İstanbul Şehir University
SOCIOLOGY 392
Winter 2014
SOCIOLOGY OF CONTEMPORARY MUSLIM EXPERIENCES
An International Course Taught in Conjunction with Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada
Instructors: Dr. Gavin Brockett and Dr. Mehmet Fatih Aysan
Email addresses: gbrockett@wlu.ca and mfaysan@sehir.edu.tr
Office Hours: Dr. Brockett can be reached by email to arrange for a chat or Skype appointment.
Class times:
WLU (Canada): Wednesdays, 8:30-11:20
Şehir (Turkey): Wednesdays, 15:30-18:20
(please note that on March 12, 19 and 26 the class will begin at 14:30 in Turkey)
INTRODUCTION
In recent years the new field of Muslim Studies has emerged. It is unique due to its multidisciplinary approach to exploring and analyzing the diversity of contemporary Muslim
experiences both in Canada and internationally. Typically, “Islamic Studies” fosters a historical
perspective on the formation of a world religion, while “Middle East Studies” emphasizes
international relations and the politics of conflict. Muslim Studies, by contrast, concentrates on
the people who identify as Muslim and who participate in every possible sector of society,
including business, government, science, education, media and advocacy for human rights. It
includes those who are a minority, as in Canada, and those who live in Muslim-majority
countries as Turkey.
This course introduces students to Muslim Studies: we consider how we might best explore the
diversity of Muslim experiences while at the same time developing a coherent and productive
analytical framework. As we address important issues related to Muslims today, we bring to
this work a variety of disciplinary perspectives sensitive to history, religion, culture, gender,
social position and language, in both local and global contexts. Our primary focus will be on
Muslims in Canada and in Turkey, however we will situate these in larger context of Muslim
experiences in many parts of the world today.
Students in this course will have the unique opportunity to collaborate with peers in Canada
and Turkey. To do so you will step out of your natural comfort zone and engage in a new form
of “active learning” – this means learning through a combination of lecture, individual work and
group work.
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AN INTERNATIONAL COURSE OF A DIFFERENT SORT
Is this course really for me?
Well, think about what you really want to get out of your university experience. Do you want to
gain some really interesting knowledge, and do you want to have an enjoyable learning
experience with other students in Canada and Turkey? Are you up for a challenge and prepared
to work consistently over the course of term? If your answer is “yes” then this is a course for
you. Hang on tight, because you’re in for a great ride. You won’t regret it.
How is this course going to work?
Think of this course as a business investment. The more effort you invest in it, the more you
will learn – and the more you will feel that it has been worthwhile. Each week Dr. Brockett will
guide you in the learning process with an introductory lecture, and periods of discussion
throughout the class. You are asked to prepare a short, “response paper” to an assigned article
every week. In class we will engage in further reading, on-line research, and discussion.
Sometimes that discussion will be verbal and visual, including students in both classrooms; at
other times it will be textual, requiring students to chat on-line with their learning cluster
members who are in both Istanbul and Waterloo.
How are we going to manage to learn together with students in another country?
Think of this course as an adventure in relationship building that will lead to a sort of learning
you have never done before. Through video-conferencing and chat-rooms you have the
opportunity to gain new friends in another country. Because you are all comfortable with
technology, you will find ways to learn together and to overcome some of the challenges of
cross-cultural communication.
What happens if the technology fails?
Think of technology as a means to enhance our learning experience. If there are problems,
there will be instructors in both classrooms to ensure that planned activities continue. If videoconferencing isn’t working, we always have chat-rooms. And we encourage you to make use of
technology to keep chatting and learning together after class.
What do I do if some of my learning partners are not working hard and making a strong
contribution to our cluster?
Think of the fact that each person has their own learning style, and that one skill you are going
to develop in this class is figuring out how to work effectively with other people. It can be
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frustrating, and we encourage you to be patient with each other. We also encourage you to
talk together to sort out any difficulties in your learning cluster. Sometimes you might discover
important information about someone that will help you work well together. In the end, you
are welcome to raise concerns about your learning cluster’s performance with the instructors
and we will discuss with you the best way to tackle a particular problem.
THE INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE
It is not easy to sync two universities in two countries and students who are used to different
learning environments. But we believe it is worth the effort!
