AANB05070U Introduction to the Anthropology of Islam and the Middle East

Volume 2024/2025
Education

From spring 2023 the course is also offered to students at the
 

- Master Programme in Social Data Science

- Bachelor and Master Programmes in Psychology

- Master programme in Global Development

 

Enrolled students register the course through the Selfservice. Please contact the study administration at each programme for questions regarding registration.

Content

This course seeks to provide a broad-based introduction to the core themes
and ideas of the anthropology of the Middle East, and by extension of the
Anthropology of Islam. It begins by exploring the reasons behind the
relatively late emergence of the Middle East as an area of study, before
moving on to consider such topics as Orientalism, Gender, rural vs. urban
anthropology, the role of religion (traditional and modern), and the forging of
a regional subjectivity (as witnessed in the ongoing uprisings throughout the
Middle East – the so-called “Arab Spring”). The course is intended both to
stand alone as a regional module, and to offer a overview of the issues for
those students who wish to take their study of the Middle East one step
further.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge:

  • Students are expected to have a firm grasp of the development of the anthropology of the Middle East and of Islam, from its colonial origins to contemporary work. They are also expected to have a clear idea of key lines of tension and conflict in the Middle East, and in scholarly literature on the topic, today.

 

Skills: 

  • Students should be able to discuss the contemporary geo-political and cultural situation in the region and demonstrate insight into selected central theoretical concepts relevant to the chosen subject area and course material.

 

Competences:

  • Students should be able to conduct an analysis based on central concepts or themes presented during the course.

BSc students and MSc students: 500 pages obligatory literature.

The teacher will publish 200-300 pages of supplementary
literature.

Course literature will be available through Absalon.

A combination of lectures, discussions, student presentations and group work.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 42
  • Preparation
  • 100
  • Exam
  • 64
  • Total
  • 206
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Feedback by final exam (In addition to the grade)
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Type of assessment details
Length: Portfolio exam can be written individually or in groups of max. 4 students. Portfolio exams consist of 2-7 submissions. For MA students, there is a submission more than for BA students, i.e. if the BA student has to submit five submissions, the MA students must submit six submissions. The number of submissions is set by the lecturer. The total length of all of the submissions must be max. 30,000 keystrokes for one BA student and max. 37,500 keystrokes for one MA student. For groups of two students, max. 40,000 keystrokes BA students and max. 47,500 for MA students. For groups of three students, max. 45,000 keystrokes for BA students and max. 52,500 for MA students. For groups of four students, max. 50,000 keystrokes for BA students and 57,500 for MA students. In the case of group assignments, the contribution of each individual student must be clearly marked in the assignment. For groups with both BA and MA students, the same number of submissions is required as for MA students. The assignments are assessed jointly with a single grade.
In the case of group assignments, the contribution of each individual student must be clearly marked in the assignment. For groups with both BA and MA students, the same number of submissions is required as for MA students. The assignments are assessed jointly with a single grade.
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Re-exam

1st re-exam: An essay must be submitted. The new assignment must be submitted by the deadline for the re-exam.

2nd re-exam: A new essay must be submitted. The new assignment must be submitted by the deadline for the re-exam.

Essay length: 21,600–26,400 keystrokes for an individual submission. 6,750–8,250 keystrokes per extra member for group submissions. The maximum number of students who can write an essay in a group is four.

For groups writing together it must be clearly indicated which parts of the assignment each of the students has written.

Criteria for exam assesment

See learning outcome