Islam in World Politics
Instructor: Dr. Lisel Hintz
Email: lsh84@cornell.edu
Course Overview
This course will examine the increasingly important nexus of three overlapping
subfields of Political Science – Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Islamic
Studies – to interrogate current domestic and international. In investigating the ways in which
states, nations, and religions interact to produce salient political, economic, and cultural
outcomes, we ask questions such as: Why are state, nation, and religious borders rarely
coterminous in practice? What, if anything, differentiates Islamic identity from other forms of
identification, and how do various forms of Muslim identification differ from each other?
Examining the current international system, we will study multiple Muslim and nonMuslim nations living within one state (think of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Nigeria, India,) as well
as nationally cohesive Muslim nations spanning multiple states (think of Kurds, Palestinians,
Malays, Uyghurs). We also focus on migration’s role in continuously shifting populations that
add yet more national identities to already heterogeneous states – particularly in the ever
demographically-changing Middle East.
We will study the role of nationalism as both a “state-maker” – a passionate and
powerfully mobilizing force embodying the will of a group of individuals to ensure its right to
self-determination. We then study nationalism’s “other” side as a “state-breaker,” a divisive
and destructive force that encourages and defends policies of exclusion, marginalization of both
indigenous and migrant, mass violence, and state dissolution, particularly in Muslim countries
where sectarianism is rampant. We examine in detail cases such as Turkey, in which Islam has
been alternately treated as a uniting force and an enemy of the state. What explains the
increasing polarization between Islamism and secularism? Are the behaviors prescribed by
these two forms of identification compatible? We then deepen our investigation of the state,
nationalism, and Islamic identities (SNII) nexus by examining the formation of collective
identity along state, national, and religious lines. We will also investigate the multiple,
overlapping identities humans possess – e.g., ethnic, religious, gender, and sexual identities –
and the roles such identities play in defining the composite identity of individuals as well as the
social identities of states in the Islamic world.
We then expand the discussion to demographic shifts – voluntary and forced – looking
both at the right to reside, while also investigating their own identities in “diaspora” – a term
with many meanings to unpack. We particularly examine changing behaviors in various
diasporas – from the seemingly counter-intuitive second- and third- generation radicalization of
Muslims in Western Europe to the role of increasingly active Muslim diasporas (e.g. Azeris,
Lebanese, Syrians, Uyghurs) in the politics of conflict resolution and/or escalation in their
homelands.
In a world of multi-dimensional, overlapping, and often conflictual identities influenced
by geopolitics (think Arab nationalism, calls for a return to the ummah), struggles for
recognition do not occur exclusively along state and national fault-lines. We
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will therefore highlight the intensely competitive nature of the politics of Muslim identities by
examining the legitimacy and authority associated with different sources of identity, both
material in the case of territoriality and ideational in the sense of shared culture, experience, and
beliefs. We will ask whether a normative hierarchy of identities exists that ascribes value and
perhaps even primacy to certain identities over others. If so, can an identity have a material
value, i.e., can it be commodified? Can Islam and its norms of piety accommodate the newly
wealthy Islamic bourgeoisie? Is identity politics better viewed as a struggle for values or a
struggle for power and status?
The course concludes with a reflective examination of nationalism, the numerous
iterations of Muslim identity, and the state in an international system characterized by
increasingly politicized multiple identities, population flows, instantaneous information and
communication networks facilitated by multiple forms of social media, and the arguably
mythical status of the nation-state. Why do nations’ frequent struggles for statehood persist in a
world that is increasingly challenging the Westphalian state-centric paradigm? Or do studies of
various forms of nationalism and typically “non-Western” concepts such as Muslim identities
merely constitute part of that challenge?
Method of Instruction:
The course will be presented in the form of 12 one-hour lectures and 12 one-hour
discussion sections as an interdisciplinary investigation of the nexus of the state, nationalism,
and Islamic identities. Lectures will engage key concepts and themes in the required and
suggested readings to provide academic analysis of the subject matter.
