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Courses for Fall 2022

Title Instructor Location Time All taxonomy terms Description Section Description Cross Listings Fulfills Registration Notes Syllabus Syllabus URL Course Syllabus URL
BENG 0300-680 Intermediate Bengali Part I Haimanti Banerjee DRLB 3C8 TR 5:15 PM-6:44 PM This course develops the student's prior knowledge of Bengali. An attempt is made to gear the syllabus to meet the specific needs of students. The focus of the course is to develop the oral and aural skills of the learner as well as improve writing skills and reading strategies. Emphasis is also laid on increasing the sociolinguistic and strategic competence of the learners so that they will be able to function in the target culture. Besides discussions on various aspects of Bengali life, students read some short literary texts in the original Bengali version. BENG5300680, BENG5300680
BENG 5300-680 Intermediate Bengali Part I Haimanti Banerjee DRLB 3C8 TR 5:15 PM-6:44 PM This course develops the student's prior knowledge of Bengali. An attempt is made to gear the syllabus to meet the specific needs of students. The focus of the course is to develop the oral and aural skills of the learner as well as improve writing skills and reading strategies. Emphasis is also laid on increasing the sociolinguistic and strategic competence of the learners so that they will be able to function in the target culture. Besides discussions on various aspects of Bengali life, students read some short literary texts in the original Bengali version. BENG0300680, BENG0300680
GUJR 0100-680 Beginning Gujarati Part I Raki Desai WILL 218 MW 5:15 PM-6:44 PM During the first year of Gujarati, major emphasis is placed on acquiring phonetics, grammatical patterns, and basic vocabulary. These goals are accomplished through guided drills and conversations accompanied by formal instruction on Gujarati grammar. From the outset, students are also taught the Gujarati writing system, which is used for all materials. By the end of the first year of instruction, student should be able to carry on coherent conversations on selected topics, read simple texts and compose short pieces in Gujarati. GUJR5100680, GUJR5100680
GUJR 0300-680 Intermediate Gujarati Part I Raki Desai WILL 25 MW 7:00 PM-8:29 PM This course is designed as a continuation of beginning Gujarati. The course objectives are to expand the mastery of sentence patterns and augment vocabulary and its usage through intensive grammar and comprehension exercises. A special emphasis will be placed on greater cultural awareness. Upon completion of this course students should be able to interact socially with added confidence and greater expressiveness. Students should also experience a great improvement in their comprehension of spoken and written language. During the second year of Gujarati, students are introduced to progressively more difficult reading selections, along with additional instructions in the formal grammar of the language. To maintain and develop oral and aural command of the language, readings are discussed in Gujarati. To develop their writing abilities, students are also expected to compose short essays on their readings. GUJR5300680, GUJR5300680
GUJR 1500-680 Advanced Gujarati I Raki Desai Comprehensive study in reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension to gain advanced knowledge of Gujarati. Instructor may use poetry and/or prose as tools to engage students while having them create their own written works. Contact instructor for details. GUJR5500680, GUJR5500680 Penn Lang Center Perm needed
GUJR 5100-680 Beginning Gujarati Part I Raki Desai WILL 218 MW 5:15 PM-6:44 PM During the first year of Gujarati, major emphasis is placed on acquiring phonetics, grammatical patterns, and basic vocabulary. These goals are accomplished through guided drills and conversations accompanied by formal instruction on Gujarati grammar. From the outset, students are also taught the Gujarati writing system, which is used for all materials. By the end of the first year of instruction, student should be able to carry on coherent conversations on selected topics, read simple texts and compose short pieces in Gujarati. GUJR0100680, GUJR0100680
GUJR 5300-680 Intermediate Gujarati Part I Raki Desai WILL 25 MW 7:00 PM-8:29 PM This course is designed as a continuation of beginning Gujarati. The course objectives are to expand the mastery of sentence patterns and augment vocabulary and its usage through intensive grammar and comprehension exercises. A special emphasis will be placed on greater cultural awareness. Upon completion of this course students should be able to interact socially with added confidence and greater expressiveness. Students should also experience a great improvement in their comprehension of spoken and written language. During the second year of Gujarati, students are introduced to progressively more difficult reading selections, along with additional instructions in the formal grammar of the language. To maintain and develop oral and aural command of the language, readings are discussed in Gujarati. To develop their writing abilities, students are also expected to compose short essays on their readings. GUJR0300680, GUJR0300680
GUJR 5500-680 Advanced Gujarati I Raki Desai Comprehensive study in reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension to gain advanced knowledge of Gujarati. Instructor may use poetry and/or prose as tools to engage students while having them create their own written works. Contact instructor for details. GUJR1500680, GUJR1500680 Penn Lang Center Perm needed
HIND 0100-401 Beginning Hindi-Urdu Part I Josh Pien WILL 1
DRLB 4C6 		TR 12:00 PM-12:59 PM
MW 12:00 PM-12:59 PM 		In this course, students learn the fundamentals of Hindi-Urdu through hands-on practice using the language. Classes are interactive and there is a strong emphasis on the acquisition of speaking skills with attention to reading and writing to support this goal. Topics include: introductions; talking about yourself, your friends and your family; describing physical spaces such as the home and the city; daily life and daily routines; and likes, needs, wants, and interests. Students will also engage with level-appropriate authentic materials from the Hindi-Urdu speaking world. Beginning Hindi-Urdu I assumes no previous knowledge of Hindi-Urdu. Students with listening abilities but no speaking abilities are also welcome to enroll. The course teaches a single core spoken language style that is common to both Hindi and Urdu. All written materials are provided in both scripts, and students learn one script of their choosing.
HIND 0300-001 Intermediate Hindi Part I Josh Pien WILL 4 TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM Intermediate Hindi I is the first part of the second-year Hindi sequence. In this course, we review and refine first-year language skills while also significantly expanding those skills. The course provides students with the tools needed to engage confidently and substantively with other Hindi speakers and with authentic materials in Hindi. Course materials include Bollywood film clips, folk tales and mythology, and short flash fiction pieces about current societal issues. The materials are carefully selected for students of this level, they engage a mix of reading and listening skills, and they present core vocabulary which students will find useful in real-world communication contexts. In-class activities emphasize speaking through structured, form-focused practice; pair and group discussions; and a variety of additional engaging topics. The course assumes the prior successful completion of Beginning Hindi-Urdu II or the equivalent proficiency. Students who can speak Hindi but are unable to read or write may place into this course but should contact the instructor a few weeks before the beginning of the semester to ensure that this is the appropriate level.
