Seeking an Identity: Kabul's Enduring Struggle with Modernization (1960-1979)

This thesis analyzed the Kabul Times archive to assess what modernization meant to the elite in Kabul. By examining the period of modernization this paper highlights why Afghans did accept modernization efforts, but shows why Afghan leaders failed to bring forward any meaningful change. Instead, Afghan leaders used broad terms such as modernization to achieve their own personal gain. The research from this study also provides an interesting fact about the Kabul Times newspaper. The government publication was used as a propaganda tool for the sitting government in Afghanistan. It did not matter what tribe, ideology, or vision the different governments promoted, the Kabul Times often contradicted itself in order to improve the image of different Afghan leaders.