Provides a detailed introduction to the people, history, and cultures of Afghanistan for community service providers and others assisting Afghan refugees in the United States. Although the Afghan population in the U.S. shares a common nationality, it is diverse in terms of political orientation, religious affiliation, ethnicity, social class, and attitudes toward modernization. Chapters describe (1) the geography and the economy of Afghanistan; (2) the 19 different ethnic groups of Afghanistan, including the Pashtuns, Tajiks, and Altaic subgroups; (3) the country’s history, including antiquity and early conquests, the introduction of Islam, early empires and later conflicts with Western powers, the formation and subsequent modernization of Afghanistan, Soviet occupation, the rise and fall of the Taliban movement, and the present-day situation; (4) religion, including the division between Sunni and Shi’a and the Taliban version of Islam; (5) daily life and values, including social structures, family life, key cultural and social values, food and drink, dress, and music and literature; (6) language and literacy, including grammatical and other differences between Dari and Pashto; (7) educational systems and values; and (8) cross-cultural and adjustment challenges in the areas of physical and mental health, education, women’s issues, and community-building.