Discussion sections will be a forum for clarification, debate, and student engagement
with the issues presented in each week’s lecture and readings. The discussion sections serve the
additional purpose of connecting theoretical and conceptual debates raised in lectures to current
empirical cases. Students’ attendance and participation in seminars are crucial to generating
fruitful, stimulating discussion and are therefore required. To make the most of this course,
students are expected to familiarize themselves with topical events involving issues of
nationalism and identity in current international politics, and to be able to raise and critically
engage these issues in discussion sections as active participants. Readings may be supplemented
by topical op-ed style pieces at the discretion of the instructor. Laptops, cell phones, and other
electronic devices are not permitted in class unless specific arrangements made with the
instructor.
Method of Assessment:
1. Map Quiz (10%)
In order to establish a solid foundation for the geographical area we will be studying and
the borders that have played such a prominent role in shaping debates about the state,
nationalism, and Islamic identities, students will be required to pass a map quiz. Students are
required to place the country names and capitals of the Middle East/North Africa and Muslimmajority states onto a blank map, with no more than two errors. Students may take this quiz as
many times as is necessary in order to receive the full 10% of the grade.
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2. Discussion Section Participation (20%):
As noted above, to facilitate productive discussion and active learning, students are required to
attend all discussion sections unless excused in advance by the instructor. Students are expected
to have completed all required readings and come prepared with questions, critiques, and topics
for discussion and debate. To make the most of this course, students are also expected to
familiarize themselves with topical events involving issues of nationalism, identity, and Islam,
and to be able to raise and critically address these issues in discussion sections as active
participants. Students will be assessed based on the level and quality of their participation, as
well as on their attendance. Students with more than two unexcused absences will receive an
automatic deduction in their participation grade.
3. 2,000 Word Short Essay (20%): Due at the start of Week 6’s lecture
Students will select one of three suggested topics drawn from material covered in the first five
weeks of the term. Students will explore their selected topics in a short essay to be handed in at
the beginning of the sixth week. Written feedback will be provided for these essays to assist
students in preparing for the final research paper.
4. 4,000 Word Analytical Essay (50%): Due at TBA
The research paper will consist of an extended analysis of one – or comparative analysis of
several – of the topics covered in the course. This paper will provide students with the
opportunity to explore in depth an issue area within the scope of the course that is of particular
interest to them, to develop an argument, and to conduct research to support that argument. The
paper should demonstrate the student’s ability to apply a theoretical framework to at least one of
the concepts presented during the course (e.g., sectarianism and the politics of marginalization;
precursors for radicalization and de-radicalization of Muslim populations in various contexts; the
role of Islamic symbolism in constructing a nationalist discourse), should show analytical and
critical thinking skills, and should be well-written and well-sourced. Students are strongly
encouraged to meet with the instructor to discuss their intended topics.
Academic Integrity
Academic dishonesty, including cheating on exams and plagiarism, will not be tolerated. Any
student engaging in such activities will be dealt with in accordance with university policy. It is
your responsibility to know what constitutes plagiarism, and what the university policies are. If
you have doubts, we would be happy to discuss with you. Please refer to the current course
catalogue for more information on the Student Honor code.
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Week 1: Lecture
Introduction: The Double Myth of the Nation-State
Objective: To provide an introduction to the course, including an overview of the topics to be
examined, the structure and format of the lectures and discussion sections, and an in-depth,
critical consideration of the concept of the nation-state.
Required Readings:
1.
Gellner, Ernest. “What is a Nation?” in Nations and Nationalism. Oxford: Blackwell,
1983.
2.
Anderson, Benedict. “Imagined Communities,” in Hutchinson, J. and A.D. Smith
(eds.) Nationalism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994.
3.
Connor, Walker. “A Nation is a Nation, is a State, is an Ethnic Group, is a …” in
Hutchinson, J. and A.D. Smith, op. cit.
4.
Schöpflin, George. “The Functions of Myth and the Taxonomy of Myths,” in Hosking,
Geoffrey and George Schöpflin (eds.) Myths and Nationhood. London: Hurst and Co., 1997.
Suggested Readings:
1.
Miller, David. “National Identity,” in On Nationality. Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 1995.
2.
Smith, Anthony D. “National and Other Identities,” in National Identity. London:
Penguin, 1991.
3.
