POL328H1F L0101
Politics and Government in South Asia
Themes
This course introduces students to politics in South Asia in the period after independence from colonial rule. The course pays greatest attention to the region’s largest country, India, but will also incorporate the experiences of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The themes discussed during the course will be those that are important both to South Asia as well as to a general study of politics in developing countries. Topics include the colonial legacy, patterns of state formation, democracy and authoritarianism, state institutions, political parties, ethnic and identity politics, class, social movements, the political economy of growth and redistribution, foreign relations, and regional conflicts. The course will begin with an overview of the colonial legacy and the historical process of political change in the four countries. It will then be organized thematically and will analyze the experiences of individual countries as it relates to specific topics.
Format and Requirements
The course will use a flipped class room model with both synchronous in person and asynchronous online components. Weekly lectures will be pre-recorded and delivered online asynchronously. In addition, students are required to attend a one hour discussion session in person each week at the scheduled meeting time. Students are expected to watch the weekly online lecture and complete weekly readings prior to attending the in-person discussion session. Course requirements TBA.
Prerequisites
POL201H1 or POL201Y1 or POLB90H3 or POLB91H3