Course Title: Islam Culture/Society
ANT 3930
Section 12C6
Fall 2013
Meeting Periods Tuesday period 4 and Thursday period (4-5).
Classroom: NEB 0202
Instructor: Khadidja Arfi
Office: B325 Turlington Hall
Email:karfi@ufl.edu
Office Hours: 9am-10am and 12:50pm-1:40pm and by appointment
Course Overview and Objectives
The course is an introduction to the fundamental concepts of Islam and the role the religious ideas and institutions
play in Muslim communities. This course uses a combination of some classical and theoretical texts together with a
rich variety of ethnographic accounts of Muslim societies produced by anthropologists. This course aims to a
better understanding of the Islamic religious tradition. It offers an insight into various forms of Islam as practiced in
different geographic, social, and cultural contexts. Topics explored include daily salat (prayer) performance,
Ramadan (fasting), Hajj (pilgrimage), Id al-adha (the feast of sacrifice), zakat (almsgiving), and the representation
of Islam. The use of an anthropological perspective directs our attention to the multiplicity of perspectives
involved in the study of local forms of Islam. We also recognize the transformation of knowledge and power
relation of Muslim communities with the establishment of print media and the introduction of new media
including the use of television, broadcast media, cassette recordings, and the internet. Thus, with the
transformation in the perception and religious obligations and practices, in a globalized word, distinctive “Muslim”
consumer cultures emerge within Muslim communities, especially in relation to Halal food consumption and
Islamic fashion industry.
Students Learning Outcomes
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Get a direction toward more research in the emerging academic field of the anthropology of Islam
Appreciate the importance of fieldwork and comparison of theory and methodology
Further their understanding of Muslims in a critical and reflexive manner
Appreciate the presented glimpses of Islamic diversity through different anthropological accounts
Discover that studying existing discourses and practices can contribute to a refined understanding of
Muslims, their religion, and their practice.
Explore the ways Muslims adjust their practices to the challenges of modern life and support and question
each other by accounting to the diversity of traditions practiced by Muslims
Become informed about variation even in common forms of Islamic practices and the tenets of Islam
Textbooks and Required Readings
The textbooks for the course are as follows:
 The Anthropology of Islam Reader, edited by: Kreinath, Jens. Routledge: London and New York, (2012).
 Anthropology of Islam by Gabriele Mirranci, (2008). (One Chapter only) available through course reserve
 The Halal Frontier: Muslim Consumers in a Globalized Market by Johan Fishcher, (2011)
 Visibly Muslim: fashion, politics, faith, by Emma Tarlo, (2010).
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[On reserve readings, videos, DVDs may be obtained through course reserve at Library West]
Other resources: video clips to be chosen as needed
Exams, Writing Assignments and Grading
Exams: Take Home Exam one on week eleven. Take Home Exam two on week sixteen [15% x2- 30%]
Papers/Writing: the writing assignments are of two forms:
1. Weekly short reflections, comments or questions on the assigned reading sent via Sakai to instructor [5%]
2. One page report on the “in the field” sent via Sakai to instructor assignment [10%]
[In the field] assignment is for each student to be a participant observer on one or both of the communal Muslim
rituals:
 Friday congressional prayer or one of the daily prayers at the local mosque of Gainesville on University
Street (ICG)
 Id al-adha (the feast of the sacrifice) communal gathering (Tuesday 10/15/13; place to be announced)
3. Short paper (4-6 pages) based on the ethnography of a specific Muslim practice sent via Sakai to instructor (25%)
Oral presentation: of the ethnography of a specific Muslim practice (15%)
Participation: students come to class ready to discuss the assigned resources (5%).
Attendance: Attendance is required. Excused absences need to be documented 10%
Pop Quizzes: fulfill attendance 2%
Policies on make-up work: No late assignments and make-up exams except with instructor’s permission.
