Intro to Comparative Politics
This course introduces students to the field of Comparative Politics. In this course we will explore competing theories and arguments that explain political dynamics in modern societies; including democratization, social movements, political violence, etc. In addition we will analyze and employ the comparative method. To achieve this we will study theories, use case studies, examine real-world data and explore important political developments in different regions of the world. Special emphasis will be paid to various modes of governance and the importance of political institutions. However, this course challenges students to give equal consideration to the role of non-state actors and broader social and economic institutions.
Islam and Politics in Eurasia
The course introduces students to the key concepts and theories useful to the current understanding of the place of Islam in the society and in politics in Eurasia. The course will highlight the scholarly controversies associated with the study of religion, and of Islam in particular. It also examines the challenges associated with the study of Islam in a post-Communist context, and in particular, the legacy of atheism. Islam will be viewed in light of its relationships with gender issues, state-building, nationalism and political mobilization, and radicalization. Students will be familiarized with the specific politico-religious situation in the Balkans, Turkey, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.
Intro to the Politics of Central Asia
The course will introduce key concepts and theories in political science that will be useful for the study of Kazakhstani and Central Asian politics such as the state structure and legal and political systems. In particular, we will discuss the different aspects of contemporary politics such as institution-building, political economy, gender and religion, foreign policy, civil society dynamics, etc. The course will pay a special attention to the Soviet legacies to better understand the transition to independence and the countries’ institutional and nation-building processes.
Seminar in Comparative Politics: Political violence in the former Soviet Union
The course will introduce key concepts and theories useful for the study of violent conflicts by using different empirical cases in the former USSR, including the Tajik civil war, the war in the Donbass and in the Nagorno-Karabagh, violence in Southern Kyrgyzstan, etc. In particular, we will discuss the categorization of conflicts, micro and macro causes of conflicts as well as actors’ interests and strategies. At the end of the class, students will be able to make a critical judgment on the causes of conflicts.
Graduate Seminar in Comparative Politics
This course introduces graduate students to the field of Comparative Politics (CP), a diverse and core sub-field of Political Science. CP is both a methodological approach and a core set of concepts that are used together to create generalizable knowledge about politics in one or more countries. You will be asked to discuss recent developments in the theories and concepts used in comparative politics, and will be called upon to apply these analytical tools to some specific issues. The course examines concepts and issues related to states and regimes, political economy, collective action, and various components of identity.