Studying Asian & African Politics at SOAS
Aristotle described Politics as the 'master science'. By this, he meant that it brings together the findings of all the other branches of knowledge and applies them in the common pursuit of the good life. The discipline of Politics has a long tradition going back to the debates among Ancient Greek philosophers about the forms of government (i.e. the manner in which power should be organized and exercised) most appropriate to this goal. The study of Politics, now as it was then, is built upon this fundamental question.
As with Politics degrees elsewhere, the Politics degree at SOAS is structured around four core sub-disciplines, namely comparative political sociology, comparative political economy, political theory, and international relations (although these sub-disciplines are sometimes known by other names). Students receive a thorough training in the concepts and methods of these sub-disciplines, which are then applied to the analysis of real life political situations.
Where we differ from other Politics degrees is that our students have the opportunity to examine the concepts and methods of the sub-disciplines against the historical and contemporary conditions of Asia (including the Middle East) and Africa. By contrast, for most Politics degrees, the empirical focus tends to be directed towards Europe and the US, meaning that the non-western world does not receive sufficient attention.
Asia and Africa contain the majority of the world’s population as well as the dynamic economies of the Asia-Pacific Region (China, Japan, Korea, ASEAN) and India and some of the principal hot spots of international tension in the world today (such as the Middle East). By studying Asia and Africa at SOAS, students will gain good knowledge and understanding of some of the most important power shifts and conflicts of ideas taking place in the world today. They will also come to appreciate the limitations (and relevance) of social science concepts generated from western contexts.
The Department Staff are all highly qualified in the discipline, having been trained at leading institutions around the world. All are well recognized specialists in their sub-fields. Most have knowledge of one or more of the languages of their regions of interest.
