South Asia is one of the world’s most complex and dynamic regions. Extending from Afghanistan in the north to Sri Lanka in the south, it is home to distinctive political undercurrents, enduring military conflicts, and rapidly changing societies. Understanding this region demands a combination of factual knowledge, as well as strong analytical and interpretive abilities. Rather than conduct a broad but superficial survey of each country, this casts a critical eye on standard narratives of development and progress in the region. The seminar embraces the complexities and contradictions of South Asia through a deep engagement with current debates on the key political issues of the moment. Taking comparative politics as the basic analytical framework, the class will draw on range of contemporary materials, including recently published works in political science, economics, social anthropology, and journalism, as well as films and documentaries to frame and understand politics in the region.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Understand the key political and social issues in contemporary South Asia and the public debates surrounding them;
- Interpret and utilize multiple approaches and types of knowledge to inform their arguments about politics and society in South Asia;
- Demonstrate strong oral and written communication skills.
Other Information
Weekly topics:
Introduction
1. Introductory lecture: South Asian political development in context
India
2. Development and its Discontents in India
3. Ideology and Identity in Indian Politics
4. Tribal Politics and the Maoist Insurgency
Pakistan and Bangladesh
5. Pakistan: A Hard Country?
6. Politics of Bangladesh
The Afghanistan-Pakistan Frontier
7. The Afghan Civil Wars
8. After 9/11
Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka
9. The Emergence of the Tamil Tigers
10. The End-Game
Bhutan and Nepal
11. Between China and India
Conclusion
South Asian politics in perspectiveIndicative Assessment
Critical Discussion: Students will be graded on the quality of their participation in seminar discussion - 10% (2,3.
Reading Response Papers: To facilitate discussion in seminars, students are expected to prepare a response paper (c. 300-500 words) on one theme raised by that week’s material in advance of the semina - 6 x 400 words - 30% (2,3.
Seminar Presentation: One or two students (depending on numbers) will be asked to make presentations each week on the various sources consulted in the course. Students can prepare a short Powerpoint, Smartboard, Prezi, video, or other presentation of the material - 20% (1,3).
Critical Essay: The final written assignment is a critical essay related to one of the issues covered in class. Students required to make readers familiar with the issue in a short space of time, set out an argument, and provide evidence to justify their view, all in clear, jargon-free prose - 2000 words - 40% (1, 3).The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Areas of Interest
- Arab and Islamic Studies
- Political Sciences
- Asian Studies
- Asia Pacific Studies
- Central Asia Studies
- Asia-Pacific Studies
Majors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $3216 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $4590 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8556 | 23 Jul 2018 | 30 Jul 2018 | 31 Aug 2018 | 26 Oct 2018 | In Person | N/A |