Schedule
Spring 2019 Class Meeting Dates and Holidays
WEEK 1
Tuesday, January 15
Course overview, intros, get your books
Thursday, January 17
Overview of region: geography
List of places and themes/issues discussed
Visit: Geohistory on Central Asia
WEEK 2
Tuesday, January 22
Background on geopolitics of Eurasia. The Soviet experience. Soviet successor states and organizations.
Thursday, January 24
Trade as the tie that binds Eurasia
Read: “Transregional trade in early modern Eurasia,” by Matthew Romaniello, in Oxford Research Encyclopedias
WEEK 3
Tuesday, January 29
Eurasia in geopolitical perspective
Read: “The rise of Eurasia: Geopolitical advantages and historic pitfalls,” by Thomas M. Dorsey, Real News Network, January 7, 2019.
Thursday, January 31
The Great Game Revisited: Eurasia and Power Politics
Read: “Back in the (Great) Game: The Revenge of the Great Eurasian Land Powers, by Pepe Escobar, in the Strategic Culture Foundation’s Online Journal, August 30, 2018.
WEEK 4
Tuesday, February 5
Finishing up overview of Eurasia. In-class small group discussion.
Thursday, February 7
Quiz 1 on the overview of region, geography, history of trade, geopolitics
Intro to the Cultures of Central Asia
Reading: Intro to Every Day Life in Central Asia
WEEK 5
Tuesday, February 12
[Snow Day!!] Turks and Tajiks in Central Asian History
Read: Chpt 1 thru p. 25 (stop at death of Chinggis Khan) in Every Day Life in Central Asia
Thursday, February 14
Turks and Tajiks in Central Asian History
Read: rest of Chpt 1 in Everyday Life in Central Asia
WEEK 6
Tuesday, February 19
Communities: Everyday Life among the Turkmen Nomads
Read: Chpt 2 in Every Day Life in Central Asia
Thursday, February 21
Gender: The Consequences of Soviet Ideology on Gender in Central Asia
Read: Chpt 8 in Every Day Life in Central Asia
WEEK 7
Tuesday, February 26
Religion in Central Asia
Read: Intro to Religion section and Chpt 19: Divided Faith: Trapped between the State and Islam in Uzbekistan
Thursday, February 28
Performance and Encounters
Read: Intro to section and Chpt 13: Public and Private Celebrations: Uzbekistan's National Holidays
WEEK 8
Tuesday, March 5
Nation, State and Society
Read: Intro to section and Chpt. 17 Alphabet Changes in Turkmenistan, 1904-2004
Thursday, March 7
Choose country and topic as part of your quiz - list provided on quiz.
Quiz 2 - Culture and History of Central Asia
Spring Break Week!
Tuesday, March 19
Transitioning to Research
Thursday, March 21
Eurasia Revealed: Cultural Currents across Eurasia
Tuesday, March 26
Meet in Foley Library, First Floor, East Classroom
Instructional Technology Librarian Caitlin Bagley
Thursday, March 28 no class - bib due by Friday, March 29 noon; upload in Bb
5 QUALITY sources - 1 book (background); 1 IGO or 1 NGO; 1 State or local government; 1 think tank; 1 media source specialized to your place.
Tuesday, April 2
Intro to Eurasianism
Read: Intro to Politics of Eurasianism
Thursday, April 4
Read: "What is more important: Blood or Soil," Chpt. 2 in Politics of Eurasianism
Week 11
Tuesday, April 9
Rasologia: pseudoscience and longing for home
Read: Chpt 2 in Politics of Eurasianism
Thursday, April 11
Civil society and freedom of the press in Central Asia
Presentation: Olivia Moore, Jackson Frank, Molly Quillin
Read: Chpt on Central Asian Republics from non-Western Democracy
and Putin's media war with the West
Week 12
Tuesday, April 16
Cities, City Life in Contemporary Central Asia
Adam Davidoff, Kim Millet, Chris Geanon
Read: Chpt 5 in Everyday Life in Central Asia
Thursday, April 18
Environmental legacies, connection to the land, national identity in contemporary KZ
Lotan Mizrahi, James Best, Matt Dobner
and
Political and social change in contemporary UZ
Emily Cook, August Corppetts, Brianna Kangas, Will Rettig
Read: ?
Week 13
Tuesday, April 23
Political and social change in contemporary Mongolia
Laurel Cinti, Ann Monroe, Austin Pegram
and
Gender roles in contemporary Mongolia
Stevee Lee Besso, Katie Gosselin, Matt Rogers
Read: chpt on Mongolia from non-Western Democracy book
Thursday, April 25
The politics of being Russian in post-Soviet Asia
Joe Hyde, Alexis West, Conner Messenberg
AND
Transnationalism, ethnicity and religion in Central Asia and the Russian Far East
JP Kuder, Joe Corner, Brendan Dapper
Read: Chpt 6 in Politics of Eurasianism: Empires of the Mind: Eurasianism and Alternative History in post-Soviet Russia
Week 14
Tuesday, April 30
Transborder flows between China and Kazakhstan
Rusty Ford, Michael Tanaka, Nicky Wahlers
Read: chpt on China from non-western democ book
and Chpt 7 in politics of Eurasianism: When Eurasianism looks East: Is Eurasianism Sinophile or Sinophobe?
Thursday, May 2
Transnational organizations - SCO, EEU, Belt and Road Initiative
Melanie Francis, Dawson Mackay, Trent Smiley
Read: Chpt 8: Eurasianism in Russian Foreign Policy: The Case of the Eurasian Economic Union
Course wrap-up and review for final
Read: Chpt 10 in Eurasian politics text: The Age of Eurasia?