| Semester 1, 2020 Online | |
| Short Description: | Islam and the West |
| Units : | 1 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts |
| School or Department : | School of Humanities & Communication |
| Student contribution band : | Band 1 |
| ASCED code : | 090301 - Sociology |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
Staffing
Examiner:
Requisites
Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: MSTA or MARA
Other requisites
Students will require access to e-mail and have internet access to UConnect for this course.
Rationale
This course makes it possible to study Social Science at Masters level, through an engagement with some aspects of the evolving relationship between Islam, Western society and modernity. It will also deconstruct some common Western misunderstandings of Islam, and, to that end, examine the concept of liberal Islam in some depth. As such, it will facilitate an understanding of Islam and Muslim culture which will enable students to contribute effectively and critically to the multicultural societies and global economy within which they will play a part.
Synopsis
Islam is one of the most newsworthy, yet systematically misunderstood, religions in the world. In this course, we examine some social-scientific works that are produced within the Muslim world in order better to understand the diversity of Islam and Islam's relationship with modernity, and get behind the clich茅s that are often generated in media and popular commentary on 'the Islamic threat'. This course is not intended to suggest that one religion or religious culture is better or worse than any other, or to evaluate the Islamic world against divine standards. It is intended to introduce a respectful and critical approach towards students' own and other belief systems, and to consider the importance, diversity, and recent transformations of Islamic societies.
Objectives
On successful completion of this course students should be able to:
- describe the evolving relationship between Islam and certain key Western concepts, especially liberalism and modernity;
- show an advanced understanding of the sociology of Islam, and particularly the diversity of Islam;
- understand the significance of Islamic law, theology and culture to Muslim life; have an appreciation of how Islam is applied to a range of personal and social questions in different ways; recognise and understand key concepts in Islamic law, such as shari'ah, ijtihad and taqlid;
- show advanced skills in reading, writing, and using material which may be culturally unfamiliar;
- understand Islam and Muslim culture in a way which will enable them to contribute effectively and critically to the multicultural societies and global economy within which they will play a part.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Introduction | 4.00 |
| 2. | Against theocracy | 16.00 |
| 3. | Democracy | 16.00 |
| 4. | Rights of women | 16.00 |
| 5. | Rights of non-Muslims | 16.00 |
| 6. | Freedom of thought | 16.00 |
| 7. | Progress | 16.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=01&subject1=SOC8001)
Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)
Reference materials
Student workload expectations
| Activity | Hours |
|---|---|
| Directed 精东传媒app | 26.00 |
| Independent 精东传媒app | 139.00 |
Assessment details
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESSAY 1 | 100 | 45 | 14 May 2020 | |
| ESSAY 2 | 100 | 45 | 04 Jun 2020 | |
| PARTICIPATION | 100 | 10 | 04 Jun 2020 | (see note 1) |
Notes
- Students are expected to attend and contribute to class discussion each week. Attendance and contribution will be recorded on a weekly basis and the total mark calculated at the end of the semester.
Important assessment information
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Attendance requirements:
Students must attend and complete the requirements of the Workplace Health and Safety training program for this course where required.
External and Online:
There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students鈥� responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
On-campus
It is the students鈥� responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. -
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks. -
Penalties for late submission of required work:
Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4) -
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course. -
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course. -
Examination information:
There is no examination for this course. -
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
There is no examination in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations. -
精东传媒app Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene 精东传媒app policies and practices. These policies can be found at .
Other requirements
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Students can expect that questions in assessment items in this course may draw upon knowledge and skills that they can reasonably be expected to have acquired before enrolling in the course. This includes knowledge contained in pre-requisite courses and appropriate communication, information literacy, analytical, critical thinking, problem solving or numeracy skills. Students who do not possess such knowledge and skills should not expect to achieve the same grades as those students who do possess them.