POL328Y1F L0101

Politics and Government in South Asia

Themes

The course introduces students to politics and government in South Asia in the period after independence from colonial rule. The first section focuses on the historical legacies of colonialism on agrarian political economy, and the ways in which nationalist movements negotiated rural aspirations. The second section examines the continuities and changes from colonial rule, as post-colonial regimes sought to maintain political power while managing popular pressures and boost economic productivity. The third section examines contemporary issues as agriculture in South Asia faces crisis and rural and urban livelihoods are increasingly diversified, demonstrating how new political strategies and movements respond to or emerge from the intersections of longstanding problems and changing political economic dynamics.

Texts

Mainly journal articles.

Format and Requirements

Essays, class participation.

Prerequisites

POL201Y1 or (POLB90H3 and POLB91H3)

Exclusions

POL328H1 or POL357Y1 (taken in 2012-13)