Instructors
The course is taught by Dr. Brockett at WLU. However, Dr. Aysan will be in the classroom in
Istanbul and be available to help students at Şehir. Dr. Brockett hopes (inşallah) to be at the
first class for Şehir students, and after the international portion of the course has been
completed he will teach the final classes of the term via video-conferencing with the help of Dr.
Aysan.
Schedules
The terms at WLU and Şehir start at different times, and so the course is designed to
accommodate the different schedules. Laurier students begin on January 8, while Şehir
students begin on February 19. Students will engage in international learning for 7 weeks. For
the remainder of your term you will be learning only with students in your home country.
On-line Learning Portal
Students at both WLU and Şehir will be registered on the Laurier MyLearningSpace site for this
class. You will have access to assigned readings as well as to chat-rooms for your learning
cluster.
Learning Clusters
Students will undertake work in class and on projects in learning clusters. These clusters will be
international – they will include students in both Canada and Turkey. Students will work
together through chat-rooms, and you are encouraged to find ways to communicate outside of
the class environment.
Culture and Time Difference
The class will be held in the early morning in Waterloo and in the late afternoon in Istanbul.
Normally there is a seven hour time difference, but in March there are three weeks when there
will only be a six hour time difference due to daylight savings time. This means that on March
12, 19 and 26 students in Istanbul will meet from 2:30 to 5:30 (at least we hope we are
correct)!
Each week there will be a 20 minute break at the appropriate time for namaz so students in
Waterloo or Istanbul are able to perform salat.
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Technology
We are utilizing a high-end video-conferencing system managed by WLU and installed in the
summer of 2013. While we cannot guarantee the absence of problems, all efforts have been
made to prepare the system to ensure smooth operation.
Students will need to bring to class either a laptop or a smart-phone in order to access the
internet.
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COURSE GRADES
This is not a standard lecture course. You will be graded on your weekly work that contributes
directly to your learning.
Active Learning and Participation
Group e-Project
Final Reflection – Take-home Exam
45%
30%
25%
Your Active Learning and Participation Grade (45%)
This course requires all students to prepare for each class and to participate actively in small
learning clusters each week. Because this is an essential component of the course, 45% of your
grade will reflect the degree to which you have actively engaged in learning.
Your participation grade will take into account:
1. The quality of your weekly written responses to the assigned reading.
2. The quality of your contribution your learning cluster chat-room, and to class discussion.
3. The quality of the work produced each week by your learning cluster.
A significant measure of this participation will be the short assignments you contribute to your
“portfolio” according to the course schedule.
A Guaranteed Participation Grade
If you attend twelve of the thirteen scheduled classes and demonstrate engagement
with the subject; and if you complete ten of the eleven weekly written response papers
satisfactorily and on time then you are guaranteed a participation grade of 70%. If you
do not meet these basic requirements then your participation grade will reflect this
accordingly. Of course, you can earn much higher grades based on strong and active
participation in class, and based on thoughtful and carefully produced weekly written
responses.
While we expect you to attend every class, we realize unexpected events may interfere
with your schedule. Therefore, you will be “forgiven” one class over the course of the
term (although it cannot be the class you are supposed to make a presentation!). You
will also be “forgiven” one weekly written response paper.
Should you encounter serious health concerns that prevent your regular participation in
the class please talk to Dr. Brockett and/or Dr. Aysan about arranging a suitable solution
to the problem.
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Weekly Written Response Papers
Each week you are expected to read one article in preparation for class. To ensure that
you have understood the article you are required to write a short 300-word paper in
response to a question about its content. Each week you will submit your paper to the
MyLearningSpace Drop Box before the start of class (the box will close at that time).
Late assignments cannot be accepted.
These papers will not be graded for grammar or writing style, although you should do
your best to write coherent and well-edited essays each time. The primary purpose of
the assignment is to ensure that you take the time to think about the assigned reading
in anticipation of the next class. Each essay will be evaluated briefly in accordance with
this goal and you will receive comments on your grade page on MyLearningSpace.
All portfolio assignments should be typed, double-spaced. They should have the date
and your name at the top.
The Group e-Project (30%)
On April 9 your cluster will submit an “e-project.” This is a research project that all members of
your cluster will contribute to. Your cluster will select one of the eight course themes to
explore in greater depth. You will work together to plan your project, to undertake the
necessary research, and to produce the final product.
