POLS 202-01: Politics of Afghanistan
Class: TuTh 8:45 – 10:10 am
Room: Coxe 7
Office: 110 Stern Hall
Course Description
This course examines the history and politics of Afghanistan from the emergence of the modern state to the present. The course will illuminate the complex interrelationship between a range of contending and complementary social identities, institutions, ideologies, personalities, and social movements in the Afghan polity. In particular, students will gain an understanding of the domestic, regional, and structural causes and consequences of Afghanistan’s revolutions and conflicts since 1973.
The course is oriented toward understanding the history, society, and politics of Afghanistan for its own sake. This is not a course devoted to US foreign policy, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, or counter-insurgency strategy – although minor aspects of the course will touch on each of those issues.
This course may be used toward the subfield of comparative politics or international relations within the Political Science major. The course content may be used to address (partially) Goal 1, 2, and 7 (aspects of goals 6 and 8 will also be discussed) for the Colleges’ educational goals and objectives. There are no pre-requisites for this course, however students who have not taken an introductory course in comparative politics and/or international relations and/or comparative religions, will need to work harder to master certain key concepts and analytical frameworks.
Course Format
Evaluation of student learning will be based on the following instruments:
15% Three Quizzes
15% Three Essays
10% Group Presentation
10% Active Class Participation
25% Midterm Examination
25% Final Paper
Attendance and Participation Policy
Students are required to come to each and every class prepared to discuss the assigned readings in an intelligent and critical manner. A student who is prepared has completed the readings before class and taken notes so that they can ask intelligent questions, explain the thesis of each chapter, discuss key passages in depth, and engage their colleagues’ interpretations of the text. The first few weeks of the course will be structured as background lectures based on the readings, but the remainder of the course will focus on discussions of the assigned readings. Students should expect to be called upon multiple times to answer questions in each and every class session. The inability to answer questions in a manner that reflects serious engagement with the reading will adversely impact a student’s participation grade.
Students may not bring a laptop computer or other electronic device to class unless they have a certified learning disability and permission from the instructor.
Students are permitted three absences. Students automatically fail the course on their fourth absence which is the equivalent of missing two weeks of course work.
Required Books
There are required texts for this course:
- Coburn, Noah. Bazaar Politics: Power and Pottery in an Afghan Market Town. Stanford University Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-0804776721.
- Dorronsoro, Gilles. Revolution Unending: Afghanistan, 1979 to the Present. New York: Columbia University Press, 2005. ISBN: 978-0231136266.
- Roy, Olivier. Islam and Resistance in Afghanistan. 2nd Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986. ISBN: 978-0521397001.
- Stewart, Rory. The Places In Between. New York: Harcourt / Harvest, 2004. ISBN: 0156031566.
- Giustozzi, Antonio. Empires of Mud: Wars and Warlords in Afghanistan. ISBN: 978-0231700801.
- Dobbins, James. After the Taliban: Nation-Building in Afghanistan. ISBN: 978-1597970839.
The books are available for purchase from The Campus Store and a copy of each book has been ordered for the reserve desk at the library. Students are strongly encouraged to purchase a copy of the books. Students must bring the assigned readings or a photocopy to each class session as class discussions will be based on a close re-reading of the text.
The following book will be available only at the library’s reserve desk:
- Dupree, Louis. Afghanistan. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1978.
Students should allot time to read and take notes on approximately 100-150 pages per week. Students should expect to devote at least 10 hours per week preparing for the course sessions. The reading load will be less when the reading content is particularly dense or abstract; it will be more when the reading content is mainly descriptive. Students may need to set aside time to read and re-read the material until they understand it. Students should mark up their texts so that they can quickly find passages they want to discuss, critique, or debate during class. All students should have a map of Afghanistan handy when reading so that they are able to follow the references in the text. All students will occasionally need to look up key words and phrases on-line or in the reference section of the library in order to understand the readings. Students may want to make a personal glossary of key terms. Passive reading habits will not work in this class.
In addition to reading the assigned texts, students are also expected to remain apprised of major current events by reading a major newspaper of record daily. Commentary on current events and trends related to the politics of Afghanistan will be posted on my blog at http://humayunsouthasia.blogspot.com/
Office Hours
My walk-in office hours are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30 to 3:00pm at 110 Stern Hall. If that time is not convenient, students may schedule an appointment (M-F 9-5) by calling me at my office (315-781-3176).
Honor Code
Students are expected to adhere to the HWS Principles of Academic Integrity at all times. If students are aware of a violation of the Principles, they must report the violation to the professor directly. Violations of the Principles may result in failure of the assignment or failure of the class, depending on the severity of the infraction.
Center for Teaching and Learning
At Hobart and William Smith Colleges, we encourage students to seek the academic collaboration and resources that will enable them to do their best work. The CTL offers a variety of resources that can help students achieve academic success, including Teaching Fellows, Writing Colleagues (for help on papers), Study Mentors (for help with study skills and time management), Group Study Tables (for content help in specific courses), and more.
For more information on these resources, visit the CTL webpage at http://www.hws.edu/academics/ctl/index.aspx or visit the CTL Blackboard site.
Students with Learning Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability for which you may need accommodations, you should self-identify and register for services with the Coordinator of Disability Services at the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), and provide documentation of your disability. Disability related accommodations and services generally will not be provided until the registration and documentation process is complete. The guidelines for documenting disabilities can be found at the following website: http://www.hws.edu/disabilities
Please direct questions about this process or Disability Services at HWS to David Silver, Coordinator of Disability Services, at silver@hws.edu or x3351.
Photo: A U.S. soldier of the 101st Airborne Division takes picture of an Afghan man for identification during a house search with Afghan police in Mandozai, in Khost province, Afghanistan, Friday, April 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)