Final Grades. A detailed breakdown of final grades is as follows:
A=93+, A-=90-92.9, B+=87-89.9, B=83-86.9, B-=79-82.9, C+=75-78.9, C=72-74.5, C-=69-71.9, D=62-68.9, E=<62
One can also link to the following: https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/grades.aspx
Course Policies and Procedures
Classes, Readings, & Attendance Policy:
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Students are responsible to get their books prior to the beginning of class
Students are responsible to follow the syllabus on Sakai
Students are responsible to read the assigned text prior to class period
Students are responsible to post on Sakai their comments/questions/critic prior to class period
Students are required to attend class unless excused for out of the ordinary circumstances [attendance is
taken each lecture]
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Classroom Behavior Rules: total courtesy for classmates and instructor is required.
Communication: Students are in a course in which we communicate with each other through academic learning,
thus, students should communicate with classmates and instructor with total respect and courtesy when discussing
the course subjects.
Academic Honesty: Students must conform to the University of Florida’s academic honesty policy regarding
plagiarism and other forms of cheating. The university specifically prohibits cheating, plagiarism,
misrepresentation, bribery, conspiracy, and fabrication. Violations will lead to the Department’s and the
University’s procedures for dealing with academic dishonesty. All students are expected to honor their
commitment to the University’s Honor Code and the student conduct code.
Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of
Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the
Instructor when requesting accommodation.
Please make any requests by the second week of class.
UF Counseling Services
Resources are available on-campus for students having personal problems or lacking clear career and academic
goals that interfere with their academic performance. These resources include:
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University Counseling and Wellness Center, 3190 Radio Road, 392-1575, personal and career counseling
Sexual Assault Recovery Services (SARS), Student Health Care Center, 392-1161, sexual counseling
Career Resource Center, Reitz Union, 392-1601, career development assistance and counseling
Reading & Writing Center, Broward Hall, 392-0791, writing assistance, study skills, test preparation
Course Outline
Critical Dates:
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Paper topic Proposal: Due October 12 [on Sakai]
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Take Home Exam I: Week eleven: Thursday 10/24; Wednesday 10/30, due before 8:00am [on Sakai]
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Take Home Exam II: Week 16: Thursday 11/14; Wednesday 11/20 due Wed. before 8:00am [on Sakai]
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Oral presentation: From 11/19 – 11/26 (select a date)
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Papers Due: December 07, 2013 or earlier [on Sakai]
Course Schedule:
Week #
Week 1
Week 2
Day
Thursday
08/ 22/13
Tuesday
08/27/13
READINGS
THEME OF THE WEEK
Introduction to class
Anthropological Approaches
to Islam (43-93)
1. conceptualizing Islam (51-74)
3
Kreinath, Jens edited book
*Anthropological approaches to
Islam by Jens Kreinath (43-47)
*Recognizing Islam by Michael
Gilsenan (51-64)
*Islam Observed by Clifford Geertz
(65-74)
Thursday
08/29/13
*Beyond Ideology by Abdul-Hamid
el-Zein (77-92)
Tuesday
09/03/13
Week 3
2. Approaching Islam
* The Idea of an Anthropology of
Islam by Talal Assad (93-110)
Thursday
08/05/13
*Rehearsed spontaneity and the
conventionality of ritual: Disciplines
of Salat by Saba Mahmood (121-141)
Tuesday
