Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Credits from this course will be able to count towards PCC Focus Awards in Asian Studies and in 
the PCC Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) Program, as well as a planned future PCC Focus 
Award in International Studies Students should consult with a PCC Academic Advisor and/or 
other institutions regarding transfer and application of credits to other institutions.

Upon successful completion students should be able to:

1. Communicate how the political history of India and its multicultural traditions have impacted the independence period since 1947 including impacts ranging from economic policies to aesthetic and artistic values. 
2. Analyze party/state relations and the policymaking processes in India as these relate to 
economic development, national security, human social behavior, and other issues of concern including gender roles, and the treatment of ethnic and religious minorities. 
3. Reason qualitatively while examining and assessing the effects of economic liberalization and globalization upon life in India as well as on environmental, cultural, and other factors of concern worldwide. 
4. Evaluate political and economic systems in India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka, while showing the ability to conceptually organize experience and discern its meaning by analyzing policy effects on human, environmental, and international realities. 
5. Examine the changing technological environment, social movements, and urbanization in South Asia with regards to their different impacts on the mass media, income disparity, and sustainability in relation to the natural environment. 
6. Think critically about the ethical and social requirements of responsible citizenship, while 
showing respect for disagreement and by evaluating how political systems and the policies 
produced by them affect the diverse social world in which we live. 

This course may be conducted through combinations of methods and tools which may include 
lectures, classroom discussions, group presentations, texts and supplementary readings, films, 
guest speakers, and other classroom aids at the discretion of the each individual instructor. 

Different techniques may be used for assessment which will be determined by the individual 
instructor. They may include: 
*Written essays. 
*Term papers. 
*Group projects. 
*Student demonstrations or presentations. 
*Research projects or other projects with specified rating criteria.

Six weeks on India 
• Political History of South Asia prior to 1947. 
• The Multicultural History of South Asia 
• Diversity in India: Caste, Language, Religion, & Geography 
• India’s Federal Political System & Government Structure 
• Political Parties, Multiculturalism & the Challenge of Unity 
• Socialism, War, & Society 1948-1991 
• Economic Liberalization 1990-now 
• Economic Development: Positive and Negative Consequences 
• Human Rights, Security, & Foreign Policy 
 
One Week on Pakistan & Bangladesh 
• Islamic Republic of Pakistan: Government & Policies 
• Bangladesh: Government & Policies since 1971 
 
One Week on Afghanistan 
• Afghanistan: Government & Policies 
• The “War on Terror” & its Impacts 
 
One Week on Nepal & Bhutan 
• Nepal: Government & Policies 
• Bhutan: Government, Policies, & “Greatest Happiness Principle” 
 
One Week on Sr. Lanka, the Maldive Islands, and the Global Importance of South Asia 
• Sri Lanka: Government & Policies 
• The Maldive Islands: Government & Policies 
* The Global Importance of India & South Asia