Fall Semester Shake-down

Some of you have expressed a curiousity about what courses I'm taking this fall at Columbia. Others of you may have such a curiousity, but have chosen not to express it out of politeness. The majority of you probably don't care.

But ah well.

Officially, I'm enrolled in the Islamic Studies M.A., a Liberal Studies program within Columbia's Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GSAS) - that is, the academic wing, to be differentiated from Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) - a practical/policy institute for recent graduates and veteran professionals alike.

Now, due to the nature of my particular program, I am allowed to take basically any class I want - in GSAS or SIPA - so long as I can make an argument that it is related to "Islamic" studies, or in some way relevant to my upcoming (and still not formally declared) M.A. thesis.

So I'm a kid in a candy store, and the only treats I'm not allowed to touch are the bland ones. This does make narrowing the field a bit difficult, but with a thesis focusing on Central Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries... well, let's say I may have over-represented just how much of the goodies are within arm's reach.

Still, it's never hard to put together a good semester when you only need 4 classes to win, and here's what I'm looking at for the next 3 months:


SOCIOLOGY - State & Nation in Multi-Ethnic Societies
Doesn't sound like a shoe-in, I know. In fact, I attended the first day of class just out of curiousity, wondering if I could somehow adapt what I might learn to fit with the topics I'm working on (Central Asia is a confusing region for "ethnology." Technically, most modern countries contain one ethnic majority, but that's not always the one afterwhich the country is named, and all such categories are Russian inventions from the 1920s).
Much to my surprise (and I think basically all the sociologists & SIPA kids in attendance), this is a class on historical sociology, specifically one that considers the multi-ethnic empires like Russia, the Ottomans and the Hapsburgs. Not only am I already familiar with some of Prof. Barkey's work, I've actually based a term paper on it. Home Run.

HISTORY - US, the Middle East, and the Cold War
When I came to Columbia, I was hoping to focus on the Non-Levant (Israel) Middle East in the mid-20th century to present; basically, Egypt-Iran-Iraq-Gulf during the Cold War. As it turns out, my attentions & curiosities led me in other directions, but I wasn't going to pass up the chance to take a course with Prof. Khalidi, especially not 4 months after he just published a critically-acclaimed new book on the subject. I must admit I do feel a little guilty - the class was more than double-booked (40 students for 20 spots), and there are a lot of very qualified students who would sacrifice a kidney to get my seat. But what do I need a 3rd kidney for?

INTERNAT'L AFFAIRS - Elections & Political Development
To be honest, this class has very little to do with my thesis (as it stands now). This isn't so much about learning more stuff as it is being able to apply some of my experience from this summer. Having been an active witness to a "semi-democratic" fixed election in Kyrgyzstan this summer, I'm eager to put my "on the ground" experience to academic use. As an added bonus, the course is taught by Prof. Lincoln Mitchell, who is actually one of the people I interviewed this summer while he was in Bishkek. Should be a great opportunity to hone my observations and put together a paper of real weight - at least, within the heavy subject matter of Kyrgyz democracy promotion.

HISTORY - Central Asia: Imperial Legacies, New Images
What seems like the most obvious choice on my schedule was actually the last, and least likely, addition. In the entire GSAS-SIPA matrix, there are a total of 4 courses that exclusively deal with Central Asia. Two are taught each semester by Prof. Rafis Abazov and Gulnar Kendirbai. Last fall I took Abazov, last spring Kendirbai. Due to the minimal level of student interest, all four courses are essentially introductory to the material, though with some different focuses and directions. As a result, I wasn't initially too excited about taking a second course which will cover 70% of the same material. But then I got thinking. While introduction to new concepts and new authors is an important part of grad work, I'm going to get to take this class (mostly full of undergrad seniors with no background in Central Asia) with the benefit of just a little personal experience, and frankly a lot of background knowledge. There will still be a lot of reading, but since I'm already familiar with the historical contours, I should be able to relax a little and take it all in like a book on the beach. At least, that's the theory. Plus, I can make the paper as new/challenging as I want. And I needed a 4th class.


Other options which I declined for various reasons (which I won't go into now) were:

"Post-Soviet Politics & Markets," "International Politics of Iran since 1979," "Mughal India," and "Political Identity, Civil War & State Reform in Congo."

It's a rough life.

Weber
::(lame) Texpatriot