09/10/13
Week 4
Week 5
Thursday
09/12/13
Tuesday
09/17/13
Thursday
09/19/13
Tuesday
09/24/13
Week 6
Thursday
09/26/13
Tuesday
10.01/13
Week 7
Religious practices of Islam
1. Daily Prayers (111-156)
+ chapter 2: Islam: Beliefs, History,
and Rituals; in the Anthropology of
Islam by
Gabriele Mirranci (13-30)
Continue…
1. Daily Prayers
*between belief and unbelief lies the
performance of Salat: meaning and
efficacy of a Muslim ritual by Kheiro
Henkel (142-156)
+short movie on how Muslims
perform daily prayer
Religious practices of Islam
(continue)
2. Fasting during
the month of Ramadan
(159-188)
*the observance of Ramadan in
Swahili-Land by P.J. Frankl (159-173)
*Being good in Ramadan by samuli
Schielke (174-188)
*The social significance of the hajj
for Thai Muslims by Raymond Scupin
(191-197)
Continue.. Fasting
Religious practices of Islam
(continue)
3. Pilgrimage to Mecca
(191-212)
Continue… Pilgrimage to Mecca
Religious practices of Islam
(continue)
4. Feast of Sacrifice
(215-242)
Thursday
10/3/13
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*The strength in the song by Barbara
M. Cooper (198-212)
+ Inside Mecca Documentary
*On scriptural essentialism and ritual
variation: Muslim Sacrifice in
Sumatra and Morocco by John R
Bowen (214-229)
*”Sealing the Quran: Offering and
sacrifice among Pakistani Labour
Migrants by Pnina Werbner (230-
242)
Week 8
Tuesday
10/08/13
Religious practices of Islam
(continue)
3. Almsgiving (245-268)
Thursday
10/10/13
Continue….Almsgiving
Tuesday
10/15/13
Week 9
Week 10
Thursday
10/17/13
Id al-adha
(Feast of Sacrifice Holiday)
Methodological reflections on the
anthropology of Islam (270-343)
1. situating anthropology
Tuesday
10/22/13
Continue… situating anthropology
Thursday
10/24/13
Tuesday
10/29/13
Week 11
Week 12
Thursday
10/31/13
Tuesday
11/5/13
Thursday
11/07/13
2. Representing Islam
Take home Exam
Thursday 24 – Wednesday 30,
due before 8:00am
The Halal life style
Continue….The Halal life style
Continue….
The Halal life style
Tuesday
11/12/13
Continue…
Identity faith and dress
Week 14
Thursday
11/14/13
Tuesday
11/19/13
(No Class)
The Halal Frontier: Muslim
Consumers in a Globalized Market by
Johan Fishcher Chapter 1 & 2 (pp. 168)
Chapter 3 & 4(pp. 69-107)
Identity faith and dress
Week 13
*Reorganizing social welfare among
Muslims: Islamic voluntarism and
other forms of communal support in
Northern Ghana by Holger Weiss
(245-256)
*Financial worship: the quranic
injunction to almsgiving by Jonathan
Benthall (257-268)
NO CLASS / IN THE FIELD:
Participant observance of Gainesville
Muslim community celebration for Id
al-adha
(Place to be announced)
*Toward Islamic anthropology:
definition, dogma and directions by
Akbar S. Ahmed (279-293)
*Islamic anthropology and
anthropology of Islam by Richard
Tapper (294-306)
*Covering Islam: how the media and
the experts determine how we see
the rest of the world by Edward Said
(309-321)
*Islam obscured the rhetoric of
anthropological representation by
Daniel Varisco (322-343)
Take home Exam 14 – 20
due Wed. before 8:00am
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Chapter 5 & 6(pp. 108-157)
Conclusion (pp. 160-166)
Visibly Muslim: fashion, politics,
faith, by Emma Tarlo, (2010).
 Introduction
 Biographies in dress
 Geographies of Hijab
 Navigation of style
 Diversity contested
 Covering concerns
 Hijab on line
 Islamic fashion scape
+ Video on Turkey Islamic production
Oral presentation
Week 15
Week 16
Thursday
11/21, 2013
Tuesday
11/26/13
Thursday
11/28/13
Tuesday
12/03/13
Oral presentation
Ethnography of a practice of Islam
around Gainesville
Ethnography of a practice of Islam
around Gainesville
Ethnography of a practice of Islam
around Gainesville
Thanksgiving holiday
NO CLASS
Oral presentation
Rap up Session
Paper due December 07, 2013 or earlier ELECTRONIC COPY, VIA Sakai
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