Cobban, Alfred. “The Idea of the Nation-State,” in The Nation State and National SelfDetermination. New York: Thomas Cromwell Co., 1969.
Week 1: Discussion Section
Ideas for consideration: We will explore existing definitions of the nation and of the state and
will use these definitions to begin to uncover the double myth of the nation- state. While we will
consider the role of myth in creating, sustaining, and fuelling nationalism next week, we begin
the course by asking a very basic question: Does the nation-state actually exist or is it merely a
myth? To answer this question, we take a critical look at the international system to see where
nations lie in relation to state borders. Can nations exist without states or states without nations?
Can we even claim to identify discernible nation borders?
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Week 2: Lecture
The Chicken or the Egg? The Nation or the State?
Objective: To investigate the relationship between the development of national consciousness
and state-formation through contrasting theoretical approaches.
Required Readings:
1.
Geertz, Clifford. “Primordial and Civic Ties,” in Hutchinson, J. and A. D. Smith,
op. cit.
2.
Smith, Anthony D. “The Modernist Fallacy” (Chapter 2), in Nations and
Nationalism in a Global Era. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1995.
3.
Schöpflin, George. “The Functions of Myth and the Taxonomy of Myths,” in
Hosking, Geoffrey and George Schöpflin (eds.) Myths and Nationhood. London: Hurst and Co.,
1997.
Further Readings:
1.
Berlin, Isaiah. “The Bent Twig,” in The Crooked Timber of Humanity. Princeton:
Princeton University Press, 1990.
2.
Nairn, Tom. “The Modern Janus,” in New Left Review, I/94 November- December,
1075.
3.
Breuilly, John. “Approaches to Nationalism,” in Balakrishnan, Gopal
Mapping the Nation. London: Verso, 1996.
4.
Nairn, Tom. “The Maladies of Development,” in Hutchinson, J. and A. D. Smith,
op. cit.
Week 2: Discussion Section
Ideas for consideration: This week we will explore existing theories of nationalism and their
conceptions of the role of nationalism in the “construction” of the state. Are states the inevitable
consequence of nations seeking boundaries to protect their groups? Or do state borders define
and delineate a collective identity for individuals which inspires them to feel part of a nation? In
brief, is the state a product of the nation or its producer? What role does a “founding myth” play
in both of these processes? In reviewing the theories available concerning the development, rise,
and existence/persistence of nationalism, we will identify the various explanations these theories
offer, as well as the mechanisms each calls upon in investigating nationalism. We will then
evaluate whether these theories adequately explain the emergence and continued presence of
varieties of nationalism in the current international system.
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Week 3: Lecture
Nationalism as State-Maker or State-Breaker?
Objective: To explore the “Janus face” of nationalism which strives to divide and/or dissolve
states in the struggle for self-determination or alternative forms of identification.
Required Readings:
1.
Van Evera, Stephen. “Hypotheses on Nationalism and the Causes of War,” in
Kupchan, Charles (ed.) Nationalism and Nationalities in the New Europe. Ithaca: Cornell
University Press, 1995.
2.
Mayall, James. “Irredentist and Secessionist Challenges,” in Hutchinson, J. and A.
D. Smith, op. cit.
3.
Halliday, Fred. “The Perils of Community,” in Nations and Nationalism, Vol. 6,
Issue 2, April 2000.
4.
Ignatieff, Michael. “Benign Nationalism? The Possibilities of the Civic Ideal,” in
Mortimer, Edward (ed.) People, Nation and State. London: I. B. Taurs Publishers, 1999.
Further Readings:
1.
Walzer, Michael. “The New Tribalism: Notes on a Difficult Problem,” in Dahbour,
Omar and Micheline R Ishay The Nationalism Reader. New Jersey: Humanities Press, 1995.
2.
Djilas, Aleksa. “Fear They Neighbour: The Breakup of Yugoslavia,” in Kupchan,
Charles (ed.) Nationalism and Nationalities in the New Europe. Ithaca: Cornell University Press,
1995.
Week 3: Discussion Section
Ideas for consideration: In Week 2 we examined the role of nationalism in consolidating
identity within state borders in processes of state-formation/construction of the state. This is, of
course, not the only role nationalism has played nor continues to play in the international system.
