Introduction to Topics in History (292-0-22)

Topic

Women, Power and Modernity in Islam

Instructors

Ashish Koul
847/467-3879
Harris 212

Meeting Info

Harris Hall L28: Tues, Thurs 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

‘Islam' is often believed to be a religion which justifies oppression of women and regulation of their public lives in theological terms. In this seminar, we will learn about intellectual movements that have shaped the interaction of religion and gender in Muslim societies from the nineteenth century to the present, shaping how Islam and Muslim women are perceived to this day. Our goal is to historicize these common perceptions, rather than accept them as commonsensical. This entails reflection on historical intersections among Islam, modernity, and colonialism, using gender as an analytical category. To contextualize our understanding of these intellectual currents, we will focus on South Asia—home to one of the world's largest Muslim populations today—as a site for examining the historical evolution of Islamic perspectives on gender issues.
The course is divided into two parts. Part One focuses on ideological responses to historical transformations, most notably the onset of imperialism, in various parts of the Muslim world. Part Two shifts to South Asia and examines how these ideas of change manifested in this region. Based on texts composed by Muslim women and Muslim male theologians, we will consider the following issues: reformist education, marriage and divorce, gender segregation, property ownership, and Muslim women's political participation. In analyzing these questions, we will elucidate the complexity of Islamic intellectual traditions and emphasize their historical dynamism, especially in colonial and post-colonial contexts. Simultaneously, we will discover the ways in which Muslim women have become agents of their own change while compromising with and negotiating multiple forms of socio-religious authority and political power in Muslim societies.

Class Notes

History Major Concentration(s): Asia/Middle East
History Minor Concentration(s): Asia

Class Attributes

Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area