Afghanistan and its people, whether in Afghanistan or in its global diaspora, have generated substantial interest in recent years and the desire to understand more about the country is widely felt. International organisations, non-governmental organisations and journalists are key sources of information on contemporary Afghanistan, but their ability to undertake research is often limited by their mandate and the aims of their activities in Afghanistan. In-depth academic research on post-2001 Afghanistan does exist but these studies have often taken place in isolation. This volume, edited by Ceri Oeppen and Angela Schlenkhoff, brings together the work of some of the leading European specialists studying Afghanistan and its diaspora. It collates work that contributes to our understanding of modern Afghanistan, and moves beyond the caricatures of Afghanistan and Afghans that have their roots in European imperial texts of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries but can still be seen today. "Beyond the 'Wild Tribes'" contains chapters on a wide range of issues, which all contribute to our understandings of modern Afghanistan. Topics range from the features of protracted conflict to the future of Afghan music.

Contents: Glossary of Afghan terms Abbreviations used List of figures 1. Beyond The Wild TribesA": Working Towards an Understanding of Contemporary Afghanistan Ceri Oeppen and Angela Schlenkhoff 2. Challenges to Research in Afghanistan and Its Diaspora Angela Schlenkhoff Section I: Afghan History, Society and Culture 3. Britain in the First Two Afghan Wars: What Can We Learn? Bijan Omrani and Charles Vyvyan 4. The Situation of Women and Girls in Afghanistan Kathryn Lockett 5. The Political Economy of Normlessness in Afghanistan Armando Geller 6. Keeping the Peace; Gender, Justice and Authority: Mechanisms for Community Based Dispute Resolution in Afghanistan Deborah J. Smith Section II: Security and Governance 7. Dilemmas of Governance in Afghanistan: Between Patrimonialism and Bureaucratisation Antonio Giustozzi 8. What Prevents Afghanistan Becoming a Landbridge? Valey Arya 9. The Return of the Refugee Warrior: Migration and Armed Resistance in Herat Kristian Berg Harpviken Section III: A Transnational Afghan Community? 10. The Afghan Diaspora and Its Involvement in the Reconstruction of Afghanistan Ceri Oeppen 11. The Circulation of Music Between Afghanistan and the Afghan Diaspora John Baily 12. Afghan Migratory Strategies and the Three Solutions to the Refugee Problem Alessandro Monsutti References Index

CERI OEPPEN completed her doctoral studies at the Sussex Centre for Migration Research, University of Sussex. Her research includes migrant transnationalism and integration, and migrants' involvement in development. ANGELA SCHLENKOFF completed her doctoral research at the University of Kent looking at issues of home and identity among Afghans living in London, where she has worked for various Afghan community and refugee organisations.