Course Description:
This course introduces students to the burgeoning field of the Anthropology of Islam, broadly defined. In addition to reading conceptual key works debating what an Anthropology of Islam should (not) be and where its boundaries should be drawn, we will also discuss some recent ethnographies in areas such as gender, politics, popular culture, and spiritual economies. While the range of empirical examples is transregional, some emphasis will be given to Southeast Asia, the three lecturers’ area of research. The seminar will take place every second week (4 hours / session). This is a heavy reading class: All participants are required to read 60-80 pages texts per session and write a review of a full-length anthropological monograph of their choice (a list of suggestions will be provided in the first week). They will also make regular entries in a learning diary based on readings and class experiences (2-3 pages / session). As the course will be taught in English, participants should have sufficient proficiency to engage in academic discussions and write papers in that language. Students with an interest in developing a project idea for a BA thesis related to the Anthropology of Islam (in any regional context, including Germany/Europe) and looking for project supervision are also very welcome. No prior knowledge of Islam is required.
Recommended Reading: Schielke, S. 2018. Islam. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Anthropology https://www.anthroencyclopedia.com/entry/islam
Mahmood, S. 2015. Religious Difference in a Secular Age: A Minority Report. Princeton University Press
Erie, M. 2016. China and Islam: The Prophet, the Party, and Law. Cambridge University Press.
Hoesterey, J. 2015. Rebranding Islam: Piety, Prosperity, and a Self-help Guru. Stanford University Press.
Salomon, N. 2016: For the Love of the Prophet: An Ethnography of Sudan’s Islamic State. Princeton University Press.
Kloos, D. 2019. Experts beyond Discourse: Women, Islamic Authority, and the Performance of Professionalism in Malaysia. American Ethnologist, 46(3): 162-175.
Studienleistung: Will be announced in the first course meeting.
Modulleistung: Essay (Seminararbeit).
Besonderheiten: Der Kurs wird auf Englisch unterrichtet. Alle Studien- und Modulleistungen werden auf Englisch erbracht.
