India Gateway Program with the University of Oregon

University of Oregon

India Gateway Program

The Department of Sociology, Christ University had the privilege of hosting the students and faculty from the University of Oregon, USA between January 6 and 11, 2014. Nine students accompanied by Prof Kenneth Lieberman were with the Department of Sociology as part of the India Gateway Program.

 Ice Breakers organized by Soumya and Tanarupa from I MA Applied Sociology

 Ice breakers

 Quizzing Professor Kenneth Liberman

 Strategic Huddle

 Group Games

 An introduction to Bollywood Dancing by Shrodha and Shruthi, II MA Applied Sociology

 An animated discussion over coffee

This program began with students seminars organized by the undergraduate students of Sociology, followed by seminars by the faculty members from the Departments of Sociology, History, Political Science and Law. The focus of these seminars was Indian popular culture and issues related to gender. The student seminars were inspired by a set of essays by Patricia Uberoi and were intended to introduce the students to India and her popular culture.

Given below are the details of the papers presented:

• Jaikishan and Shreya, students from I and II EPS presented a paper on  'Beautifull Wife, Danger Life': Engaging with Popular Culture. Their paper provided an overview of the broad themes that were to be examined over the following sessions.
• Kasturi, Shristi, and Siddharth, II EPS, presented a paper on Feminine Identity and National Ethos in Calendar Art. This paper looked at art, Calendar art and how these representations have been linked with notions of both feminine identity and the construction of nationality.
• Bhadra, Brinda and Mithun, students from I EPS and III PSEco, presented on Imagining the Family: An Ethnography of Viewing Hum Aapke Hain Kaun. This paper examined the notion of family in India as well as elements of ideal and real culture. The film, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, was used as a vehicle to examine and explain these notions.
• Ann and Anshula from I EPS presented the final student paper on The Diaspora Comes Home: Disciplining Desire in DDLJ. This paper examined the notions of migration, identity, and home, through the iconic film Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
• Prof Vageshwari, Department of History, spoke on Women and Popular Culture with special reference to women's movements in Karnataka.
• Prof Sindhujaa Iyengar from the Department of Political Science conducted an interactive session on Political Participation and Women's Empowerment
• Prof Somu, from the School of Law, Christ University presented a paper on Law and Women's Rights in India. He focused on the importance of the Constitution and the Laws that have been enacted in India both to promote and safeguard the rights of women and other minorities.
• Prof Suparna Kar addressed questions relating to son preference and the resultant skew in the sex ratio in India through India's Missing Millions
• Prof Pritha Dasgupta focused on The Discipline of Women's Studies in India: Perspectives and Challenges. She looked at the major areas of focus.

Paper presentations by students

A rapt audience

Interactive sessions

Presentations

These papers and the numerous interactive sessions with the students of MA Applied Sociology provided an invaluable opportunity to look at India and her society and culture.

Sociology students from Christ University, India, and the University of Oregon, USA