SGIA3271: Muslims and Politics in the Modern World

• Any Level 2 SGIA module

• None.

• None.

• The module will enable students to develop an understanding of the relationship between Islam and politics in the contemporary Muslim world. It will require them to study in depth a number of key theories and concepts and place them in their historical and intellectual contexts.
• The module will contribute to the development of a systematic understanding of Muslim's perceptions of the relationship between Islam, politics and the state in the modern world.
• The module will aim to give students detailed and specific knowledge, informed by developments at the forefront of academic enquiry. It will contribute also to a wider understanding of key concepts, theories and methods.

• The course will provide an introduction to historical developments and ideas which have had an impact on the modern politics of the Muslim world. It will then, focus (a) on a selection of writings by modern Muslim political thinkers, ideologues and leaders; and (b) on several case-studies that explore the political role played by Islam in various parts of the modern Muslim world.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• On completion of the module students will gain knowledge of:
• Key theories and concepts of renewal;
• The diversity of approaches within Muslim discourse to issues such as reform, revival, leadership and government;
• The socio-cultural context of modern Muslim political theory;
• Modern Muslim theoretical approaches to issues such as modernity, secularism and democracy;
• The tension between the trans-historical idealism of Quranic theory and the practical application of political Islam and radical Islamism;
• The histories and internal dynamics of a range of Muslim / Islamist political movements over the past 150 years.

Subject-specific Skills:

• On completion of the module students will be able to:
• Effectively describe and analyse modern Muslim and Islamist political theories, concepts and movements;
• Apply appropriate methods of critical analysis to key debates in modern Muslim and Islamist political thought;
• Researching evidence from a variety of primary and secondary sources;
• Evaluate the debate on the role of Islam in politics by placing it in its specific historical and intellectual contexts;
• Analyse the interplay between various interpretations of the Islamic faith and political ideas in the conduct of political practice;
• Form defensible judgements and develop a self-critical and independent approach to learning.

Key Skills:

• On completion of the module students will be able to:
• Retrievie and utiliseprimary and secondary resources to which they have been directed;
• Identify resources on their own initiative, including more advanced secondary materials as well as primary sources;
• Evaluate the suitability and quality of resources;
• Refelect critically on their own work and performance;
• Develop a an independent approach to learning;
• Planning and successful completion of written assignments of differing scale, using their analytical, research and writing skills;
• Plan and complete advanced written assignments demonstrating independent judgement and critical assessment.

• Lectures will give a detailed outline, appropriate to a level three module, of the context and content of the texts and ideas to be studied and advice as to critical approach and reading.
• Student-led seminars will supplement and deepen the content of lectures and provide an opportunity for in depth discussion of selected issues. The seminars will be based upon prescribed texts with suitable guidance on the issues they raise. The seminar programme will enable students to explore issues critically and in detail and to develop skills in communication and group discussion. They will also provide a basis on which to select their areas of specialist research for the summative assessment..
• The summative assessment consists of two components. For the first component, students will write a 2000-word briefing document, which will account for 40% of the final mark. Students will write a briefing on contemporary Islamist political actors in one country, chosen from a list provided. This task will assess the ability of students to identify and evaluate sources, to apply practical insights from scholarly research and theoretical approaches encountered on the module, and to compose their insights and analysis in succinct form. For the second component, students will write a 3000-word essay, which will account for 60% of the final marks. A set of essay questions will be provided, and students will select one question from this set. The essay assesses the ability to plan a more substantial piece of work, identifying and retrieving sources and selecting and displaying appropriate subject specific knowledge and understanding. It assesses the ability to develop an extended argument which utilises concepts and examines competing interpretation and analysis. It also develops key skills in sustaining effective written communication and information presentation to high scholarly standards.

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