Theorising Islam
| Module title | Theorising Islam |
|---|---|
| Module code | ARAM249 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Professor Sajjad Rizvi (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 10 |
|---|
Module description
In a global world in which we take a connected and inclusive approach to inquiry and are entirely aware of our position within that inquiry, how should we study Islam? What are the existing dominant modes of inquiry that emerged from orientalism and forms of the colonialist knowledge about Islam and Muslims? In this module, we will start from the ground of the humanities and ask what the limitations of prior inquiries into Islam might have been and how we can engage with the excitement of new intersectional and decolonial possibilities. Although we will engage in the study of theory, decolonial options in the study of Islam are also about the concrete examples of understanding the world from below and considering alternatives. We will not be replacing one dominant mode of the study of Islam but consider alternatives: what are the perspectives of women, sexual minorities, race and class positions that might help to nuance our understanding of the Islamic traditions. We will not assume any prior knowledge, but you need to bring enthusiasm, the desire to think beyond binaries and also be willing to take an interdisciplinary approach to the study of religion in the contemporary world.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The module aims to introduce students to the major theoretical debates on the study of Islam, on the nature of colonial and orientalism praxes as they have arisen, as well as elements of the theory of decolonial and reparative epistemology and praxis. From these foundations, in this module, you will learn to engage key concepts within the study of Islam that help us to make better sense of our world such as race, class, gender, sexuality, justice, sovereignty, and art. By the end of the module, you will understand and be able to apply what is meant by a decolonial study of Islam as well as the potential shortcomings that such an approach may have.
As the module will be taught online, engagement with digital media and platforms and developing a confidence in their usage will be essential.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the most important approaches to the study of Islam in the field
- 2. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of what is meant by colonial, postcolonial, and decolonial approaches
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Demonstrate an ability to engage in an interdisciplinary and intersectional study of Islam through the study of gender, class, race, and sexuality among others
- 4. Demonstrate an ability to digest and apply postcolonial and decolonial theory to the study of Islam
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Demonstrate writing and oral presentation skills, group work and ability to synthesize large areas of unfamiliar reading, subjects and a selection of interpretive and methodological approaches
- 6. Demonstrate ability to use digital media and platforms for learning and disseminating knowledge and understanding
Syllabus plan
Over the course of the module students will cover the following topics:
Colonialist knowledge on Islam
The problem of Orientalism
Modernisms, Liberalisms and Conservatisms
Postcolonial approaches to the study of Islam
What is Islam? Some recent approaches and options
Gender and Sexuality in Islam: Beyond binaries
Race and ethnicity and the question of culture
Sovereignty, justice and political theology
Lived Islam: The arts and literary expressions
Decolonial Islamo-futurism
What are the limits of a decolonial understanding of Islam?
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | 117 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 11 | Synchronous seminars |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 22 | Tasks, presentations, uploading material, research |
| Guided Independent Study | 44 | Research and preparation for sessions |
| Guided Independent Study | 73 | Work towards the sessions and on assessments. Library and fieldwork |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral presentation on a relevant topic | 10 minutes | 1-6 | Oral and written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | 75 | 2,000 words | 1-6 | Oral and written |
| Book review | 25 | 750 words | 1-6 | Oral and written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | Essay (2,000 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
| Book review | Book review (750 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Shahab Ahmed, What is Islam? The Importance of Being Islamic, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2016
Amy Allen, The End of Progress: Decolonizing the Narrative Foundations of Critical Theory, New York: Columbia University Press, 2016
Talal Asad, Genealogies of Religion, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993
, Secular Translations: Nation-state, Modern Self, and Calculative Reason, New York: Columbia University Press, 2018
Markus Dressler and Arvind Pal-Mandair (ed), Secularism and Religion-Making, New York: Oxford University Press, 2011
Carl Ernst and Richard Martin (ed), Rethinking Islamic Studies: from Orientalism to Cosmopolitanism, Columbus, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 2010
Wael Hallaq, Restating Orientalism, New York: Columbia University Press, 2018
Aaron Hughes and Majid Daneshgar (ed), Deconstructing Islamic Studies, Cambridge, MA: Ilex Foundation/Harvard University Press, 2020
Mahmood Mamdani, Good Muslim, Bad Muslim, New Delhi: Permanent Black, 2007
, Neither Settler nor Native: The Making and Unmaking of Permanent Minorities, Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press at Harvard University Press, 2020
Walter Mignolo, The Darker Side of Western Modernity, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2011
, On Decoloniality: Concepts, Analytics, Praxis, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2018
, The Politics of Decolonial Investigations, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2021
Edward Said, Orientalism, New York: Penguin, 1978 [but there are many reprints]
Boaventura de Sousa Santos, Epistemologies of the South: Justice against Epistemicide, New York: Routledge 2014
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 10/03/2021 |
| Last revision date | 26/04/2023 |
