This course will examine how in the 19th and 20th centuries Islamic Studies, and later sociology, played a crucial role in theorising the ways through which Islam had supposedly lagged behind post-Christian, secular Europe or the wider ‘West.’ Included in this will be an exploration of how Muslim leaders and thinkers intervened in the Western thematisation of Islam’s relations to modernity. We will examine the core issue at stake in their interventions, namely the capacity of Islamic traditions to cope with the new global order hegemonised by Europe. This order was centered on a modern type of centralized states and on capitalist economies, but also on concepts of autonomous subjectivity and rights-based citizenship.
The course will further investigate how the movements of ‘Islamic revival’ emerging during the 1970s, in which well-educated Muslims embraced Islam as a platform for socio-political mobilization reconstruction, affected the view of Islam’s relation to modernity.
The course will explore how recent analyses of multiple, entangled and alternative modernities contributed to integrate these different strands of academic investigation within more encompassing social science debates, including studies of transnational movements, globalization and emergent youth cultures. The interdisciplinary field covered by the course thus encompasses a spectrum ranging from history, through Middle East Studies and Islamic Studies, to sociology, anthropology and political science.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Demonstrate deep knowledge and understanding of the principle issues regarding the relationship between two essentially contested concepts, Islam and 'modernity'.
- Evaluate the strength, weaknesses and biases of key theoretical debates in Islamic studies, sociology, anthropology and politics on Islamic responses to modernity.
- Engage substantively in analysis to how Muslims and Western thought differs on such issues as caricaturisation, social cohesion, political mobilisation, and gobalisation, among others.
- Evaluate and utilise a wide variety of sources and approaches to cross-cultural understandings of alternative modernities.
- Extend awareness of the content and analytical frameworks of a select group of readings from several disciplinary fields.
- Present a well-reasoned analysis and engage critically with the arguments of others.
Indicative Assessment
4,000 word essay, 60% LOs 1,2 , 4 and 6Final Examination, 3 hrs, 40% LOs 1,2, 3 and 5
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The course will be delivered on campus by way of:a) 24 hours of contact; one two-hour seminar per week for 12 weeks.
b)106 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Wattle will be extensively used for additional materials, supplementary readings and lecture notes.
Preliminary Reading
Armando Salvatore, Muhammad Khalid Masud and Martin van Bruinessen, 'Islam and Modernity: Key Issues and Debates', Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2009.Nile Green, 'Sufism: A Global History', Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012.
Armando Salvatore, 'The Sociology of Islam: Knowledge, Power and Civility', Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2016.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $3216 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $4590 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4913 | 20 Feb 2017 | 27 Feb 2017 | 31 Mar 2017 | 26 May 2017 | In Person | N/A |