This week we consider nationalism as a mechanism of division and dispersion. How is
nationalism used by groups within the state and by groups across state borders and for what
reasons? How can the particularization of identity be used politically to include and exclude?
Does this understanding legitimize intolerance and violence in pursuit of “societal security”?
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Week 4: Lecture
A Western Export or a Force of a Different Color?
Nationalism in Non-Western Context
Objective: To compare and critically evaluate the “experience” of nationalism in what is
traditionally understood to be its place of birth to forms of nationalism in other regions,
particularly the Arab and Islamic worlds.
Required Readings:
1.
Kedourie, Elie. “Introduction,” in Nationalism in Asia and Africa. London:
Weidenfield and Nicholson, 1971, pp. 1-22.
2.
Scheffler T. “‘Fertile Crescent,’ ‘Orient,’ ‘Middle East’: The Changing Mental
Maps of Southwest Asia,” in European Review of History, Vol. 10, No. 2, 2003.
3.
Gölkap, Ziya. “The Ideal of Nationalism,” in Kedourie, op. cit., pp. 189-206;
originally in Berkes, Niyazi. (ed. and trans.) Turkish Nationalism and Western Civilisation.
London: George Allen & Unwin, 1959.
4.
Rahmat Ali, Choudhury. “The Idea of Pakistan,” in Kedourie, Elie op. cit., pp.
245-249.
5.
Jreisat, Jamil. “The Arab World: Reform or Stalemate,” in Journal of Asian and
African Studies, Vol. 41, No. 5, 2006.
Further Readings:
1.
Kedourie, Elie. “Introduction (cont.),” in Nationalism in Asia and Africa.
2.
Huntington, Samuel. “Civilizations in History and Today” (Chapter Two), in The
Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. London: Simon and Schuster, 2002, pp.
40-55.
Week 4: Discussion Section
Ideas for consideration: Here we explore existing theories of nationalism and their conceptions
of the role of nationalism in the “construction” of the state. Are states the inevitable consequence
of nations seeking boundaries to protect their groups? Or do state borders define and delineate a
collective identity for individuals that inspires them to feel part of a nation? In the Arab World,
specifically, what role did Picot-Sykes place in this – what role does it continue to play today and
with what consequences? What role does a “founding myth” play in both of these processes? Are
the experiences of “non- Western” or “post-colonial” nationalisms fundamentally different than
those of nationalist movements in “traditional” European birthplace? In brief, is the state a
product of the nation or its producer? In reviewing the theories available in various temporal and
geographical contexts, we evaluate whether these theories adequately explain the emergence and
continued presence of nationalism and Islamic identifications in various regions of the
international system using specific current cases.
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Week 5: Lecture
Pan-Arab and Pan-Islamist Movements
Objective: Building off last week’s lecture, we investigate the origins, intellectual
underpinnings, and evolutions of supra-state movements such as Arab nationalism, the
movements to unite the ummah, and Islamic Pan-Turkism.
Required Readings:
1.
Jankowski, James. Nassar’s Egypt, Arab Nationalism, and the United Arab
Republic, Chapters 5 (“The Creation of the United Arab Republic,” pp. 101-14) and 6
(“Experiment in Unity,” pp. 115-36). Boulder, CO: Lynne Reimer, 2001.
2.
Kramer, Martin. “Arab Nationalism: Mistaken Identity,” Daedelus, Vol. 122, No. 3,
1993.
3.
Mandaville, Peter. Transnational Muslim Politics: Reimagining the Ummah.
Chapters TBA. New York, NY: Routledge, 2003.
4.
Saunders, Riaz. “The Ummah as Nation: A Reappraisal in the Wake of the ‘Cartoon
Affairs’,” in Nations and Nationalism Vol. 14, No. 2, 2008.
5.
Hyman, Anthony. “Turkestan and Pan-Turkism Revisited,” in Central Asian
Review, Vol. 16, No. 3, 1997.
Further Readings:
1.
Jankowski, James. Nassar’s Egypt, Arab Nationalism, and the United Arab
Republic, entire book.
2.