HIND 1500-001 Advanced Hindi Josh Pien DRLB 3N6 MW 1:45 PM-3:14 PM This is an advanced course designed to expand students’ language abilities while also deepening their understanding of the Hindi-speaking world. The course is organized around the following three areas of focus: 1) Surveying Hindi – We survey a range of Hindi sources – literary, journalistic, contemporary, historical, print, video – that provide diverse viewpoints on the social and cultural life of South Asia and Hindi-speaking communities. 2) Situating Hindi – The course places course materials in historical context and explores Hindi's place in the language politics of South Asia. 3) Using Hindi – We devote time to understanding the linguistic structure of Hindi and its vocabulary to enable students to speak and write Hindi with greater confidence and precision. Classes are interactive. Prerequisite: Intermediate Hindi II or the equivalent proficiency. Please contact the instructor for placement. This course fulfills the College’s cross-cultural analysis requirement. Topics vary by semester and the course may be repeated for credit. Students who complete two semesters may earn a Hindi Language Certificate, which will be noted on their transcript.
HIND 5100-001 Beginning Hindi-Urdu Part I Gregory Goulding This introductory course core proficiency in Hindi-Urdu up to the intermediate level. It is designed for students with little or no prior exposure to Hindi or Urdu. The course covers all four language skills (speaking, lsitening, reading, and writing) and all three models of communication (interpersonal, presentational, interpretive). Students will develop literacy skills in the primary script of their choice (Hindi or Urdu script). All written materials will be provided in both scripts. All meetings are interactive and students acquire the language by using it in realistic contexts. Culture is embedded in the activities and is also introduced through various authentic materials.
HIND 5300-001 Intermediate Hindi Part I Gregory Goulding In Intermediate Hindi the student continues to develop the four language skills, with an emphasis on real-life situations--through hearing and practicing conversation on everyday topics, reading a variety of authentic texts ranging from advertisements to short stories, watching segments of current films, and carrying out short research projects using Hindi sources. There is a strong emphasis on vocabulary development and on using contextually appropriate styles of spoken and written Hindi.
HIND 5500-001 Advanced Hindi Gregory Goulding Advanced Hindi aims at systematically developing higher level linguistic functions and cultural nuances. Students learn to describe, narrate and support opinions in informal and formal styles. The objective of the course is to promote a meaningful interaction with written literature and with native speakers in a socially acceptable manner in a variety of simple and complicated situations. A variety of authentic materials are used, such as short stories, plays, newspapers, magazines, videos, television and radio broadcasts, and interviews. Every semester the course materials and foci vary depending on the needs and interests of students in the class.
MLYM 0100-680 Beginning Malayalam Part I James N Kurichi
Priyamvada Nambrath 		WILL 315 TF 5:15 PM-6:44 PM This course is designed to develop skills in reading, writing, and speaking. It will focus on the alphabet, basic vocabulary, nouns (cases, gender and number), verbs and their basic tenses, numerals, rules of joining words, adjectives, adverbs, and sentence structure. Guided conversation will be a part of every class. Students will receive considerable training in speaking and writing their own sentences and paragraphs. MLYM5100680, MLYM5100680
MLYM 0300-680 Intermediate Malayalam Part I James N Kurichi WILL 315 CANCELED This course is designed to further the language skills learned in Beginning Malayalam. Direct and indirect speech, passive voice, postpositions, and rules of joining words, will be included. Reading and discussion of texts from current Malayalam literature (essays, narration, short stories, and poems) will be a major portion of the course. MLYM5300680, MLYM5300680
MLYM 1500-680 Advanced Malayalam James N Kurichi TOWN 313 MW 3:30 PM-4:59 PM Reading, writing, comprehension, grammer and speaking at the advnaced level of Malayam are the objectives of this course. MLYM5500680, MLYM5500680, MLYM5500680
MLYM 5100-680 Beginning Malayalam Part I James N Kurichi
Priyamvada Nambrath 		WILL 315 TF 5:15 PM-6:44 PM This course is designed to develop skills in reading, writing, and speaking. It will focus on the alphabet, basic vocabulary, nouns (cases, gender and number), verbs and their basic tenses, numerals, rules of joining words, adjectives, adverbs, and sentence structure. Guided conversation will be a part of every class. Students will receive considerable training in speaking and writing their own sentences and paragraphs. MLYM0100680, MLYM0100680
MLYM 5300-680 Intermediate Malayalam Part I James N Kurichi WILL 315 MW 5:15 PM-6:44 PM This course is designed to further the language skills learned in Beginning Malayalam. Direct and indirect speech, passive voice, postpositions, and rules of joining words, will be included. Reading and discussion of texts from current Malayalam literature (essays, narration, short stories, and poems) will be a major portion of the course. MLYM0300680, MLYM0300680
MLYM 5500-680 Advanced Malayalam James N Kurichi TOWN 313 MW 3:30 PM-4:59 PM Reading, writing, comprehension, grammer and speaking at the advnaced level of Malayam are the objectives of this course. MLYM1500680, MLYM1500680, MLYM1500680
PUNJ 0100-680 Beginning Punjabi Part I Amrit Gahunia COLL 311F CANCELED This course emphasizes speaking and reading skills in Punjabi. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to interact meaningfully and in a socially acceptable manner in a variety of simple situations involving everyday conversational topics. Further, students should be able to read and understand the main idea and most details of simple connected texts. This course will utilize authentic printed, audio, and video materials and will provide opportunities for natural communication both within and outside the classroom. PUNJ5100680, PUNJ5100680
PUNJ 0300-680 Intermediate Punjabi Part I Amrit Gahunia This course is designed as a continuation of Beginning Punjabi, but can also be taken by anyone who can demonstrate a similar level in proficiency of the language. The course objectives are to expand the mastery of sentence patterns and augment vocabulary and its usage through intensive grammar review and comprehension exercises. A special emphasis will also be placed on greater cultural awareness. Upon completion of this course students should be able to interact socially with added confidence and greater expressiveness. Students should also experience a great improvement in their comprehension of the spoken and written language. PUNJ5300680, PUNJ5300680
PUNJ 5100-680 Beginning Punjabi Part I Amrit Gahunia COLL 311F CANCELED This course emphasizes speaking and reading skills in Punjabi. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to interact meaningfully and in a socially acceptable manner in a variety of simple situations involving everyday conversational topics. Further, students should be able to read and understand the main idea and most details of simple connected texts. This course will utilize authentic printed, audio, and video materials and will provide opportunities for natural communication both within and outside the classroom. PUNJ0100680, PUNJ0100680
PUNJ 5300-680 Intermediate Punjabi Part I Amrit Gahunia This course is designed as a continuation of Beginning Punjabi, but can also be taken by anyone who can demonstrate a similar level in proficiency of the language. The course objectives are to expand the mastery of sentence patterns and augment vocabulary and its usage through intensive grammar review and comprehension exercises. A special emphasis will also be placed on greater cultural awareness. Upon completion of this course students should be able to interact socially with added confidence and greater expressiveness. Students should also experience a great improvement in their comprehension of the spoken and written language. PUNJ0300680, PUNJ0300680