Each cluster will submit:
1. An initial project proposal no more than 2 pages long that explains what question you
will be asking, the nature of the research, and the role that each person will play. You
must include a comprehensive list of sources that you will use for this project: these
sources will reflect the methodological approach that is most suitable to your project.
You will submit this proposal on-line to the Drop Box by the beginning of class on March
12. You will receive feedback on this proposal, specifically regarding the direction of
your research. You will be expected to take into account this feedback when completing
your project.
2. A progress report and first draft of your project. The report will explain what has been
accomplished and what remains to be done. You will submit these on-line to the Drop
Box by midnight on Sunday, March 30. If you have run into any difficulties with
members of your cluster, you must mention this at the time.
3. The final project by the start of the final class on Wednesday, April 9. You will submit
your project on-line to the Drop Box. The final project should include a comprehensive
list of all the sources you consulted.
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4. A personal reflection of what you have learned through the process and what your
contribution has been to the project. This will be submitted on-line to the Drop Box by
the start of the final class on Wednesday, April 9.
Project Format
It is up to your cluster to determine the most effective way to present your research and
conclusions in response to the question that you have asked. The following options may be
considered:
1. A written paper with appropriate illustrations.
2. A power-point presentation, with adequate textual or audio components to explain
the slides.
3. A film.
4. Another creative format that enables you to demonstrate that you have really
undertaken adequate research.
Whatever format you choose, the purpose of this project is for your cluster to undertake
substantial research and to answer an interesting question related to one of the course
themes.
Project Grade
Students will receive individual grades. This grade will reflect the quality of the cluster’s
research and the final product, as well as the contribution each student has made to the
project.
Final Reflection Paper (Take-Home Exam) (25%)
In a paper of no more than 1000 words you must reflect on all that you have learned in this
course. The purpose is for you to share with us the journey of learning that you have been
engaged in. You should draw from what you have read and from class discussion to
demonstrate that you have grasped the various themes that have been part of the course.
Your reflection should answer the following question:
What have you learned about how we should best go about studying Muslim
experiences in the contemporary world?
This must be turned in by Thursday, June 6 at noon to the Drop Box. Late submissions will be
penalized by 5% per day. After one week (ie. after noon on Thursday, June 13) no late
submissions will be accepted.
COURSE TEXTS AND READINGS
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All assigned readings will be accessible through MyLearningSpace. However, there are two
texts that students are encouraged to purchase and to read – we will be reading from each of
these during the term.
Kimberly Hart, And Then We Work for God: Rural Sunni Islam in Western Turkey (Stanford).
Haideh Moghissi et al., eds. Diaspora By Design: Muslim Immigrants in Canada and Beyond
(Toronto).
COURSE SCHEDULE
PART ONE – delivered simultaneously in Canada and Turkey
FEBRUARY 19 (WEEK ONE)
Theme One: Living Faith
What does it mean to identify as a Muslim today in different national contexts? We will
explore the diversity of Muslim identities in Turkey and Canada and the daily practices
that inform those identities. We will also explore the role that mosques and places of
worship play in defining and reinforcing religious identities.
ASSIGNED
READING
FOR CLASS
Sheila McDonough and Homa Hoodfar, “Muslims in Canada from Ethnic Groups
to Religious Community” in Paul Bramadat and David Seljak, eds. Religion and
Ethnicity in Canada, 133-53.
READING IN
CLASS
Ali Çarkoğlu and Binnaz Toprak, Religion, Society and Politics in a Changing
Turkey.
FEBRUARY 26 (WEEK TWO)
Theme Two: Celebrating Faith
Muslim identities are consistently reinforced by the observance of regular sacred
festivals associated with the Islamic calendar. We will explore what these festivals are
and to what degree the different environments in Canada and Turkey affect how
Muslims celebrate them. Discussion of festivals and holidays will include an
examination of ritual, food, and music, as well as the role of family.
ASSIGNED
READING
FOR CLASS
READING IN
CLASS
Kimberly Hart, “Islamic Time and the Village” in And Then We Work For God,
43-73.
Regula Burckhardt Qureshi, “Transcending Space: Recitation and Community
Among South Asian Muslims in Canada” in Barbara Metcalf, ed. Making Muslim
Space in North America and Europe, 46-64.