Uzer, Umut. “Racism in Turkey: The Case of Huseyin Nihal Atsiz,” in Journal of
Muslim Minority Affairs, Vol. 22, No. 1, 2002.
Week 5: Discussion Section
Ideas for consideration: Last week we examined the role of various forms of separatist
nationalisms in challenging the traditional Westphalian state order. This week we turn our
attention to pan-movements that similarly question the legitimacy of state boundaries,
particularly those of pan-Arabism, pan-Islam, and Islamic pan-Turkism. Rather than mechanisms
solely of division, by what narrative and mechanisms do these movements seek to unite “longlost brothers” based on a variety of pan-ideologies? How are Arab nationalism and Islam used by
groups within the state and by groups across state borders and for what reasons? What are the
international contexts that give rise to such movements? In what ways have these movements
succeeded and in what ways have they failed? What do these lessons tell us about pan-ideologies
in general?
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Week 6: Lecture
Short essays must be handed in BEFORE lecture
Investigating Identity I: Identity in Theory
Objective: To explore the various treatments of identity in the fields for which the state and
nationalism are subjects of study, including International Relations, Comparative Politics, and
Sociology.
Required Readings:
1.
Mennell, Stephen. “The Formation of We-Images: A Process Theory,” in Calhoun,
Craig (ed.) Social Theory and the Politics of Identity. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, Ltd. 1998.
2.
Marranci, Gabriele. “Multiculturalism, Islam, and the Clash of Civilisations
Theory: Rethinking Islamophobia,” in Culture and Religion, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2004.\
3.
McSweeny, Bill, “Identity and Security: Buzan and the Copenhagen School,” in
Review of International Studies, Vol. 22, 1996.
Further Readings:
1.
Campbell, David. “Foreign Policy and Identity,” in Writing Security: United States
Foreign Policy and the Politics of Identity. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1992, pp.
61-83.
2.
Appiah, Kwame Anthony. Excerpt from “The Demands of Identity,” in The Ethics
of Identity. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2005, pp. 62-105.
Week 6: Discussion Section
Ideas for consideration: Complicated by its many interpretations and functions as a heuristic in
the social sciences, identity nevertheless is a concept which many argue demands attention in the
study of the international system. Why do we identify with individuals along certain lines but not
others? What factors influence those whom we identify as “us” and those we categorize as
“them”? How does the way in which we identify ourselves and others influence the way in which
we interact? We will draw from sociological and political explanations for collective formation
of national and state identities, as well as philosophical contentions of the human need for
identification at the group level. Several treatments of identity as part of a theoretical framework
for analysis of the international system will be considered to lay the foundation for next week’s
investigation of identity in practice.
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Week 7: Lecture
Investigating Identity II: Identity in Practice
Objective: To utilize the understandings of identity derived last week to examine the multiple
roles different forms of identity and “Other-ing” play in the international system.
Required Readings:
1.
Campbell, David. “Introduction,” and “”Rewriting Security II,” in Campbell,
op. cit., pp, 1-12 and 223-240.
2.
Seul, Jeffrey. “‘Ours Is the Way of God’: Religion, Identity, and Intergroup
Conflict,” in Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 36, No. 5, 1999.
3.
Neumann, Iver. Uses of the Other: The East in European Identity Formation.
Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, 1998. Entire book.
Further Readings:
1.
Kasianove, Alia. “Russia: Still Open to the West? Evolution of the State Identity in
the Foreign Policy and Security Discourse,” in Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 53, Issue 6, 2001.
2.
Farrands, Chris. “Society, Modernity, and Social Change: Approaches to
Nationalism and Identity,” in Krause, Jill and Neil Renwick (eds) Identities in International
Relations. Houndmills: Macmillan, 1996.
Week 7: Discussion Section
Ideas for consideration: Complicated by its many interpretations and functions as a heuristic in
the social sciences, identity nevertheless is a concept which many argue demands attention in the
study of the international system. Why do we identify with individuals along certain lines but not
others? What factors influence those whom we identify as “us” and those we categorize as
“them”? How does “Other-ing” happen, and who decides who becomes the “Other”? How does
the way in which we identify ourselves and others influence the way in which we interact? What
is the significance of state identity in formulating foreign policy, i.e. what is the relationship
between statehood and statecraft? How can being identified as different or as an “Other” hinder
states’ objectives? How do national identities form within states, and how do they impact
politics at the state and international levels?
