Topical Seminar in Asian Humanities (492-0-21)

Topic

Advanced Tibetan Reading II

Instructors

Tsering Samdrup
847/467-4419
1880 Campus Drive, Kresge Hall 4-437
Office Hours: varies by quarter, please contact instructor

Meeting Info

Kresge 4438 Asian LC Sem Rm: Mon 2:30PM - 5:20PM

Overview of class

AY 25-26. Advanced Tibetan Reading II
This course introduces students to a selection of Tibetan texts through close readings of excerpts and full-length works representing both Classical and Modern Tibetan literature. Designed for students with intermediate to advanced Tibetan language skills, the selected texts are the products of distinct periods in Tibetan literary history, spanning from the 15th to the 21st century. The readings highlight a diversity of socio-religious themes, historical contexts, and literary genres. Throughout the course, students will develop advanced proficiency in Classical and Modern Tibetan while gaining insight into various literary genres, specialized vocabularies and grammatical structures. They will also learn to perceptively interpret texts informed by religious, historical, cultural, and literary contextualization. Furthermore, the course brings fore the representations of women and their works in Tibetan literature by investigating the portrayal of female religious figures in classical texts and subjecting Tibetan women's literature to close reading. By the end of the course, students will have built a strong foundation in Tibetan grammar, vocabulary, and critical literary analysis. They will also have gained a good understanding of Classical and Modern Tibetan literary genres as well as the stylistic and grammatical continuities and shifts that characterize the long and complex history of writing in Tibet.

Learning Objectives

• Develop advanced proficiency in reading and analyzing a wide range of classical and modern Tibetan texts representing different genres and historical periods.
• Gain critical insight into the literary representation and works by and of Tibetan women.
• Improve the ability to translate and interpret complex Classical and Modern Tibetan texts with a nuanced appreciation of grammar, vocabulary, and stylistic differences.
• Understand the cultural, religious and socio-historical significance of various classical and modern Tibetan literary genres.
• Apply philological methods to the reading of Classical Tibetan literary texts and familiarise students with the identification and periodisation of these texts.

Teaching Method

Seminar

Evaluation Method

Mid-term and final exams
Class participation

Class Materials (Required)

All course materials will be provided in PDF format