| Unit name | Anthropology of Islam |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ANTH20005 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Shankland |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Anthropology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit introduces a wide range of ethnographic material concerning the peoples and cultures of Islam. Largely anthropological in orientation, it covers ritual, religion and society in the region, drawing in particular on the example of Turkey, where the Unit Director has lived for many years, and upon which he is a specialist. It also covers, albeit to a lesser extent, questions of interaction both between Muslim societies and their neighbours, and also the diverse ways toward which the heritage of other cultures may be reacted to within Islam. Whilst current writers are featured, the unit also looks at famous established works such as the writings of Ernest Gellner, or those of Clifford Geertz and the group of researchers he encouraged in North Africa. Theoretically, amongst the themes that it considers are religion and gender, orientalism, social and political organisations, migration, conflict and the rise of nationalism.