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Week 8: Lecture
Investigating Identities III: Islamic Identities in Practice
Objective: To explore the specific dynamic of various forms of Islam in practice in terms of how
they take shape, mobilize, and influence both individual and socio-political identities.
Required Readings:
1.
Ismail, Salwa. “Being Muslim: Islam, Islamism, and Identity Politics,” in
Government and Opposition, Vol. 39, No. 4, 2004.
2.
Kurzman, Charles. “Conclusion: Social Movement Theory and Islamic Studies,” in
Islamic Activism: A Social Movement Theory Approach. Quintan Wiktorowicz (ed.)
Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2004.
3.
Abdo, Genevieve. No God but God: Egypt and the Triumph of Islam. Chapters
TBA. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 202.
4.
White, Jenny. Islamic Mobilization in Practice: A Study in Vernacular Politics.
Chapters 2 and 3. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 2002.
5.
Arjomand, Said Amir. The Turban for the Crown: The Islamic Revolution in Iran.
Chapters TBA. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989.
Further Readings:
1.
Wickham, Carrie Rosefsky. The Muslim Brotherhood: Evolution of an Islamist
Movement. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2013.
2.
El-Ghobashy, Mona. “The Metamorphosis of the Egyptian Muslim Brothers,” in
International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 37, No. 3, 2005.
3.
Lynch, Marc (ed.). The Arab Uprisings Explained: New Contentious Politics in the
Middle East. New York: Columbia University Press, 2014.
4.
Pasha MK. “Fractured Worlds: Islam, Identity, and International Relations,” in
Global Society, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2003.
Week 8: Discussion Section
Ideas for consideration: This week’s discussion examines the multiple iterations of Islamic
identities in practice, analyzing their mobilization, evolution, and variation. How, if at all, does
the formation of and adherence to Muslim identities shape behavior on the social and political
realm? How do the readings from this week differ, at all, from those in our discussion of other
forms of identification? Is there anything exceptional about belonging to a Muslim identity?
How, if at all, does a monolithic conceptualization of “Muslim identity” affect such discussions?
This is a more case-study-heavy discussion than some other weeks’ investigations, with specific
focus on Egypt, Turkey, and Iran. The following week broadens our analysis of Islam to parse
out sectarian, regional, and socio-economic variations.
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Week 9 Lecture:
Expanding the Discussion: Sectarian and Regional Variations within Islamic
Identities
Objective: To enrich our understanding of some of the many variations of Islam across sect,
region, and economic status, and how conflicts among these divisions arise.
Required Readings:
1.
Dawisha, Adeed. “‘Identity’ and Political Survival in Saddam’s Iraq,” in
The Middle East Journal, Vol. 53, No.4 1999.
3. “The New Sectarianism: The Arab Uprisings and the Rebirth if the Sunni- Shi’a Divide,”
Analysis Paper, Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings Institution. Pdf available at:
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2013/04/sunni%20sh
ia%20abdo/sunni%20shia%20abdo.
3.
Zahab, Mariam Abou. “The Regional Dimension of Sectarian Conflicts in
Pakistan,” in Jaffrelot, Christophe (ed.) Pakistan: Nationalism without a Nation. London: Zed
Books Ltd, 2002.
4.
Çakır, Ruşen. “Political Alevism versus Political Sunnism: Convergences and
Divergences,” in Olsson, Tord, Elisabeth Özdalga, and Catharina Raudvere (eds.) Alevi Identity:
Cultural, Social, and Religious Perspectives. London: Routledge: 1998.
5.
Heryanto, A. “Identity Politics of Indonesia’s New Rich,” in Michael Pinches
(ed.) Culture and Privilege in Capitalist Asia. London: Routledge, 1999.
Further Readings:
1.
Al-Rashid Madawi. “Sectarianism as Counter-Revolution,” in Studies in
Ethnicity and Nationalism, Vol. 11, No. 3, 2011.
2.
