| Course title | Ethnicity and Nationalism in Central Asia |
|---|---|
| Course code | DAS/ENCA |
| Organizational form of instruction | Lecture + Seminar |
| Level of course | Bachelor |
| Year of study | not specified |
| Semester | Winter and summer |
| Number of ECTS credits | 6 |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Status of course | Compulsory-optional |
| Form of instruction | Face-to-face |
| Work placements | This is not an internship |
| Recommended optional programme components | None |
| Course availability | The course is available to visiting students |
| Lecturer(s) |
|---|
|
| Course content |
|
1 Central Asia: introduction 2 Ethnicity and Nationalism: theoretical approaches 3 Nation building process in USSR 4. Nation-building process in Uzbekistan 5. Nation-building process in Tajikistan 6. Nation-building process in Turkmenistan 7. Nation-building process in Kazakhstan 8. Nation-building process in Kyrgyzstan 9 History and Memory wars in Central Asia 10 Islam and nation-building process in Central Asia 11 Central Asia: cultural elites and sacred lineages 12 Central Asia: interethnic conflicts
|
| Learning activities and teaching methods |
| unspecified |
| Learning outcomes |
|
This course critically examines theories of ethnicity and nationalism, with particular emphasis on Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Students will gain knowledge of key concepts and debates concerning ethnicity, nation, nationalism, empire, postcolonialism, and nation-building, and learn to apply them critically to Central Asian contexts. The course explores the formation of national ideologies, relations between ethnicity and the state, border-making, interethnic relations, and post-Soviet nation-building. Special attention is paid to ethnic minorities and diasporic communities, including Uyghurs, Dungans, Iranians, and Slavic populations. Students will also examine how knowledge about Central Asia has been produced through imperial, Soviet, post-Soviet, and Western academic frameworks. They will learn to critically assess ethnographic classifications, census categories, and dominant theories of nationalism, while considering local intellectual traditions and historically situated forms of identity. Through lectures, seminars, comparative discussions, and case studies, students will develop skills in analysing competing interpretations of ethnicity, nationalism, and identity in Central Asia.
|
| Prerequisites |
|
unspecified
|
| Assessment methods and criteria |
|
unspecified
Students are expected to attend lectures and seminars every Tuesday. The course consists of 12 lectures (12 hours) and 12 interactive seminars (12 hours) involving discussions of the readings, individual and group assignments. For both lectures and seminars, students are expected to read materials specified below. In this course, students will read a combination of book chapters and journal articles. These readings will be used as basis for class discussions. Students will also develop their analytical and critical writing skills while working on final paper. Regular, active and informed participation is expected. 60% Assessment will be based on attendance, preparation of readings, participation in class discussion. Final paper (2000 words): 40% The final paper should relate to any aspect of the course. It can be a critical review of the existing literature on a specific topic, or an original piece of research (format and topic need to be approved by the instructor). The final paper is due by the end of December. |
| Recommended literature |
|
|
| Study plans that include the course |
| Faculty | Study plan (Version) | Category of Branch/Specialization | Recommended semester | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Asian Studies (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Chinese Studies (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Asian Studies, Specialization Japanese Language and Culture (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Asian Studies, Specialization Vietnamese Language and Culture (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Chinese Studies (2023) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Chinese Studies (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Chinese Studies (2023) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Chinese Studies (2023) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Asian Studies, Specialization Indonesian Language and Culture (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Asian Studies, Specialization Chinese Language and Culture (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Chinese Studies (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Asian Studies, Specialization Korean Language and Culture (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Chinese Studies (2023) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Chinese Studies (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |