Course Syllabus

 

Muslims in the West

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Semester & Location:

Fall 2022 - DIS Copenhagen

Type & Credits:

Elective Course - 3 credits

Major Disciplines:

Sociology, Ethnic Studies, and Religious Studies

Prerequisite:

None

Faculty Members:

Jesper Petersen

(current students please use the Canvas Inbox to contact)

Program contact:

Embla Thorsdottir - eth@dis.dk

Time & Place:

Mondays and Thursdays 14:50-16:10, F24-402

 

Description of course

Islam plays a central role in European politics. The media is full of discussions on veiling, radicalization, sharia law, parallel communities, terrorism - just to name a few - but how do these phenomena work in real life? Religions are dynamic phenomena, and within only a few generations of Muslim presence in Europe, we have seen the development of various European discourses within Islam. These are evident in both Islamic extremisms and in the women's struggle within Islam. In this course, you will learn to analyze a broad spectrum of Islamic discourses from Salafism to Islamic feminism with methods from political science and sociology of religion.

The course material consists of a combination of ethnographic studies, reports with quantitative data, and sociological theory. The ethnographic studies give students an understanding of the field and answers questions such as why women don the face-veil and go into Salafism and why some Muslims adhere to parallel juridical institutions rather than the state’s legal system. We will contextualize this knowledge with quantitative studies and utilize sociological theory to analyze both qualitative and quantitative data.

This course is designed around the concept of learning by doing. We change perspective several times during the semester and apply different theories to our material. This means that you will develop a familiarity and confidence with the material while practicing the application of theory at every stage. Towards the end of the semester, you are highly encouraged to go beyond the application of theory and start making independent evaluations and be creative.

Learning objectives

You will gain a good overview of Islamic discourses in the West and develop methodological skills that enable you to analyze Islam as a minority religion in a western context. The course is based upon political science and sociological theory, which we will train through papers. This means that you have a wide-ranging freedom to choose your own topics (as long as you apply the theory). At the end of the course, you will be well equipped to analyze the current situation and developments in European Islam and utilize the theory from class in other spheres than Islamic studies.

Field studies

  • Danish Islamic Center (mosque)
  • The David Collection (Islamic art museum)

Readings

  • Ackfeldt, Anders (2020): The semiotics of Malcolm X from Harlem to Tahrir. In: Svensk Teologisk Kvartalskrift (1)
  • Ahmed, Afia (2019): The clothes of my faith. In: Mariam Khan (ed.): It's not about the Burqa. Picador.
  • Ali, Ayaan Hirsi (2008): Infidel: My life. Pocket Books. Pp. 3-17
  • Bennett, Andrew and Nicholas Royle (2016): An introduction to literature, criticism and theory. Routledge. Pp. 54-62
  • Bowen, John (2016): On British Islam: Religioun, law, and everyday practice in Shari'a Councils. Princeton University Press.
  • Fetzer, Joel S. and J. Christopher Soper (2006): Muslims and the state in Britain, France, and Germany. Cambridge University Press.
  • Henkel, Heiko (2006): The journalists of Jyllands-Posten are a bunch of reactionary provocateurs. In: Radical Philosophy (137). Pp. 2-7.
  • Huntington, Samuel P (1993): The clash of civilizations? In: Foreign Affairs (3). Pp. 22-49
  • Inge, Anabel (2017): The making of a Salafi Muslim women: Paths to conversion. Pp. 62-99.
  • Jaraba, Mahmoud (2019): The practice of Khul' in Germany: Pragmatism versus conservatism. Islamic Law and Society 26.
  • Jeldtoft, Nadia (2013): The hybervisibility of Islam. In: Nathal M. Dessing, Nadia Jeldtoft, Jørgen S. Nielsen, and Linda Woodhead: Everyday lived Islam in Europe. Ashgate Publishing.
  • Klausen, Jytte (2007): The Islamic challenge: Politics and religion in Western Europe. Oxford University Press.
  • Leeuwen, Theo van (2005): Introducing social semiotics. Routledge. Pp. 3-6.Lughod, Abu-Lughod (2013): Do Muslim women need Saving? Harvard University Press. pp. 81-112.
  • Liversage, Anika (2021): Experiencing 'nikah captivity' in the West: Gendered conflicts over ending Muslim marriages. Journal of Muslims in Europe 10(3).
  • Nielsen, Jørgen (2004): Muslims in Western Europe. Edinburgh University Press. Pp. 8-23.
  • Okins, Susan M. (1999): Is multiculturalism bad for women? In: Susan M. Okins (ed.): Is multiculturalism bad for women? Princeton University Press.Otterbeck, Jonas (2020: Finding the object of study: Islamic studies in practice. International Journal of Religion 2(1).
  • Petersen, Jesper (2020): The making of the Mariam Mosque: Serendipities and structures in the production of female authority in Denmark. Lund University. Pp. 69-88 and 115-132
  • Petersen, Jesper (2021): The practice of two Danish female Islamic authorities facilitating divorce. Journal of Muslims in Europe 10(3).
  • Petersen, Jesper and Anders Ackfeldt (forthcoming): The case for studying non-Muslim Islam.
  • Rahman, Fazlur (2002): Islam (2nd edition. University of Chicago Press
  • Rifaat, Alifa (1983): Distant view of a minaret. Heinemann Ibadan Nairobi, pp. 1-4.
  • Rose, Flemming (2006): Why I published those cartoons. In: Washington Post (19 February 2006).

Grading

Assignment

Percent

Paper 1

15%

Paper 2

35%

Paper 3

25%

Participation

25%

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on: 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due