From under the veil to under the knife: women,cosmetic surgery,and the politics of choice in Afghanistan

This study investigates the factors motivating women in Afghanistan to seek cosmetic surgery through qualitative in-depth interviews with 16 consumers of cosmetic surgery. Providing a discussion of contemporary life for women in Afghanistan during a time of social and political change, where many suggest women have more freedom and opportunities available to them following the fall of the Taliban and the US-led intervention, this study explores the extent to which post-feminist discourses of empowerment and choice are reflected in these experiences. While some have attributed the consumption of cosmetic surgery among Afghan women to newly granted freedom, this perspective presents cosmetic surgery as an individual choice rather than a response to the complex systems that promote limited beauty ideals. When challenged, this empowerment discourse dissolves to reveal the complexity of body-altering practices. The case of cosmetic surgery in Afghanistan comments on the complex global beauty economy through discussions of the post-feminist politics of choice, ethnic/class politics, and consumerism.     

The lifestyles and changes in culture of Afghan Kyrgyz and Kyrgyz in Kyrgyzstan

This paper traces changes in the culture of the Kyrgyz ethnic group in the era after the break-up of the USSR. In order to describe correctly changes in their lives, a comparison was used from a wide range of areas where Kyrgyz live. As a basis, the way of life of Kyrgyz in Kyrgyzstan is used. Kyrgyz here represent the majority, but before the break-up they did not emphasize their ethnicity significantly. After the break up of the USSR and the formation of the national state, they began to look for new, or new-and-old, roots and to strengthen their nationalistic tendencies. Looking for new roots included the creation of historical constructs and emphasizing many specifics of lifestyles of ‘real Kyrgyz’. But Kyrgyz live in many other states as a minority – especially in China, Tajikistan and Afghanistan. These Kyrgyz, however, often designate different elements of their culture as a basis of their ethnic group compared to Kyrgyz from Kyrgyzstan. The paper first tries to identify important elements of Kyrgyz culture in the era of the break-up of the USSR based on statements of respondents from Kyrgyzstan and to find out if these elements are also important as an identification feature for Kyrgyz in other states. Field research has been conducted in China and Tajikistan, but in this work, results from Afghanistan in particular are presented. The paper also tries to give an answer as to the influence of the formation of the national state (Kyrgyzstan) on members of ethnic groups living in other states as a minority (Kyrgyz in Afghanistan) and how this changed their ethnic identity.     

国运的镜子——近代中国知识视野下的阿富汗形象变迁

作为中国的一个重要邻国,阿富汗在近代中国的对外认知中一度被忽略。本文通过对近代报章杂志中关于阿富汗认知的相关信息的梳理,为我们勾勒了近代中国知识界在阿富汗认知上的三次流变过程,并揭示其认知重心与近代中国各个时期的内部议题之间存在的历史关联,从而力图为丰富我们对于阿富汗的历时性认知提供必要的补充与说明。     

美国与阿富汗战略关系的演变

阿富汗虽然是一个落后的内陆山国,但一直是大国角逐的重要场所。冷战初期,苏联和美国以提供经济援助的方式在阿富汗展开争夺;苏联入侵阿富汗之后,美国支持阿富汗抵抗力量,双方在阿富汗进行了“代理人”战争。冷战结束后,随着中亚五国的独立,阿富汗地缘政治地位进一步上升。“9.11”事件后,美国发动了阿富汗反恐战争。此后,美国主导了阿富汗的重建,并乘机实现了在中亚地区的军事存在。阿富汗已经成为美国全球战略的不可或缺的棋子。     