SAST 0001-401 Introduction to Modern India Daud Ali
Anirudh Karnick 		LLAB 109 MW 1:45 PM-3:14 PM This introductory course will provide an outline of major events and themes in Indian history, from the Mughal Empire in the 16th century to the re-emergence of India as a global player in the 21st century. The course will discuss the following themes: society and economy in Mughal India; global trade between India and the West in the 17th century; the rise of the English East India Company's control over Indian subcontinent in the 18th century; its emergence and transformation of India into a colonial economy; social and religious reform movements in the 19th century; the emergence of elite and popular anti-colonial nationalisms; independence and the partition of the subcontinent; the emergence of the world's largest democracy; the making of an Indian middle class; and the nuclearization of South Asia. HIST0850401, HIST0850401 History & Tradition Sector (all classes)
SAST 0004-401 India's Literature: Love, War, Wisdom and Humor Shaashi Ahlawat
Gregory Goulding 		DRLB 2C6 TR 3:30 PM-4:59 PM This course introduces students to the extraordinary quality of literary production during the past four millennia of South Asian civilization. We will read texts in translation from all parts of South Asia up to the sixteenth century. We will read selections from hymns, lyric poems, epics, wisdom literature, plays, political works, and religious texts. COML0004401, COML0004401 Arts & Letters Sector (all classes) https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202230&c=SAST0004401
SAST 0005-001 Performing Arts of Modern South India Davesh Soneji WILL 5 TR 3:30 PM-4:59 PM This course is a survey of selected traditions of theater, music, and dance in India and surrounding regions. Topics include ritual practices, theater, classical dance, classical music, devotional music, regional genres, and contemporary popular musics. Readings and lectures are supplemented by audio and visual materials and live performances. The aim of the course is to expose students to a variety of performance practices from this part of the world and to situate the performing arts in their social and cultural contexts. The course has no prerequisites. Arts & Letters Sector (all classes)
SAST 0008-001 India: Culture and Society Anannya Bohidar
Ayesha Sheth 		MEYH B5 MW 10:15 AM-11:44 AM What makes India INDIA? Religion and Philosophy? Architectural splendor? Kingdoms? Caste? The position of women? This course will introduce students to India by studying a range of social and cultural institutions that have historically assumed to be definitive India. Through primary texts, novels and historical sociological analysis, we will ask how these institutions have been reproduced and transformed, and assess their significance for contemporary Indian society. HIST0851001, HIST0851001, RELS0008001, RELS0008001 Hum & Soc Sci Sector (new curriculum only)
SAST 0050-401 Introduction to Indian Philosophy Kaustubh Naik
Deven Patel 		DRLB 3N1H TR 5:15 PM-6:44 PM This course will take the student through the major topics of Indian philosophy by first introducing the fundamental concepts and terms that are necessary for a deeper understanding of themes that pervade the philosophical literature of India -- arguments for and against the existence of God, for example, the ontological status of external objects, the means of valid knowledge, standards of proof, the discourse on the aims of life. The readings will emphasize classical Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain philosophical articulations (from 700 B.C.E to 16th century CE) but we will also supplement our study of these materials with contemporary or relatively recent philosophical writings in modern India. PHIL1252401, PHIL1252401, RELS0055401, RELS0055401 History & Tradition Sector (all classes)
SAST 0054-401 Religion and Resistance in South Asia Mahboob Ali Mohammad TOWN 303 MW 1:45 PM-3:14 PM In this course, we focus on various medieval and contemporary devotional forms of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam in South Asia. Several definitions try to tie the idea of devotion to classicism and traditionalism with a set of conservative ideas. However, this course introduces the students to a diverse and pluralistic understanding of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam that also has a history of resistance and protest beginning with poets such as Kabir and others from the Bhakti movement, and Sufi devotional contexts in South Asia. We read about the histories of these rebellious poets and their interventions into the traditional practices of devotion. We also discuss about how these medieval trends find their way into contemporary times enriching the discourses of Dalit, Muslim and Feminist movements. SAST5554401, SAST5554401 Hum & Soc Sci Sector (new curriculum only)
SAST 0057-301 Planning to be Off-shore? Srilata Gangulee BENN 138 TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM First-Year Seminar. In this course we will trace the economic development of India from 1947 to the present. Independent India started out as a centrally planned economy in 1949 but in 1991 decided to reduce its public sector and allow, indeed encourage, foreign investors to come in. The Planning Commission of India still exists but has lost much of its power. Many in the U.S. complain of American jobs draining off to India, call centers in India taking care of American customer complaints, American patient histories being documented in India, etc. At the same time, the U.S. government encourages highly trained Indians to be in the U.S. Students are expected to write four one-page response papers and one final paper. Twenty percent of the final grade will be based on class participation, 20 percent on the four response papers and 60 percent on the final paper. Society sector (all classes) https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202230&c=SAST0057301
SAST 0058-401 Doing Research: First-Year Seminar Lisa A Mitchell COLL 311F MW 12:00 PM-1:29 PM This interdisciplinary course introduces students to qualitative research methods and frameworks in the social sciences and humanities. The goals of the semester will be for each student to develop their own research proposal for a specific project that they could imagine pursuing over the summer or later in their undergraduate career,and to develop a web-based exhibit of one Penn-based research collection of interest. Students will be introduced to a range of textual, archival and media collections and databases available at Penn, with particular attention to South Asia and other specific regions of interest to course participants. The class will visit the Penn Musuem object collections and archives, the Art library, the Kislak Center for Rare Books and Manuscripts, Film Archives, and other special collections on campus, and meet with a representative from the Center for Undergraduate Research Funding (CURF). Students will learn how to frame an effective research question, situate it in relation to existing research, select the most appropriate methods for addressing the question, and develop an effective research plan. Each week students will be introduced to a new set of frameworks for analysis, see specific examples of their application drawn from anthropological, historical, and related scholarship and have opportunities to practice applying and evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of specific methodological tools. Students will also have the opportunity to identify sources of funding for summer research projects and prepare applications for these opportunities as part of the course. The course is ideal as an introduction to both the excellent libraries and research collections housed at Penn, and to a wide range of intellectual frameworks for engaging with these collections - a great way to kick off your undergraduate experience at Penn! ANTH0058401, ANTH0058401 Society sector (all classes)
SAST 0104-001 Beginning Tabla I Aqeel Bhatti WILL 812 MW 5:15 PM-6:44 PM An introduction to the tabla, the premier drum of north Indian and Pakistani classical music traditions.
