Histories of Afghanistan

Catalog description

This course will investigate the social and political histories of Afghanistan from the late 19th century through the present day. Drawing from religious treatises, intellectual histories, ethnographies, literature, and film we will examine historical events and cultural developments from a diverse set of theoretical approaches. Topics will include colonialism and its legacies, the experiences of minoritized groups, alternative forms of nationalism, Afghan religious discourses, the role of Marxism and Islamic socialism, gender and politics, the war on terror, and more. Ultimately, it is the objective of the course to explore the diverse cultural, political, and material worlds that have shaped collective life in Afghanistan in the 20th and 21st centuries.