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Department of Politics and International Studies

Government and politics of South Asia

Course Code:
153400020
Unit value:
1
Taught in:
Full Year
South Asia includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. The course looks at the background to contemporary politics in the colonial period and then takes both a country-specific and a comparative approach to topics such as political institutions, economic development, democratisation, ethnic and religious politics, regional conflicts and foreign affairs.

Objectives and learning outcomes of the course

At the end of the course, students should be able to demonstrate:

  1. Familiarity with critical debates regarding the colonial and, especially, the postcolonial history, institutions, and political processes of South Asia.
  2. Knowledge of specific institutions, events, and actors involved in the politics, political economy, and political sociology of South Asia.
  3. A critical understanding of specific debates regarding patterns of political, economic, social, and cultural change in South Asia, as well as an ability to test the ideas that lie behind these debates with empirical data.
  4. Skills necessary for the oral and written communication of relevant concepts, ideas, and arguments.

Method of assessment

Assessment is 40% coursework and 60% unseen examination.