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FUBiS Term III: Islam & The West: Deconstructing the Other - Going Beyond the Clash of Civilization and Intercultural Dialogue -
(Course # 2.14)
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Type: |
B Track |
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Instructor(s): |
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Language: |
English |
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Contact hours: |
48 (6 contact hours per day) |
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Credit Points: |
4 Credit Points |
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Capacity: |
18 |
Course description
Through selected readings—theoretical and methodological essays as well as short ethnographies—this course will explore the changing locus and the significance of the cultural other in the constructions of The West and Islam in the contemporary world. Arguably, The West and Islam have become powerful connotations, discursive realities and influential constructions beyond their mere terminological meaning. They inform people's behaviour and have become inscribed in everyday social and political practice. We will look at different aspects of this reality and its influence on meaning, space as well as body. The last two sessions will be dedicated to the implications these powerful discursive constructions have on politics and what the role or function of the ubiquitous notion of intercultural dialogue is. Approaches taken from postmodern theories will form the theoretical backbone of the course. Grouped around the notions of culture, identity, public spheres, performativity (speech acts) and migration they will be critically assessed and put into the context of Islam and The West. The course includes an exploration of Islam in Berlin through an excursion and a debate with people occupying the spaces in between Islam and The West.
The course aims at empowering students to critically analyse pervasive discursive realities and their implications for people's lives and sociopolitical relations.
Course Requirements
- Attendance and participation (10%)
- ACQI papers (40%)
An AQCI (Argument, Question, Connection, Investigation) paper is a structured reaction paper to a document, in our case academic writings. The format is a short one page essay in which the student presents a quote from selected document, describes the main argument, raises a question, relates the issue to their personal experience, presents and defends a textual link and discusses practical implication of the argument selected. Students will be required to hand in three AQCIs from three different reading lists (one session = one list). I encourage to hand in more than the required number since it trains intertextual thinking and to critically compare/assess different approaches. If more than three AQCIs are handed in I will include the best three papers in the final mark.
- Short presentation (20%)
Everybody will be required to prepare a short presentation including investigative questions for discussion based on the reading list of the session. The presentations will be done in groups.
- Response paper (30%)
I will ask a response paper of five pages either to one of the films, the excursion or the discussion with migrants. The paper will be due at the end of the course.
Required Readings
A seminar reader with the texts for each session will be provided by FUBiS at the beginning of the course. The texts for the first session will be made available online two weeks prior to program start.
Student profile
