Field Study -- Tamil Nadu, India 2012

By way of introduction, my name is Joshua Malyon. I will be traveling to Southern India this Spring/Summer through the Field Studies program at Brigham Young University. I am in my Junior year, studying Environmental Science with an International Development minor. For the duration of the 3 months in India, I will be interning at Shanti Ashram, a Gandhian NGO located in Kovai Pudur, Tamil Nadu. I will also be researching the influence of music on the lives of southern Indians.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Inquiry Conference Notes - 1

A "Classical Studies" major named Randall Meister was the first presenter I heard at the Inquiry Conference on Thursday, February 23rd. His presentation was entitled, The Ashtadhyayi Today: Modern Perspective from Sanskrit Pedagogy in India. He discussed the use and importance of Sanskrit in contemporary times in India, and admitted he was surprised to see how alive Sanskrit really is! Sanskrit speaking villages, Universities teaching the language, and even an Organization called "Samskrta Bharati," which promotes the speaking and teaching of Sanskrit as an everyday language for all castes, were all evidences that this traditional language still thrives today.

As I thought of ways Randall's project could apply to me or my own research project, I thought of the importance of researching the traditional culture of India before I go out into the field. If the Sanskrit tradition is important to a large population in India, it should be important to me also. I want to be aware and appreciative of their culture and their past. By researching things such as Sanskrit before entering the field, I will be more prepared to relate and understand the Indian people.

 

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