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MARCH 5 (WEEK THREE)
Theme Three: Learning the Faith
Education both contributes to Muslim identities while at the same time introducing
tensions with which Muslims must struggle. How do the different public school
curricula in Canada and Turkey contribute to or undercut religious identity and what
opportunities are there to pursue separate religious education? To what degree does
learning about one’s faith depend on instruction in a formal institution?
ASSIGNED
READING
FOR CLASS
Nadeem Memom, “From Mosques to Madrasas: Civic Engagement and the
Pedagogy of Islamic Schools” in Jasmin Zine, ed. Islam in the Hinterlands, 185207.
READING IN
CLASS
Kim Shively, “Taming Islam: Studying Religion in Secular Turkey” Anthropological
Quarterly 81:3 (2008), 683-711.
MARCH 12 (WEEK FOUR)
Theme Four: “Third-Generation” Muslims
Today’s youth live in specific countries but as a result of globalization they face a similar
variety of challenges related to education, employment, and technological change. But
there are important differences. Today young Muslims are often the first generation
from immigrant families born and raised completely in Canada; in Turkey young Muslims
live in a radically different political and social environment than previous generations
experienced. How do young Muslims negotiate faith and identity in the midst of all that
is a part of a modern, globalized culture today?
ASSIGNED
READING
FOR CLASS
Ayşe Saktanber, “Cultural Dilemmas of Muslim Youth: Negotiating Muslim
Identities and Being Young in Turkey,” Turkish Studies 8:3 (2007), 417-34.
READING IN
CLASS
Kathryn Carrière, “Growing Up in Toronto: Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists” in Peter
Beyer and Rubina Ramji, eds. Growing Up Canadian, 262-89.
MARCH 19 (WEEK FIVE)
Theme Five: Gender, Sexuality and Being Muslim
Gender and sexuality are topics that evoke a wide variety of responses within religious
traditions. For contemporary Muslims one way in which this is manifest is in debates
concerning women’s dress, while another is discussion about the acceptable expression
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of sexual identities. What sorts of conversations take place among Muslims in Canada
and Turkey? How important are these themes within the larger context of public
discourse? To what degree does religion influence the discussion, and how is religion
affected by it?
ASSIGNED
READING
FOR CLASS
READING IN
CLASS
Momin Rahman and Amir Hussain, “Muslims and Sexual Diversity in North
America” in David Rayside and Clyde Wilcox, Faith, Politics and Sexual Diversity,
255-74.
Rüstem Ertuğ Altınay, “Reconstructing the Transgendered Self as a Muslim,
Nationalist, Upper-Class Woman,” Women’s Studies Quarterly 36:3-4 (2008),
210-29.
MARCH 26 (WEEK SIX)
Theme Six: The Politics of Muslim Identity
How do Muslims relate to the politics of national identity? How important is religious
identity to political ideology, allegiance and action? We will consider the role that
Muslim politicians play in various Canadian contexts, and we will compare this to the
various manifestations of “political Islam” in Turkey in the past two decades. In these
two very different settings we will be able to explore how important political
engagement is to Muslims, and to discuss varying opinions as to whether politics should
regularly engage matters of religious significance.
ASSIGNED
READING
FOR CLASS
Kadir Yıldırım, “New Democrats: Religious Actors, Social Change and Democratic
Consolidation in Turkey” Contemporary Islam 7 (2013), 311-31.
READING IN
CLASS
Meena Sharify-Funk, “Muslims and the Politics of ‘Reasonable Accommodation’:
Analyzing the Bouchard-Taylor Report and its Impact on the Canadian Province
of Quebec,” Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs 30:4 (December 2010), 535-553.
APRIL 2 (WEEK SEVEN)
Theme Seven: The Business of Faith
Students today likely will find themselves employed in public sector businesses in the
future; many are taking courses in management and business practices. Is there an
intersection between faith and commerce? How do Muslims harmonize the world of
business and the demands of faith in a globalized world? Have Muslims been able to
influence the practice and ethics of business and, if so, how? We will explore the
contributions Muslims have made to business in Canada and Turkey, and to what
degree “Islamic Economics” has been a significant factor.
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ASSIGNED
READING
FOR CLASS
Filiz Başkan, “The Political Economy of Islamic Finance in Turkey: The Role of
Fethullah Gülen and Asya Finans,” in Clement M. Henry and Rodney Wilson, eds.
