For Interdisciplinary Humanities Students
IHUM 243 discusses the Arts from the vantage point of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam in South Asia–three religions whose perspectives provide insights into the importance of the Arts that are different from many of the views found in the Arts of Western Europe and North America. For example, what are the roles of folk traditions in the development of classical art forms in South Asia?
Why do we often privilege elite art forms, such as literature, classical music and art, as opposed to oral traditions, non-notated musics, and folk art in our study of the Western humanities?
What can we learn about the role of oral traditions in our study of both elite and folk forms, and how might that knowledge shape our perspectives on the humanities as a global phenomenon?