POSC 218 Central Asian Politics
A study of the politics of the states of Central Asia, with particular focus on the post-Soviet "stans" - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - as well as on Afghanistan. Because the region has historically been a crossroads and a source of competition among powerful states, the course will examine the way this has influenced the region over time and the role played by powers such as Russia, China, the European Union and the United States today. Particular attention will be paid to questions of national identity, political transition, economic change, the role of Islam, and relations among Central Asian states.