SAST 0106-001 Beginning Sitar I Jagadeesh J Gokhale WILL 812 TR 5:15 PM-6:44 PM This course is an introduction to the repertoire and performance practices of the North Indian sitar. Fundamentals of sitar technique, composition, and improvisation are presented and practiced in class. Class lectures and discussions, audio and video material, and reading and listening assignments on selected topics supplement practice, to provide an overview of the social and historical context and the formal structures of North Indian music in general. There are no prerequisites for the course, but some experience with instrumental or vocal music is suggested. Each student is expected to put in two hours of individual practice per week, and complete reading, audio, and written assignments. The class gives a group performance at the end of the semester. https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202230&c=SAST0106001
SAST 1000-401 South Asians in the United States Fariha Khan WILL 306 TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM This course investigates the everyday practices and customs of South Asians in America. Every immigrant group has its own history, customs, beliefs and values, making each unique while simultaneously a part of the "melting pot" or salad bowl" of American society. Yet how do people define themselves and their ethnicities living in a diasporic context? By taking into account the burgeoning South Asian American population as our model, this course will explore the basic themes surrounding the lives that immigrants are living in America, and more specifically the identity which the second generation, born and/or raised in American, is developing. South Asians in the U.S. will be divided thematically covering the topics of ethnicity, marriage, gender, religion, and pop culture. Reading and assignments will discuss a variety of issues and viewpoints that are a part of the fabric of South Asia, but will focus on the interpretation of such expressive culture in the United States. ASAM1000401, ASAM1000401
SAST 1120-401 Community, Freedom, Violence: Writing the South Asian City Gregory Goulding BENN 24 TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM The South Asian city—as space, symbol, and memory—is the subject of this course. Through a range of readings in English and in translation, we will gain a sense for the history of the city and the ways in which it is a setting for protest and nostalgia, social transformation and solitary wandering. We will see reflections of the city in the detective novels sold in its train stations, the stories scribbled in its cafes, and films produced in its backlots. Readings will attempt to address urban spaces across South Asia through a range of works, which we will examine in the context of secondary readings, including histories and ethnological works that take up life in the modern city. Students will finish this course prepared to pursue projects dealing with the urban from multiple disciplinary perspectives. This course is suitable for anyone interested in the culture, society, or literature of South Asia, and assumes no background in South Asian languages. COML1121401, COML1121401, ENGL1191401, ENGL1191401, URBS1120401, URBS1120401
SAST 1124-401 Narrative Across Cultures Ania Loomba BENN 322 MW 1:45 PM-3:14 PM The purpose of this course is to present a variety of narrative genres and to discuss and illustrate the modes whereby they can be analyzed. We will be looking at shorter types of narrative: short stories, novellas, and fables, and also some extracts from longer works such as autobiographies. While some works will come from the Anglo-American tradition, a larger number will be selected from European and non-Western cultural traditions and from earlier time-periods. The course will thus offer ample opportunity for the exploration of the translation of cultural values in a comparative perspective. COML1025401, COML1025401, ENGL0039401, ENGL0039401, NELC1960401, NELC1960401, THAR1025401, THAR1025401 Arts & Letters Sector (all classes)
SAST 1160-401 Democracy and Development in India Tariq Thachil MCNB 395 TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM This course introduces students to the complex issues surrounding questions of political and economic development in India, the world's largest democracy, and home to a large chunk of the globe's low-income population. Not surprisingly, the successes and failures of India are tremendously important to the study of democracy and development. The experiences of countries in this region have given rise to influential theories of development. The policy prescriptions these theories have produced have in turn been applied back onto India, with spectacular results- both positive and negative. Over the course of the semester, we will use the concrete experiences from the past seven decades in India to ask and answer fundamental questions about development, including: Does democratic politics help or hurt prospects for economic development? Why are some poor countries like India are able to maintain democracies, while equally poor countries in the region, such as Pakistan, are not? How did British colonialism shape the nature of post-colonial development? Should the state or the market play a dominant role in the economies of newly independent nations? How can we best measure poverty, and what have been the challenges to reducing it in the developing world? What are the challenges and opportunities produced by rapid international migration to rich countries? The course is divided into four thematic units, which build upon one another. Within each theme, we draw from a wide array of source materials, reading scholarship in political science, economics, sociology, and anthropology, journalistic non-fiction, and even film. While empirically focusing on India, we will also read about the experiences of other countries in South Asia, and also from East Asia, Latin America, and sub-Saharan African in specific weeks. This will help students place the experiences of South Asian countries in broader comparative perspective. PSCI1160401, PSCI1160401
SAST 1169-401 Merchants, Saints, Slaves and Sojourners: the Worlds of the Indian Ocean Ian C Petrie BENN 16 MW 3:30 PM-4:59 PM Do oceans serve to divide and demarcate distinct cultures and regions? Or do they facilitate exchange, connection and cosmopolitanism? This course will explore the manner in which the Indian Ocean has played both roles throughout history, and how the nature of those divisions and connections has changed over time from the ancient to the modern world. We will reconstruct the intertwined mercantile, religious and kinship networks that spanned the Indian Ocean world, across the Middle East, East Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia and China, illuminating the histories of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam, while also considering the role of successive imperial political formations, from Rome to Britain. Throughout the semester we will seek to understand the Indian Ocean through the people who lived and worked in its milieu - from consuls and military commanders, to traders, brokers, sailors, prisoners and slaves. Course materials will draw on a variety of disciplines (anthroplogy, archaeology, material culture, religious studies) to construct the cultural, economic, and environmental history of the Indian Ocean. ANTH1169401, ANTH1169401 https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202230&c=SAST1169401
SAST 2231-401 The Sanskrit Epics Deven Patel Ancient India's two epic poems, originally composed in Sanskrit and received in dozens of languages over the span of two thousand years, continue to shape the psychic, social, religious, and emotional worlds of millions of people around the world. The epic Mahabharata, which roughly translates to The Great Story of the Descendants of the Legendary King Bharata, is the longest single poem in the world (approximately 200,000 lines of Sanskrit verse in the 1966 Critical Edition) and tells the mythic history of dynastic power struggles in ancient India. An apocalyptic meditation on time, death, and the utter devastation brought upon the individual and the family unit through social disintegration, the epic also serves as sourcebook for social and political mores and contains one of the great religious works of the world, The Bhagavad Gita (translation: The Song of God), in the middle of its sprawling narrative. The other great epic, The Ramayana (Rama’s Journey), though essentially tragic and about the struggles for power in ancient India, offers a relatively brighter narrative in foregrounding King Rāma, an avatar of the supreme divinity Viṣṇu, who serves as an ideal for how human beings might successfully negotiate the challenges of worldly life. Perhaps the most important work of ancient Asia, the Rāṃāyaṇa also provides a model of human social order that contrasts with dystopic polities governed by animals and demons. Our course will engage in close reading of selections from both of these epic poems (in English translation) and scholarship on the epic from the past century. We will explore the Sanskrit epic genre, its oral and textual forms in South Asia, and the numerous modes for interpreting it over the centuries. We will also look at the reception of these ancient works in modern forms of media, such as the novel, television, theater, cinema and the comic book/anime. COML2231401, COML2231401, COML6631401, COML6631401, SAST6631401, SAST6631401
SAST 2260-401 Women and the Making of Modern South Asia Ramya Sreenivasan COLL 315A MW 10:15 AM-11:44 AM This course on women in South Asian history has four objectives - 1. To acquaint ourselves with the historiography on South Asian women. 2. To gain an understanding of evolving institutions and practices shaping women's lives, such as the family, law and religious traditions. 3. To understand the impact of historical processes - the formation and breakdown of empire, colonialism, nationalism and decolonization - upon South Asian women between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries. 4. To become familiar with some of the significant texts written about and by women in this period. We will read a wide variety of primary sources including a Mughal princess' account, devotional verse authored by women, conduct books, tracts, autobiographies and novels. GSWS2601401, GSWS2601401, HIST3500401, HIST3500401
SAST 2262-401 The Making of Medieval India Daud Ali WILL 633 T 3:30 PM-6:29 PM This course will provide an in-depth understanding of South Asia in what is often called its 'medieval' period--from the rise of the great temple kingdoms until the end of the Delhi Sultanate in the sixteenth century (c. 500 CE - c. 1500 CE). This millenium is arguably one of the most transformative in South Asia's history, a period when many of its most distinctive social and cultural features evolved. The course will provide both an overview of the period as well as an introduction to major interpretations and types of sources (textual, visual, and archaeological). The focus throughout the course will be on the heterogeneous development of states, societies and cultures with special attention to long-term processes of transformation. One set of themes explored will be largely social and economic, focusing on the development of agrarian and peasant societies, aristocracies and intellectuals, as well as the role of mercantile, pastoralist, nomadic and forest-living groups. Another set of themes will explore cultural transformation, including the development, transformation and interaction of religious practices, the emergence of cosmopolitan and regional literary cultures, and the rise of distinctive urban, courtly, and rural world views. Special themes of discussion may include violence and manners, material cultures, religious conflict, devotional religion and gender relations. SAST6262401, SAST6262401
SAST 2452-001 Urdu Literature in Translation Mustafa A Menai MCNB 582 MW 3:30 PM-4:59 PM This course will look at Urdu-Hindi expressions of resistance to militant fundamentalism trends, as well as literature resisting the influence of liberal progressive thought. Through comparisons of these divergent trends, we will explore the real inersections, comfortable comprises and contradictions that are internalized by people on the ground in developing societies. The historical and linguistic roots of resistance poetry will be studied, contrasting South Asian Urdu-Hindi poetry and prose (original and translated) with resistance movements from other parts of the world. This course provides students with the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of Urdu culture, literature, and society while expanding and refining their Urdu language skills. We will explore various social, political, and cultural issues through authentic sources such as journalism and media, prose literature and poetry, and film and music. The course is designed to be flexible to address students' needs and interests. It targets students with two years of Urdu study or the equivalent proficiency. Prerequisite: Intermediate reading, writing and speaking skills in Urdu are recommended but contact the instructor if you are unsure of your eligibility and want to discuss further.
SAST 5110-401 Topics in South Asian Art: Indian Ocean Art Worlds Sonal Khullar JAFF 104 R 1:45 PM-4:44 PM This seminar engages topics in the history and theory of South Asian art from antiquity to the present emphasizing global connections and comparisons. Topics vary from year to year and might include the arts of the book in South Asia; Indian Ocean art worlds; and fragments, ruins, and traces in the art of South Asia. We shall explore objects in area collections and incorporate special excursions and programs when possible. A background in South Asian studies or languages is not required. Students from related disciplines such history, anthropology, literary studies, religious studies, feminist studies, cinema and media studies, and architecture are welcome. ARTH5110401, ARTH5110401
SAST 5410-401 Religion and the Visual Image: Seeing is Believing Jamal J Elias COHN 204 W 1:45 PM-4:44 PM Seeing is Believing engages in a historical, theoretical, and cross-cultural analysis of the place of visuality in religion and of religion in visual culture. We will examine images, buildings, places, objects, performances and events. The geographical, cultural and historical scope of the material is broad, including subjects from Europe, the Islamic World, non-Muslim South Asia, the US and Latin America from the medieval period until the present. Theoretical works will be read in conjunction with representative examples to invite intellectual engagement in a socially and historically grounded way. Important issues to be covered include the relationship of visual to material culture; visual theories versus theories of vision; locating religion in human sensory experience; perception at individual and collective levels; authentics, fakes and simulacra; iconoclasm and image veneration; aesthetics, use and utility; and things. NELC6560401, NELC6560401, RELS5410401, RELS5410401
SAST 5554-401 Religion and Resistance in South Asia Mahboob Ali Mohammad TOWN 303 MW 1:45 PM-3:14 PM In this course, we focus on various medieval and contemporary devotional forms of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam in South Asia. Several definitions try to tie the idea of devotion to classicism and traditionalism with a set of conservative ideas. However, this course introduces the students to a diverse and pluralistic understanding of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam that also has a history of resistance and protest beginning with poets such as Kabir and others from the Bhakti movement, and Sufi devotional contexts in South Asia. We read about the histories of these rebellious poets and their interventions into the traditional practices of devotion. We also discuss about how these medieval trends find their way into contemporary times enriching the discourses of Dalit, Muslim and Feminist movements. SAST0054401, SAST0054401 https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202230&c=SAST5554401
SAST 6262-401 The Making of Medieval India Daud Ali WILL 633 T 3:30 PM-6:29 PM This course will provide an in-depth understanding of South Asia in what is often called its 'medieval' period--from the rise of the great temple kingdoms until the end of the Delhi Sultanate in the sixteenth century (c. 500 CE - c. 1500 CE). This millenium is arguably one of the most transformative in South Asia's history, a period when many of its most distinctive social and cultural features evolved. The course will provide both an overview of the period as well as an introduction to major interpretations and types of sources (textual, visual, and archaeological). The focus throughout the course will be on the heterogeneous development of states, societies and cultures with special attention to long-term processes of transformation. One set of themes explored will be largely social and economic, focusing on the development of agrarian and peasant societies, aristocracies and intellectuals, as well as the role of mercantile, pastoralist, nomadic and forest-living groups. Another set of themes will explore cultural transformation, including the development, transformation and interaction of religious practices, the emergence of cosmopolitan and regional literary cultures, and the rise of distinctive urban, courtly, and rural world views. Special themes of discussion may include violence and manners, material cultures, religious conflict, devotional religion and gender relations. SAST2262401, SAST2262401
SAST 6631-401 The Sanskrit Epics Deven Patel Ancient India's two epic poems, originally composed in Sanskrit and received in dozens of languages over the span of two thousand years, continue to shape the psychic, social, religious, and emotional worlds of millions of people around the world. The epic Mahabharata, which roughly translates to The Great Story of the Descendants of the Legendary King Bharata, is the longest single poem in the world (approximately 200,000 lines of Sanskrit verse in the 1966 Critical Edition) and tells the mythic history of dynastic power struggles in ancient India. An apocalyptic meditation on time, death, and the utter devastation brought upon the individual and the family unit through social disintegration, the epic also serves as sourcebook for social and political mores and contains one of the great religious works of the world, The Bhagavad Gita (translation: The Song of God), in the middle of its sprawling narrative. The other great epic, The Ramayana (Rama’s Journey), though essentially tragic and about the struggles for power in ancient India, offers a relatively brighter narrative in foregrounding King Rāma, an avatar of the supreme divinity Viṣṇu, who serves as an ideal for how human beings might successfully negotiate the challenges of worldly life. Perhaps the most important work of ancient Asia, the Rāṃāyaṇa also provides a model of human social order that contrasts with dystopic polities governed by animals and demons. Our course will engage in close reading of selections from both of these epic poems (in English translation) and scholarship on the epic from the past century. We will explore the Sanskrit epic genre, its oral and textual forms in South Asia, and the numerous modes for interpreting it over the centuries. We will also look at the reception of these ancient works in modern forms of media, such as the novel, television, theater, cinema and the comic book/anime. COML2231401, COML2231401, COML6631401, COML6631401, SAST2231401, SAST2231401
SAST 6645-401 Religion in Modern South Asia Davesh Soneji WILL 826 M 1:45 PM-4:44 PM This core seminar introduces graduate students to key themes in the study of religion in modern South Asia, with a focus on debates related to Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity in India from the nineteenth century to the present. Drawing upon a range of methodological and theoretical approaches, the seminar covers themes such as colonial and missionary constructions of religious categories, Orientalism and textual authority, social and religious “reform” movements, questions of caste and gender, and debates about religious nationalisms, democracy, and secularism. RELS6560401, RELS6560401
SKRT 0100-401 Sanskrit 1st Year, Part I Kashi Gomez MUSE 330 MW 1:45 PM-3:14 PM During the first semester of beginning Sanskrit, students will be introduced to the script, phonetics, and grammar of the Sanskrit language. By the end of the semester they will be able to begin to read Sanskrit texts and compose Sanskrit sentences in addition to carrying out simple conversation. They will build the requisite skills to read, by the second semester, simple inscriptions and sections from texts like the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita, Pancatantra, and Yoga Sutra. Students will also be introduced to many features of Sanskrit culture. SKRT5100401, SKRT5100401
