Caucasus and Central Asia. Politics, religion, ethnicity

elective courses
general courses

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the issues of political anthropology of the Caucasus and Central Asia. The topics discussed will include basic political models and concepts in both regions, the relationship between the spheres of religion and politics, the analysis of concepts that define the perception of political field, the interaction of traditional culture with contemporary/European standards and political concepts such as human rights. The contemporary political processes in the South Caucasus will be also presented in the perspective of anthropology of politics

Classroom
Remote learning

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the issues of political anthropology of the Caucasus and Central Asia. The topics discussed will include basic political models and concepts in both regions, the relationship between the spheres of religion and politics, the analysis of concepts that define the perception of political field, the interaction of traditional culture with contemporary/European standards and political concepts such as human rights. The contemporary political processes in the South Caucasus will be also presented in the perspective of anthropology of politics

1. Introduction: Caucasus and Central Asia in the Perspective of Anthropology of Politics.

2. Politics in Northern Caucasus: Perspective of reporter, political scientist, anthropologist.

3. Political Islam in Northern Caucasus.

4. Post-Soviet political transformation of Georgia – from Zviad Gamskhurdia to “Georgian Dream”.

5. “Frozen conflicts” in the South Caucasus – anthropological perspective. Abkhazia.

6. “Frozen conflicts” in the South Caucasus – anthropological perspective. South Ossetia.

7. Post-Soviet political transformation of Armenia – from Levon Ter-Petrosyan to Nikol Pashinian's Velvet Revolution.

8. Post-Soviet political transformation of Azerbaijan – from Abulfaz Elcibey to Ilham Aliyev.

9. “Frozen conflicts” in the South Caucasus – anthropological perspective. Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenian identity. Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijani identity.

10. Radical Islam in Central Asia – perspective of political scientist.

11. Radical Islam in Central Asia – anthropologist’s perspective.

12. Democracy and human rights in the Caucasus and Central Asia regions.

13. Genocides and ethnic cleansings in Caucasus and Central Asia.

14. Current political processes in the Caucasus and Central Asia states.

15. Conclusions.

I. Kaliszewska, Za Putina i za szarijat. Dagestańscy muzułmanie o Rosji i państwie islamskim, Wyd. Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, Warszawa 2016, S. Voell, I. Kaliszewska, State and Legal Practice in the Caucasus, Ashgate, 2015,M. Falkowski, I. Kaliszewska, Matrioszka w Hidżabie. Reportaże z Dagestanu i Czeczenii, SIC!, Warszawa 2010, M. Falkowski, Czeczenia między kaukaskim dżihadem a „ukrytym” separatyzmem, Punkt Widzenia OSW, Warszawa 2007, W. Górecki, Planeta Kaukaz, Czarne, Wołowiec 2010, J. Rohoziński, Święci biczownicy i czerwoni chanowie. Przemiany religijności muzułmańskiej w radzieckim i poradzieckim Azerbejdżanie, Wrocław 2005, P. Adamczewski, Górski Karabach w polityce niepodległego Azerbejdżanu, Wyd. Ak. Dialog, Warszawa 2012, W. Górecki, Abchazja, Wołowiec 2013, Kaukaz: transformacja przywództwa i elit politycznych, red. T. Bodio, Warszawa 2012, Kaukaz: mechanizmy legitymizacji i funkcjonowania elit politycznych, red. T. Bodio, Warszawa 2012, S. Zapaśnik, „Walczący islam” w Azji centralnej. Problem społecznej genezy zjawiska, Wrocław 2009, J. Lang, Zbrojni radykałowie islamscy z Azji Centralnej, OSW, Warszawa 2013, E. A. Euroazjatyckie imperium Rosji. Studium idei, Warszawa 2003, Tadeusz Świętochowski, Azerbejdżan i Rosja. Kolonializm, islam i narodowość w podzielonym kraju, Warszawa 1998.

K_W02 has organized general knowledge (including terminology, theory and methodology) in the scope of regional studies on Caucasus and Central Asia.

K_W05 has basic knowledge of ethnographic, academic and other writings on Caucasus and Central Asia.

K_W10 can name and characterize basic cultural phenomena of Caucasus and Central Asia.

K_W16 demonstrates basic grasp of contemporary cultural life of a chosen region of Caucasus or Central Asia.

K_U02 can indicate sources of cultural differences between different countries of Caucasus and Central Asia.

K_U03 can use the basic terminology from the domain of religions of Caucasus and Central Asia.

K_U04 can use the knowledge of history of Caucasus and Central Asia to analyze and interpret events taking place in the modern world.

The evaluation of student’s activity and skills in anthropology of politics and knowledge of anthropological and political issues of the Caucasus and Central Asia regions.

Written exam.

Attendance control.