RELGST 1455 - ISLAM IN EUROPE

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
Since 9/11 Europe has become increasingly anxious about its multi-racial and multi-religious populations, the result of successive waves of non-European immigrants who have, since the end of WWII, made Europe their home. At the heart of these concerns is the question whether followers of the Muslim faith can successfully be integrated into a European society that identifies culturally as Judeo-Christian and defines its social order as secular. The different public debates triggered by this anxiety center on the question of the legitimate limits of cultural difference within liberal democratic societies, thereby also reflecting a growing unpopularity of multicultural ideals. Political discourses stress the need for a robust defense of liberal values that migrant communities (especially Muslim communities) must accept. In order to achieve that, various governmental techniques have been deployed, which are now considered as an essential part of European counter-terrorist strategies, along with security policies and stricter migration controls. Interestingly, many of these government techniques involve gender and sexual politics, which are at the heart of policies and discourses around integration and multiculturalism. The course will look critically at these various developments through an interdisciplinary approach that combines anthropological studies with readings from political and social theory, feminist and queer studies in order to think about the issues at stake around Islam, religious pluralism and secular governance in Europe. As additional course material, the class will draw on a variety of audio-visual material, such as fiction films, documentaries, or youtube clips.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Attributes: DSAS Geographic Region General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req.

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