Robert Stevenson, Professor of Art, Art History, and Humanities

Overview

This curricular unit is designed to take the study of Asian culture to the local level into current times. Students will explore the contributions of one of the Central Valley’s largest Asian immigrant communities, the Sikh community. Students will learn about Sikh religious belief and iconography, and then put that knowledge to use in reading an article on cultural misunderstanding of Sikh dress and decoration, and use their knowledge in analyzing dress and design in films from California State University, Stanislaus’ Keck Visual Anthropology Lab Digital Archive.

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit students will be able to

Demonstrate a basic understanding of Sikh iconography in dress and how these relate to religious belief.
Recognize and describe the five key symbols in Sikh culture as seen in films.
Discuss the importance of religious tolerance and education.
Compare Sikh customs to customs from their own background.