Di Peri, Rosita. “Re-defining the Balance of Power in Lebanon: Sunni and
Shiite Communities’ Transformations, the Regional Context and the Arab Uprisings,” in Oriente
Moderno, Vol. 94, No. 2, 2014.
3.
Erman, Tahire and Emrah Göker. “Alevi Politics in Contemporary Turkey, in
Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 36, No. 4, 2000.
4.
Entelis, John (ed). Islam, Democracy, and the State in North Africa.
Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1997.
Week 9: Discussion Section
Ideas for consideration: This week’s discussion broadens our analysis to study sectarian and
regional variations of Islam. How and why do sectarian clashes form? Are the sources of these
rooted more in fundamentally value-based religious differences or struggles for power? How
does regional context shape the social and political evolution of Islam? What other examples can
you bring to the discussion to enrich our understanding of various convergences and divergences
among iterations of Islam?
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Week 10: Lecture
Islamic Identities in the Diaspora
Objective: To gain a deeper understanding of the motivations, experiences, and transformations
of various groups of Muslims (e.g. Syrians, Southeast Asians, Palestinians, Uyghurs) in the
diaspora, as well as their effects on their host countries.
Required Readings:
1.
Goerzig, Carolin and Khaled Al-Hashimi. Radicalisation in Western Europe:
Integration, Public Discourse, and Loss of Identity among Muslim Communities. Chapters TBA.
London: Routledge, 2014.
2.
Mavroudi, Elizabeth. “Learning to be Palestinian in Athens: Constructing National
Identities in Diaspora,” in Global Networks Vol. 7, No. 4, 2007.
3.
Werbner, Pnina. Theorizing Complex Diasporas: Purity and Hybridity in the South
Asian Public Sphere in Britain,” in Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Vol. 30, No. 5,
2004.
4.
Culpepper, Rucker. “Nationalist Competition on the Internet: Uyghur Diaspora
versus the Chinese State Media,” in Asian Ethnicity, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2012.
5.
Anden-Papadapoulous Kari and Merve Pantti. “The Media Work of Syrian Diaspora
Activists,” in International Journal of Communication, Vol. 7, 2013/
6.
Cohen, Robin. “Diasporas and the Nation-State: From Victims to Challengers,” in
International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs) Vol. 72, No. 3.
7.
Baser, Bahar and Ashok Swain. “Stateless Diaspora Groups and their Repertoires of
Nationalist Activism in Host Countries,” EUI Publication. Pdf available at:
http://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/14820/Baser_Swain_StatelessDiaspor a3659.pdf?sequence=2.
Further Readings:
1.
Noiriel, Gerard. “Immigration: Amnesia and Memory,” in French Historical
Studies, Vol. 19, No. 2, 1995.
2.
Bauböck, Rainer. “Cultural Minority Rights for Immigrants,” in International
Migration Review, Vol 30, No. 1, 1996.
3.
Kurthen, Hermann. “Germany at the Crossroads: National Identity and the
Challenges of Immigration,” in International Migration Review, Vol. 29, No. 4, 1995.
Week 10: Discussion Section
Ideas for consideration: Now that we have sketched the difficulties of nation-state selfunderstanding and identity creation, we turn to the equally difficult question of the integration of
state’s identity with Muslim migration, refugee dispersals, and diasporas. While in some cases a
state is founded upon immigration, other states are accidental states of migration. In either case,
migration has a significant impact upon a state’s identity. How, for example, do diasporic
communities affect the identities of their host countries? Does being Muslim in any way change
the experience for the migrant or the residents of the host country? How do these communities’
identities consolidate and evolve? We will also examine the extent to which extent the
development of new forms of social media have facilitated the maintenance of identity.
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Week 11: Lecture
Politics of Identity: Speaking Truth to Power?
Objective: To investigate the struggle for recognition and political relevance of individuals
identifying themselves with groups other than, or in addition to, the nation and/or the state.
Required Readings:
1.
Calhoun, Craig. “Social Theory and the Politics of Identity”, in Calhoun, Craig
(ed.) Social Theory and the Politics of Identity. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, Ltd. 1998.
2.
