Sumita Pahwa,
Associate Professor of Politics; Chair, Department of Middle East and North African Studies
Phone: 73154
Academic History
- Instructor, Department of Government, Skidmore College 2009-2011.
- PhD Johns Hopkins University 2012
- BA Middlebury College 1998
Academic Focus
- Middle East Politics
- South Asian Politics
- Religion and Politics
- Social movements
- Politics of identity
- Ideational and cultural politics
- Democratization
Interests
I work on the comparative evolution of religiopolitical movements in the Middle East and South Asia and have done field research in Egypt and India. I am currently focusing on how Islamist movements in Egypt and other parts of North Africa have adapted to new political environments after the Arab Spring, and on comparative political transitions in Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco. I have lived and worked in Cairo for the past three years. My academic interests also include the politics of identity and religion in India and Pakistan and comparative secularisms in the Middle East, South Asia, Europe and North America.
Courses Taught
- Introduction to Comparative Politics
- Religion and Politics
- Middle East Politics
- Senior Seminar
Selected Research and Publications
鈥淪ecularizing Islamism and Islamizing Democracy: The Political and Ideational Evolution of the Egyptian Muslim Brothers 1984-2012鈥� in Mediterranean Politics, Vol. 18, Issue 2: Special Edition: 鈥淩eligion, Secularization and Democracy in the Mediterranean Region: Problems and Prospects.鈥