, the detailed empirical descriptions of the monographs will stimulate critical reflection on the cultural origins of the norms, values and practices of the students' own societies. The cross-cultural comparative approach is also a valuable methodological tool in relation to the regional course, Religion, society and power in South Asia .

2. Religion, society and power in South Asia (20 ECTS)

The course provides students with knowledge of religious diversity and pluralism in the South Asian region, today and throughout history, and enables them to reflect analytically on religious pluralism as a phenomenon. The course addresses the interplay between different religious traditions and their reciprocal influence in shaping the region. Emphasis is also put on the numerous, and frequently violent, conflicts that religious diversity has brought about, and particularly on the relationship between religion and politics in the formation of the modern Indian state. The course is customized to students' stay in Pondicherry, where the religious pluralism and diversity at stake is experienced daily. Regular lectures and seminars are supplemented with excursions and 'mini fieldworks', facilitating a unique empirical approach to the theoretical perspectives and general analytical insights. In combination with the course Anthropology: Religion and power , students are provided a rare opportunity for first-hand experience of the role of religion in multicultural societies.

A list of reference aids allowed will be published on our website.

Letter grading A-F.

In addition to the course instructor, an external or internal examiner will be used for all the exams. The exam questions will be approved by an external examiner.