The Politics of Islamic Finance (2004), 216-39.
APRIL 9 (WEEK EIGHT)
Theme Eight: Faith in Action
Religion is often an important motivating force behind movements that aim to bring
about change in society. For many Muslims, activism is an important means to live out
their faith. What sorts of activism are Muslims in Canada and Turkey engaged in? Are
they leaders in the field of environmental or human rights activism? To what degree do
they find themselves engaged in activism to ensure their own rights in the context of
state secularism or Islamophobia?
ASSIGNED
READING
FOR CLASS
Oliver Leaman, “Islam, the Environment and Said Nursi,” in Ibrahim M. AbuRabʽi, ed. Islam at the Crossroads, 255-62.
READING IN
CLASS
Raheel Raza, Their Jihad…Not My Jihad!
APRIL 16 (SPRING BREAK)
APRIL 23 (ÇOCUK BAYRAMI)
PART TWO – delivered exclusively to students in Turkey
APRIL 30 (WEEK NINE)
From Islamic Studies to Muslim Studies
Muslim Studies is distinctly different from Islamic Studies, however it is a new field that
requires definition. It is interdisciplinary and it involves the study of contemporary
Muslim experiences rather than the study of texts that tell us what Muslims are
supposed to believe and how Muslims are supposed to act. What are the origins of
Islamic Studies? What are some of the principal differences between Islamic Studies
and Muslim Studies? Why is it that Muslim Studies has developed only recently?
READING IN
CLASS
John Voll, “Changing Western Approaches to Islamic Studies” in Mumtaz Ahmad
et al, ed. Observing the Observer: The State of Islamic Studies in American
Universities, 28-52.
MAY 7 (WEEK TEN)
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Comparative Contexts for Muslim Studies
An essential component of Muslim Studies is developing appropriate comparative
contexts so that we are not limited by one particular perspective. Therefore it is
important to explore different frameworks within which we might develop comparisons.
How do experiences differ in countries where Muslims are the majority or minority?
How do Muslim experiences differ within a particular national context? How important
is ethnicity to religious identity? Is it helpful to compare the lives of Muslims with the
experiences of people who hold to another faith?
ASSIGNED
READING
FOR CLASS
“Transfer of Values” (Chapter Four) in Rima Berns McGown, Muslims in the
Diaspora: The Somali Communities of London and Toronto, 101-135.
MAY 14 (WEEK ELEVEN)
Historical Contexts for Muslim Studies
Muslim Studies concentrates on contemporary experiences; it depends heavily on
methodologies common to sociology and ethnography. However, to accurately
interpret the present it is essential to situate the present in its historical context. How
different are contemporary experiences from those of previous generations? To what
degree do place and time affect Muslim identities? How do we determine those aspects
of the past that are most relevant to the present?
ASSIGNED
READING
FOR CLASS
“Between Ideology and Pragmatism” (Chapter Four) in Mohammed Ayoob, The
Many Faces of Political Islam: Religion and Politics in the Muslim World, 64-89.
MAY 21 (WEEK TWELVE)
Religion, Secularism and Identity in Muslim Studies
Muslim Studies privileges religious identity, but it does so on the understanding that
both “religion” and “identity” are fluid categories that are the product of specific
historical processes. It is necessary to explore the meanings attached to both “Islam”
and “secularism” as we consider the variety of Muslim experiences in the contemporary
world. How much does the secular affect the lives of Muslims? How are we to
understand movements of reform that seek to achieve closer conformity to the pure
practices of faith? What are the factors that contribute to identity and how are we to
understand seemingly contradictory expressions of identity?
ASSIGNED
READING
FOR CLASS
“Religious Identities and Identification” (Chapter Four) in Haideh Moghissi et al,
ed. Diaspora by Design: Muslim Immigrants in Canada and Beyond, 84-110.
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READING IN
CLASS
Talal Asad, “Reading a Modern Classic: W.C. Smith’s ‘The Meaning and End of
Religion,’” History of Religions 40:3 (February 2001), 205-222.
Talal Asad, “Freedom of Speech and Religious Limitations” (Chapter Thirteen) in
Craig Calhoun et al, ed. Rethinking Secularism, 282-97.
MAY 28 (WEEK THIRTEEN)
Review
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