SKRT 0300-401 Sanskrit 2nd Year Part I Kashi Gomez GLAB 103 MF 3:30 PM-4:59 PM This course will lead students to consolidate their knowledge of Sanskrit grammar and increase their familiarity with Sanskrit literature of all kinds, including epic, literary, philosophical, and narrative genres of texts. It will also introduce students to the study and reading of inscriptional materials. SKRT5300401, SKRT5300401
SKRT 1000-401 Readings in Sanskrit Literature CANCELED This course is for advanced students of Sanskrit. Designed as a seminar, the course aims to take students through the primary and secondary sources of Sanskrit literary and phlosophical production. Each semester will focus on a different genre: epic, belles-lettres, lyric poetry, drama, philosophy, shastra, advanced grammar, history, poetics, and epigraphy. We will focus on original sources, secondary scholarship, and theoretical approaches toward the translation and study of Sanskrit texts. SKRT5000401
SKRT 5000-401 Readings in Sanskrit Literature This course is for advanced students of Sanskrit. Designed as a seminar, the course aims to take students through the primary and secondary sources of Sanskrit literary and phlosophical production. Each semester will focus on a different genre: epic, belles-lettres, lyric poetry, drama, philosophy, shastra, advanced grammar, history, poetics, and epigraphy. We will focus on original sources, secondary scholarship, and theoretical approaches toward the translation and study of Sanskrit texts. SKRT1000401, SKRT1000401
SKRT 5100-401 Sanskrit 1st Year, Part I Kashi Gomez MUSE 330 MW 1:45 PM-3:14 PM During the first semester of beginning Sanskrit, students will be introduced to the script, phonetics, and grammar of the Sanskrit language. By the end of the semester they will be able to begin to read Sanskrit texts and compose Sanskrit sentences in addition to carrying out simple conversation. They will build the requisite skills to read, by the second semester, simple inscriptions and sections from texts like the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita, Pancatantra, and Yoga Sutra. Students will also be introduced to many features of Sanskrit culture. SKRT0100401, SKRT0100401
SKRT 5300-401 Sanskrit 2nd Year Part I Kashi Gomez GLAB 103 MF 3:30 PM-4:59 PM This course will lead students to consolidate their knowledge of Sanskrit grammar and increase their familiarity with Sanskrit literature of all kinds, including epic, literary, philosophical, and narrative genres of texts. It will also introduce students to the study and reading of inscriptional materials. SKRT0300401, SKRT0300401
TAML 0100-680 Beginning Tamil Part I Vasu Renganathan DRLB 3C8 MW 5:15 PM-7:14 PM This course introduces students to colloquial Tamil and formal written Tamil. A balance between production skills, namely writing and speaking, and comprehension skills, namely reading and listening, will be maintained throughout the course. Reading materials will introduce students to customs and habits of the Tamil speakers in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Singapore. Lessons in the class will be based on a set of Tamil learning lessons and videos made available at http://www.southasia.upenn.edu/tamil and the book by the Instructor titled "Tamil Language in Context", information available at http://www.thetamillanguage.com. By the end of the semester, students will have a working knowledge in reading Tamil text with a basic skill to write and speak the language at ACTFL's Beginner mid level. TAML5100680, TAML5100680
TAML 0300-680 Intermediate Tamil Part I Vasu Renganathan DRLB 4C2 TR 5:15 PM-6:44 PM This course develops the skills obtained either from the Beginning Tamil course or from students' prior exposure to Tamil by some other means. Basic knowledge of Tamil script, reading and writing in Tamil is required to take this course. Heavy emphasis will be made on using the language in actual environments both in spoken medium and in written medium. Multimedia materials such as audio and video facilities from the book and the website Tamil Language in Context (http://www.southasia.upenn.edu/tamil) will be used extensively to provide students an exposure to the Tamil culture and customs as followed in Tamilnadu, India. Besides improving their speech and writing, students will also be introduced gradually to Tamil literature, which has two thousand years of literary history. The learning process in this course will be facilitated by the lessons and videos as provided in the website and the book. By the end of this course, students will have ACTFL's intermediate mid level proficiency in Tamil. TAML5300680, TAML5300680
TAML 1500-680 Advanced Tamil Vasu Renganathan WILL 2 TR 7:00 PM-8:29 PM This course is a continuation of the Advance Tamil Course I and its primary focus is to concentrate particularly on any one of the genres of the Tamil language namely Sangam, medieval or modern Tamil, which span a vast variety of texts from Aham, Puram, religious poems along with a whole array of Tamil inscriptions. The familiarity from Advanced Tamil I course will be adequately used to master in any aspect of these three genres of the Tamil language. Based on the general interests of the students who are enrolled in this course specific variety of the text to concentrate upon will be selected. In the past, we have read poems from the Sangam genre Purananuru, Ahananuru, Silappatikaram, Manimekalai etc., along with the parallel religious poems from Tirumurai, Nalayira Divyaprabandam and so on. We have also read as part of this course texts from Islam literature, Tamil inscriptions and other related kinds. Text from the instructors book (to be published), "Ilakkiyap payaNangkaL" will be used to give a birds eye view to students about Tamil literature and the transitions that took place from Sangam, medieval and modern period. This course will train students to have a near-native proficiency in Tamil along with a professional skill in any particular variety of the Tamil language. TAML5500680, TAML5500680
TAML 5100-680 Beginning Tamil Part I Vasu Renganathan DRLB 3C8 MW 5:15 PM-7:14 PM This course introduces students to colloquial Tamil and formal written Tamil. A balance between production skills, namely writing and speaking, and comprehension skills, namely reading and listening, will be maintained throughout the course. Reading materials will introduce students to customs and habits of the Tamil speakers in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Singapore. Lessons in the class will be based on a set of Tamil learning lessons and videos made available at http://www.southasia.upenn.edu/tamil and the book by the Instructor titled "Tamil Language in Context", information available at http://www.thetamillanguage.com. By the end of the semester, students will have a working knowledge in reading Tamil text with a basic skill to write and speak the language at ACTFL's Beginner mid level. TAML0100680, TAML0100680
TAML 5300-680 Intermediate Tamil Part I Vasu Renganathan DRLB 4C2 TR 5:15 PM-6:44 PM This course develops the skills obtained either from the Beginning Tamil course or from students' prior exposure to Tamil by some other means. Basic knowledge of Tamil script, reading and writing in Tamil is required to take this course. Heavy emphasis will be made on using the language in actual environments both in spoken medium and in written medium. Multimedia materials such as audio and video facilities from the book and the website Tamil Language in Context (http://www.southasia.upenn.edu/tamil) will be used extensively to provide students an exposure to the Tamil culture and customs as followed in Tamilnadu, India. Besides improving their speech and writing, students will also be introduced gradually to Tamil literature, which has two thousand years of literary history. The learning process in this course will be facilitated by the lessons and videos as provided in the website and the book. By the end of this course, students will have ACTFL's intermediate mid level proficiency in Tamil. TAML0300680, TAML0300680