Rosaldo, Renato. “Identity Politics: An Ethnography by a Participant”, in Alcoff,
Linda Martin, Michael Hames Garcia, Satya P. Mohanty, and Paula
M. L. Moya (eds.) Identity Politics Reconsidered. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.
3.
Hames-Garcia, Michael. “What’s at Stake in ‘Gay’ Identities,” in Alcoff, et al., op.
cit.
4.
Afshar, Haleh, Rob Aitken, and Myfanwy Franks. “Feminisms, Islamophobia, and
Identities,” in Political Studies, Vol. 53, Issue 2, 2005, pp. 262-283.
5.
Fawcett, Rachelle. “The Reality and Future of Islamic Feminism,” in Al- Jazeera.
28 March 2013: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/03/201332715585855781.ht ml.
Further Readings:
1.
Taylor, Charles. “The Politics of Recognition,” in Gutman, Amy (ed)
Multiculturalism. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994.
2.
Scott, Joan. “Multiculturalism and the Politics of Identity,” in October, Vol. 61,
Summer 1992.
Week 11: Discussion Section
Ideas for consideration: Against the discourse of national and state identity rise challenges from
those claiming and actively seeking recognition of multiple “alternative” identities including
gender, religious, and sexual identities. While striving for political legitimacy and inclusion
along many different sources of identification, the practice of identity politics are often criticized
for being fractious and disruptive to the unity and stability of the state. This week we investigate
whether nationalism is the only form of identification that can legitimately claim a right to selfdetermination. We will examine the efforts of various groups in their quests for recognition,
rights, autonomy, etc., as well as challenges the have faced by identifying themselves along lines
other than the nation and/or the state. Can identity politics in forms such as Islamic feminism and
LGBT activism in Muslim-majority countries constitute a means of speaking truth to power?
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Week 12: Lecture
Multiple Identity Disorder or Postmodern State?
Beyond Westphalia and All That
Objective: To trace shifting patterns in an age of globalization and “glocalization,” and
particularly their effect on Islamic and other forms of collective identification, we reflect on the
relation of these identities to the future of the state as a legitimate (or even viable) socio-political
entity.
Required Readings:
1.
Ongur, Hakan Övünç. Minorities of Europeanization: The New Others of
European Social Identity. Chapter 4. London: Lexington Books, 2014.
2.
Hassan, Riaz. “Globalisation’s Challenge to the Islamic Ummah,” in Asian Journal
of Social Science Vol. 43, No. 2, 2006.
3.
Kaldor, Mary. “Cosmopolitanism Versus Nationalism: The New Divide?” in
Richard Kaplan and John Feffer (eds.) Europe’s New Nationalism. Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 1996.
4.
Eriksen, Thomas Hylland. “Nationalism and the Internet,” in Nations and
Nationalism, Vol. 13, Issue 1, 2007.
Further Readings:
1.
Lott, Erik. “After Identity, Politics: The Return to Universalism,” in New Literary
History, Vol. 31, No. 4, 2000.
2.
Croucher, Sheila L. “Perpetual Imagining: Nationhood in a Global Era,” in
International Studies Review, Vol. 5, 2000.
3.
Appiah, Kwame Anthony. “Rooted Cosmopolitanism,” in The Ethics of Identity.
New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2005.
4.
Barker, Charles. Television, Globalization, and Cultural Identities. Buckingham:
Open University Press, 1999.
Week 12: Discussion Section
Ideas for consideration: In a world of nations without states and states without nations, of
supra-national political collectivities alongside regional/sub-state entities, of
ethnic/gender/religious/sectarian politics coinciding with campaigns for universal human rights,
where and how does the state fit in? With so many alternative sources of identification in a
simultaneously globalizing and “glocalizing” world, what authority as a source of identity does
the state retain? What do non-national and non-state identities mean for our conceptualization of
sovereignty and, by extension, the nature of the international system? Having considered
nationalism, pan-ideologies, diasporas, and multiple forms of Muslim identification as challenges
to the state as an institutionalization of these identifications, we conclude our study by examining
the impact of multiple, shifting, hybrid, and overlapping forms of collective identification on the
future of the state and its inhabitants.
Analytical Essay is due TBA
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