Political Science 391AB - S-Central Asia and the World

Central Asia & the World: Central Asia today is often associated with buzzwords such as "petrostates,- "Islamic radicalism,- and "authoritarianism." Yet it is a dynamic and complex region which lies at the intersection of multiple historical empires and geographic regions. The course provides a foundation to evaluate debates about current trends and developments in post-Soviet Central Asia. The course is divided into three major units: 1) From Empire to Statehood; 2) Identity Politics; and 3) Political Economies and Globalization. All three units address broader themes to critically evaluate questions such as: what does the Central Asian experience tell us about state-building, nation-building, authoritarian resilience, regime change, identity politics, the perils of resource-based economies, and the dark underbelly of globalization? *Note: this course could include segments on Afghanistan and/or Xinjiang as well.

Open to Senior and Junior Political Science majors only. Non major JR/SR by consent of instructor. Instructor can be reached at : rspector@polsci.umass.edu