- Central Eurasian Studies >> Courses >> Course List
- Peoples and Cultures of Central Asia
- CEUS-R 316/516
- M. Nazif Shahrani
This course carries Culture Studies & COLL S & H distribution credit
A general anthropological introduction to the societies and cultures of the contemporary Muslim successor
states of former Soviet Central Asia and the adjacent areas of Iran and Afghanistan --i.e., western Turkistan.
Topics include ecology, ethnohistory and the structure of traditional subsistence strategies (nomadic
pastoralism, sedentary farming, and urban mercantilism); social institutions (marriage, family, kinship,
gender relations, identities and organization; religious beliefs and practices); and the assessment of socioeconomic
change and recent political transformations experienced by the peoples of this region under the
colonial rules of tsarist and Soviet Russia, and the modern nation states of Iran and Afghanistan. The
consequences of the collapse of the former USSR and war on terrorism, volatile sociopolitical conditions and
future prospects for the peoples of this region will be also critically examined. No special knowledge of the
region on the part of students is presumed. However, a background in general anthropology would be helpful,
but not necessary. The course will consist of lectures, reading assignments, film and slide presentations and
class discussions.
- Required Texts (some title may vary):
- A. Undergraduate students course grades will be based on:
Mid-Term exam = 50 points; final exam = 100 points. An eight page (double-spaced typed) critical comparative written review of the three ethnographic/historical case studies by Kamp, Khalid and Shahrani (due on Tuesday, December 2, 2008) = 40 points. Participation in class discussions = 10 points. The course grade will be determined on the basis of 200 cumulative points during the semester. All examinations will be in class and essay type.
B. Graduate students are expected to submit a term paper (worth 100 points) in addition to taking both exams (150 points). They are also expected to submit a critical written review (three double-spaced pages maximum) of the weekly required readings assignments (at least once during the semester) and lead an inclass
discussion of materials reviewed for about 30 minutes. These written critical reviews should highlight the most important issues, questions and concept in the readings and will be shared electronically with the entire class at least two days before the discussion date (worth 50 points). This course grade will be based on 300 cumulative points during the semester.
-
Bacon, Elizabeth Central Asia Under Russian Rule: A Study in Culture Change. Cornell U. Press (1980).
Kamp, Marianne The New Women in Uzbekistan: Islam, Modernity, and Unveiling Under Communism (2006)
Khalid, Adeeb Islam after Communism: Religion and Politics in Central Asia (2007)
Schimmel, Annemarie Islam: An Introduction. Albany, N.Y.: SUNY Press (1992)
Shahrani, M. Nazif The Kirghiz and Wakhi of Afghanistan: Adaptation to Closed Frontiers and War. Seattle: University of Washington Press (2002)
Course Requirement:
