2008/09 Undergraduate Module Catalogue
THEO2005 Ethnography of Muslim Societies: the Anthropology of Islam
20 creditsClass Size: 99
Module manager: Dr Sean McLoughlin
Email: S.McLoughlin@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2008/09
Pre-requisite qualifications
THEO 1015 or equivalent Introduction to Islamic Studies/Middle Eastern Studies/Sociology or other relevant Humanities/Social Science subjectPre-requisites
| THEO1015 | Introduction to the Study of Islam |
This module is mutually exclusive with
| THEO1015 | Introduction to the Study of Islam |
This module is approved as an Elective
Module summary
Consider this module if you are interested in studying Islam anthropologically in the context of Muslim culture, society and politics. Some background on Islam is desirable but more important is a desire to understand and analyse religion in the different regional locations of the Middle East, South Asia, Europe and beyond. Key topics include an account of orentalist, religious studies and anthropological approaches to the study of Islam, and overview of the history of Muslim societies, the education, status and authority of Muslim scholars in a changing world, the modern pilgrimage to Makkah and Madinah, continuing devotion to Sufi saints, gender relations and veiling, Islam and politics and the role of the media in the Muslim world amongst democrats and militants alike.Objectives
- On completion of this module students will be able to locate the distinctive field of the anthropology of Islam and its mainly ethnographic sources in relation to other approaches, theories and methods in the study of religion.- Students will have been introduced to a wide range of key themes in the anthropology of Muslim societies and understand the relationship between Muslims and their contested interpretations of Islamic texts and traditions across a variety of local, regional and global settings (Middle Eastern, South Asian, African, European etc).
- Students will have gained experience of the critical analysis of 'Islam' and 'Muslim' society in terms of a deeper comprehension of the relationships between 'religion' and other categories such as 'time', 'place', 'the body', 'power', 'society', 'culture', 'politics', 'modernity', 'authority', 'charisma', 'gender', 'identity', and 'ritual'.
- Students will have reflected their own standpoint and challenged stereotypes of the 'other' while at the same time demonstrating critical understanding of the positive and negative effects of religious claims to certainty.
- Students will have acquired a sound basis from which to progress to more advanced modules in the anthropological and sociological study of Islam such as Muslims, Multiculturalism and the State at Level 3.
Learning outcomes
Interpersonal and intellectual skills of empathy, reflexivity and standpoint analysis.
Reading, studying and writing skills.
Communication skills (student-student, student-tutor)
Skills outcomes
Interpersonal and intellectual skills of empathy, reflexivity and standpoint analysis
Reading, studying and writing skills
Communication skills (student-student, student-tutor)
Syllabus
After a brief consideration of the contested methodologies relating to the academic study of Islam in the West, this module provides an historical and contemporary sketch of the structure of Muslim societies and sets out the main theoretical debates in the Anthropology of Islam. The module continues with a detailed examination of a series of related themes in recent ethnography (listed below).
1) Orientalism, religious studies and anthropology: approaches to the study of Islam
2) Muslim societies and modernity in a comparative historical perspective: the main debates
3) Ethnography of contemporary Muslim societies: a thematic overview of anthropology's contribution
4) Scholarly authority and its institutions: the ulama, masjid, madrasa and shari'a
5) Ritual, identity and sacred community: case studies of the Hajj and the fast of Ramadan
6) Charismatic Sufi saints, their regional cults and critics
7) Islam, gender, and the body in Islam
8) Reading week / essay tutorials
9) The State, politics and the media in modern Muslim societies
10) Explorations of modern Muslim society in novels, biography, films, etc
11) Revision
Teaching methods
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
| Lecture | 22 | 1.00 | 22.00 |
| Seminar | 10 | 1.00 | 10.00 |
| Private study hours | 168.00 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 32.00 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200.00 | ||
Private study
4 hours - Gathering and reading resources, note-taking and thinking per lecture = 40 hours4 hours - Gathering and reading resources, note-taking and thinking per seminar = 32 hours
44 hours - Planning, gathering & reading resources, note-taking, thinking, drafting & re-drafting for essay
65 hours - Planning, gathering & reading resources, note-taking, thinking, drafting & re-drafting for exam
Opportunities for Formative Feedback
Lecture attendanceSeminar attendance and participation
Essay tutorials
Occasional informal conversation and email correspondence
Methods of assessment
Coursework
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
| Essay | 2-3,000 words | 50.00 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 50.00 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Exams
| Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
| Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc) | 2 hr | 50.00 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 50.00 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Reading list
The reading list is available from the Library websiteLast updated: 07/01/2011
Browse Other Catalogues
- Undergraduate module catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
- Undergraduate programme catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue
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