TAML 5500-680 Advanced Tamil Vasu Renganathan WILL 2 TR 7:00 PM-8:29 PM This course is a continuation of the Advance Tamil Course I and its primary focus is to concentrate particularly on any one of the genres of the Tamil language namely Sangam, medieval or modern Tamil, which span a vast variety of texts from Aham, Puram, religious poems along with a whole array of Tamil inscriptions. The familiarity from Advanced Tamil I course will be adequately used to master in any aspect of these three genres of the Tamil language. Based on the general interests of the students who are enrolled in this course specific variety of the text to concentrate upon will be selected. In the past, we have read poems from the Sangam genre Purananuru, Ahananuru, Silappatikaram, Manimekalai etc., along with the parallel religious poems from Tirumurai, Nalayira Divyaprabandam and so on. We have also read as part of this course texts from Islam literature, Tamil inscriptions and other related kinds. Text from the instructors book (to be published), "Ilakkiyap payaNangkaL" will be used to give a birds eye view to students about Tamil literature and the transitions that took place from Sangam, medieval and modern period. This course will train students to have a near-native proficiency in Tamil along with a professional skill in any particular variety of the Tamil language. TAML1500680, TAML1500680
TELU 0100-401 Beginning Telugu Part I Mahboob Ali Mohammad WILL 438 MTWR 3:30 PM-4:29 PM This course introduces students to the basic Telugu language skills, with an emphasis on practice for listening comprehension, and speaking Telugu. Combined with exposure to Andhra culture, the classroom and online work in this course will enable interested students to pursue further language study in Telugu at the intermediate level, to carry out field research in Andhra Pradesh, or to prepare them to advanced work in Telugu Studies. An introduction to Telugu like this will also be useful for students who just want to acquire basic Telugu language skills for learning a new language or being able to communicate with Telugu speaking family and friends or to enjoy Telugu music and films. TELU5100401, TELU5100401
TELU 0300-401 Intermediate Telugu Part I Mahboob Ali Mohammad This course is designed to expand the students' basic language skills in Telugu in order to allow them to function adequately in a Telugu-speaking environment, to immerse themselves in the rich Andhra culture, and to accomplish a more advanced competency in an interesting foreign language. This course is also aimed at students planning to conduct scholarly research in Telugu history, literature or society, or humanities or social science fieldwork in Telugu speaking areas. TELU5300401, TELU5300401
TELU 5100-401 Beginning Telugu Part I Mahboob Ali Mohammad WILL 438 MTWR 3:30 PM-4:29 PM This course introduces students to the basic Telugu language skills, with an emphasis on practice for listening comprehension, and speaking Telugu. Combined with exposure to Andhra culture, the classroom and online work in this course will enable interested students to pursue further language study in Telugu at the intermediate level, to carry out field research in Andhra Pradesh, or to prepare them to advanced work in Telugu Studies. An introduction to Telugu like this will also be useful for students who just want to acquire basic Telugu language skills for learning a new language or being able to communicate with Telugu speaking family and friends or to enjoy Telugu music and films. TELU0100401, TELU0100401
TELU 5300-401 Intermediate Telugu Part I Mahboob Ali Mohammad This course is designed to expand the students' basic language skills in Telugu in order to allow them to function adequately in a Telugu-speaking environment, to immerse themselves in the rich Andhra culture, and to accomplish a more advanced competency in an interesting foreign language. This course is also aimed at students planning to conduct scholarly research in Telugu history, literature or society, or humanities or social science fieldwork in Telugu speaking areas. TELU0300401, TELU0300401
URDU 0300-401 Intermediate Urdu Part I Mustafa A Menai WILL 25 MW 10:15 AM-11:44 AM This course allows students to continue improving their Urdu proficiency while also gaining a broad foundational understanding of Urdu society and culture throughout South Asia. The course provides students the tols needed to handle a variety of authentic written and spoken Urdu sources including film, music, media reports, folk tales, and simple literature. Student will also continue to increase their speaking and writing proficiency to be able to discuss a broad range of concrete, real-world topics. The course is designed for students with one year previous Urdu or Hindi study or the equivalent proficiency. Students with speaking ability in Urdu or Hindi but without reading/writing skills are encouraged to contact the instructor for placement.
URDU 1500-401 Advanced Urdu: Language and Literature Mustafa A Menai BENN 19 MW 12:00 PM-1:29 PM This course is designed to give in-depth exposure to some of the finest works of classical and modern Urdu prose and poetry along with the historical and socio-political trends they represent. Figures covered range from Ghalib (b.1797) to Faiz, Fehmida Riaz, and post 9/11 Urdu prose and poetry. The course is open to both undergraduates and graduate students, subject to having intermediate level proficiency. The course is repeatable, and hte content changes every semester. Multi-media content such as music, videos, blogs etc. will be actively incorporated. Every effort will be made to accommidate individual interests. Students are encouraged to contact the instructor with any questions, or if they are unsure about eligibility.
URDU 5300-401 Intermediate Urdu Part I This course allows students to continue improving their Urdu proficiency while also gaining a broad foundational understanding of Urdu society and culture throughout South Asia. The course provides students the tols needed to handle a variety of authentic written and spoken Urdu sources including film, music, media reports, folk tales, and simple literature. Student will also continue to increase their speaking and writing proficiency to be able to discuss a broad range of concrete, real-world topics. The course is designed for students with one year previous Urdu or Hindi study or the equivalent proficiency. Students with speaking ability in Urdu or Hindi but without reading/writing skills are encouraged to contact the instructor for placement.
URDU 5500-401 Advanced Urdu: Language and Literature This course is designed to give in-depth exposure to some of the finest works of classical and modern Urdu prose and poetry along with the historical and socio-political trends they represent. Figures covered range from Ghalib (b.1797) to Faiz, Fehmida Riaz, and post 9/11 Urdu prose and poetry. The course is open to both undergraduates and graduate students, subject to having intermediate level proficiency. The course is repeatable, and hte content changes every semester. Multi-media content such as music, videos, blogs etc. will be actively incorporated. Every effort will be made to accommidate individual interests. Students are encouraged to contact the instructor with any questions, or if they are unsure about eligibility.