反恐战争前后的阿富汗周边地缘政治形势

“9· 11”事件之后 ,阿富汗周边地缘政治形势发生了重大变化。本文从历史的角度探讨了这种变化的原因和特点 ,对美国在中亚和阿富汗的军事存在进行了评论     

“后拉登时代”驻阿富汗美军战略调整初探

美国总统奥巴马2011年6月宣布未来14个月撤军3.3万。这标志着以＂战争＂形态存在的美国全球反恐行动将逐渐画上句号,同时也表明美国将在阿富汗、巴基斯坦地区加快新一轮反恐策略的调整步伐。调整后的驻阿美军战略的主要特点是：从＂以打为主＂渐趋＂打谈结合＂;由大规模打击变成精确定点清除;从眼下的暂时驻扎转为在阿长期存在。这既符合美国的国家长远战略利益诉求,更符合卡尔扎伊政权未来的生存需求。美军的这一战略调整将会对南亚局势、中亚战略态势、伊朗的国家安全以及中国和俄罗斯的安全战略产生重大影响。     

政治伊斯兰影响下的阿富汗伊斯兰教育

政治伊斯兰是指把伊斯兰教作为某种政治意识形态和政治斗争的工具,以达到某种目的。从20世纪50年代政治伊斯兰登上阿富汗历史舞台时起,教育就成为其争夺的重要领域。本文在回顾政治伊斯兰在阿富汗发展历程的基础上,梳理了达乌德时期到后塔利班时期政治伊斯兰影响下的阿富汗教育。政治伊斯兰对阿富汗教育发展的深远影响值得关注。     

阿富汗毒品经济：历史、作用与成因

阿富汗毒品经济主要来源于以鸦片生产和贸易为主的非法经济活动。阿富汗的毒品资金主要通过鸦片种植和毒品加工保护费、毒品国际走私通道保护费、毒品销售资金这三种方式流向塔利班以及基地组织手中,成为恐怖组织源源不断的经济来源。阿富汗农民长期贫困与毒品经济巨大利润形成的反差、喀布尔政府权力虚弱与管治无力、塔利班分子苦心经营以及美国阿富汗政策的连续失误,使得阿富汗毒品经济在短时间内难以铲除,成为国际反恐战争的最大障碍。     

阿富汗毒品问题的利益角色分析

毒品问题对阿富汗战后重建及其国计民生的负面影响是长期的、根深蒂固的和难以消除的。阿富汗地方军阀和毒枭乃至政府、地方官员和警察在毒品问题中扮演着主要角色;美国在毒品产业中的利益以及侧重反恐的总体战略导致其在阿富汗毒品问题中起着决定性的推动作用;塔利班在毒品活动中获益相对有限;恐怖主义与毒品问题之间的联系并非传统认为的那么密切。     

A mixed methods inquiry of caregivers of U.S. veterans with sustained “invisible” injuries from Iraq/Afghanistan

ABSTRACT

An exploratory study of caregiver burden associated with family caregivers enrolled in the VA Caregiver Support Program who assist veterans with serious invisible injuries sustained post September 11, 2001. A mixed methods analysis was completed with a retroactive chart review of already collected data (172 participants) in addition to a phenomenological query of 16 participants. Results: T-tests resulted in a significantly higher caregiver burden score with caregivers who had children in the home (M = 6.84; SD = 3.21) versus those who did not (M = 5.57; SD = 2.75), t (160) = ?2.36, p = .02. An ANOVA across caregiver role (parent, spouse, significant other and other) and the Zarit Burden Inventory (ZBI) resulted in a significant difference (F [3, 159] = 1.59, p < .01, with spousal caregivers having a significantly higher ZBI score (M = 6.83; SD = 3.10) than parental caregivers (M = 4.46; SD = 2.70). The phenomenological research resulted in 22 major themes (family adjustment, subjective demands, coping techniques, social support, VA/DOD, self-care, intimacy, role strain, financial resources, life course, obligation, rewards, isolation/loss of self, reciprocity, stigma, community resources, spiritual support, tools, hope, uncertainty, guilt, leash syndrome) which supported quantitative findings. Conclusions: Caregivers and their families had a difficult time adjusting post injury. Caregivers relied heavily on their own coping mechanisms to adapt to their new role and did not find social support to be helpful with caregiving. Spousal caregivers and caregivers with children in the home had more difficulty adjusting when compared with parental caregivers.