State and Society in Central Asia and the Caucasus
- Module Code:
- 15PPOH022
- Status:
- Module Not Running 2022/2023
- Credits:
- 15
- FHEQ Level:
- 7
- Year of study:
- Year 1
- Taught in:
- Term 1
This module will analyze the key aspects of Soviet-era transformation and post-Soviet transition in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan) and the Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia).
The module aims to enable students to acquire an in-depth knowledge and understanding of critical issues of state-society relations in the region such as: the contradictions between nation and state building; politics of Islam, culture, ethnicity, and gender; the patterns of resistance and compliance; the relationship between formal and informal institutions; the consolidation of neopatrimonial regimes and their fragility, and debates on indigenous versus neoliberal conceptions of democracy and civil society. By developing a comprehensive understanding of the encounters between Soviet legacy and post-socialist transition, the module will enable the students to assess and engage in a comparison of the divergent trajectories of post-Soviet transition in the region.
Topics in the syllabus:
- Soviet Modernity and Socialist Transformation
- Socialist construction and nation-building under Soviet rule
- Soviet collapse and Sovereignty: Debating Empire, Colonialism
- Challenges of Nation and State-building in a Multiethnic Context
- Islam: Identity, Organization and Resistance
- Gender and the Debate on Tradition and Family
- Transition, Markets, Development Strategies
- Informal institutions: Clans, mahalla, and family networks
- Consolidation of Neopatrimonial Regimes and their Fragility
- Civil Society, NGOs, and International Actors: indigenous and neoliberal conceptions
Objectives and learning outcomes of the module
On completion of the module students will have the following:
- A broad understanding of the nature of state and society in the region
- An appreciation of the shared Russian and Soviet legacy as well as different cultural, socio-economic and developmental trajectories in Central Asia and the Caucasus
- A critical understanding of processes aiding post-Soviet transition and hampering it
- An analytical perspective that questions the prevalent myths and stereotypes about the region
- An in-depth inquiry into a topic of their interest pertaining to the region
- The ability to apply social science concepts and theories to analyse political developments in the region
Workload
- Two-hour seminar per week
Method of assessment
Assessment is 100% coursework (consisting of two assignments, a 1000-word essay at 20% and a 4000-word essay at 80%)