Anthropology of Islam

01:070:322 • Spring 2018 • Rutgers University • Tuesday-Thursday 3:55-5:15pm • RAB 208

Becky Schulthies, Ph.D. • Office: 312 RAB • Office Hours Tuesday 1-2 pm or by appointment
becky.schulthies@rutgers.edu

According to a Pew Research Center report conducted in 2009, Muslims make

up more than 1/5th of the world’s population, almost 1.6 billion people. Muslims
are born, live, eat, work, study, play, worship and die on almost every continent
and numerous island nations. Yet US discussions about Islam and Muslims
often describe the faith as monolithic, unchanging, and the people as following
the same practices. Muslim leaders and texts describe Muslims as belonging to
a boundary-erasing nation (‘ummah). Yet many recognize differences and
divisions based in practices and beliefs, ascribing these to local cultures and
global ideological influences. Islam and Muslim culture are discussed and used
as rationale for events in US media and public talk daily.

What does it mean to argue that Islamic practices and Muslim culture are the reason for events
that make the news (and even those that don’t)? How do we make sense of these arguments
about the relationships between belief, culture, and action? How do Muslims move through the
world, engage the many opinions circulating around them, employ religious texts (or not), and
interact with non-Muslims? Is there Muslim culture(s) or is this a concept used for political and
social domination and/or discrimination? This course offers anthropological perspectives on these
questions.

Some of the themes we will explore include:

Lived experiences of Islam
Politics of Muslim diaspora(s)
Social lives of Islamic texts and media Islam
Ethnicity, Race and Islam
Leisure, consumption and morality

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES This course will fulfill three of the anthropology
 To gain a deeper knowledge of the human complexity department’s learning goals:
and richness of Islam  Students are able to demonstrate proficiency in the
 To enhance your understanding of ethnography as a use critical thinking skills.
writing genre and analytical method  Students are able to demonstrate proficiency using
 To learn how to critically engage theories and texts current methods in their major fields, including library
about Muslim communities and practices research skills.
 Students are able to express themselves
knowledgably and proficiently in speaking about
central issues in their major field.
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
The course will involve a mix of readings, class discussion, films, guest speakers and the following assignments: reading
question posts (20 points), field observation assignments (20 points), in-class activities (15 points); video essays (40 points
each).

KEY TEXTS
 Bowen, Donna Lee, Evelyn Early and Becky Schulthies. 2014.
Everyday Life in the Muslim Middle East, 3rd Edition. Bloomington, IN:
Indiana University Press.
 Grewal, Zareena. 2013. Islam is a Foreign Country: American
Muslims and the Global Crisis of Authority. New York: NYU Press.
 Readings on Sakai

COURSE EXPECTATIONS
Because this is an upper-level course, the reading load is
heavy, and the expectations I have of your performance will be high. On
average, you should expect to put in two to three hours of work outside of
Anthropology of Islam
01:070:322 • Spring 2018 • Rutgers University • Tuesday-Thursday 3:55-5:15pm • RAB 208
Becky Schulthies, Ph.D. • Office: 312 RAB • Office Hours Tuesday 1-2 pm or by appointment
becky.schulthies@rutgers.edu

class for every hour of in-class time. You are expected to complete the assigned readings before class, to attend all class
meetings, and to come prepared to actively engage with course material by thinking critically and creatively about the
assigned texts and the issues they raise. Regular attendance is required, and you will be expected to come to class having
completed all of the reading and ready to participate in class discussions whenever possible. In fact, class participation and
attendance will comprise a significant portion of your grade. If you expect to miss one or two classes, please use the University
absence reporting website https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/ to indicate the date and reason for your absence. An email is
automatically sent to me. In cases where you must miss class for periods longer than one week, you will as per university policy
be directed to see a Dean of Students for assistance to help verify these circumstances. If you are a person who does not readily
participate in large groups, I encourage you to come see me during my office hours, and we can devise other ways for you to
have input into class discussions.
Since for many of you the material will be somewhat unfamiliar, it might appear quite difficult at first. In particular, you’ll
have to get used to a fair amount of technical terminology. We will go over definitions in class, and things should get easier as
you become more accustomed to the language, style of argument, and intellectual issues in the readings. Please bring
questions on material that you do not understand to class or to my office hours. The only “bad” questions are the ones that
you don’t ask.
On occasion, there will be films screened in class. If you miss the in-class screening, please make arrangements to
view the materials in the library. All assignments must be completed in order to pass the course. The dates and material in this
syllabus may be subject to change, so listen carefully to announcements in class, and check Sakai frequently for changes or
cancellations.

Please note also the following policies:

 Late submission is not accepted without prior permission of the instructor.
 Online Assignment Submission: For ease of reference and grading, include your name in the beginning of your document
title when you submit on Sakai. For example: Schulthies Observation ANTH 322.doc
 Special arrangements for students with documented needs or disabilities should be made well in advance of assignment
due-dates. Follow the policies outlined here http://disabilityservices.rutgers.edu/ and discuss this with me as soon as
possible.

Rutgers Policies: Please make yourself aware of the student code of conduct, especially the academic code of conduct.
http://studentconduct.rutgers.edu/university-code-of-student-conduct
Plagiarism: In preparing assignments a student often needs or is required to employ outside sources of information or opinion.
All such sources should be listed in the bibliography. Citations and footnote references are required for all specific facts that are
not common knowledge and about which there is not general agreement. New discoveries or debatable opinions must be
credited to the source, with specific references to edition and page even when the student restates the matter in his or her own
words. Word-for-word inclusion of any part of someone else’s written or oral sentence, even if only a phrase or sentence,
requires citation in quotation marks and use of the appropriate conventions for attribution. Please follow the American
Anthropological Association style guide in the bibliography and in-text referencing. Paraphrasing or summarizing the contents of
another’s work is not dishonest if the source or sources are clearly identified (author, title, edition, and page), but such
paraphrasing does not constitute independent work and may be rejected by the instructor. Students who have questions about
accurate and proper citation methods are expected to consult Rutgers’ policies on plagiarism.

COURSE SCHEDULE

Jan 16 Readings: Jan 18 Readings:

Alyanak, Oguz Marranci, Gabrielle. 2008. The
Global Islam 2017 What’s in a Kiss? Anthropology News Anthropologies Anthropology of Islam. New York: Berg, 12-
October 27, weblink of Islam? 30. (Sakai)
AND
Ahmed, Shahab. 2016. What is Islam? The Bowen, Donna Lee, Evelyn Early and
Importance of Being Islamic. Princeton NJ: Becky Schulthies. 2014. ELMME3, 4-5,
Princeton University Press, 3-4. (Sakai) 303-309.
Anthropology of Islam
01:070:322 • Spring 2018 • Rutgers University • Tuesday-Thursday 3:55-5:15pm • RAB 208
Becky Schulthies, Ph.D. • Office: 312 RAB • Office Hours Tuesday 1-2 pm or by appointment
becky.schulthies@rutgers.edu

Sarah. 2011. On Muslim Ethnography. Optional: Said, Edward 1997 Covering

weblink Islam. Pantheon Books, 3-32. (Sakai)

Skim: Pew Research Center. 2009. Mapping

the Global Muslim Population: A report on the
size and distribution of the World’s Muslim
Population, 1-26 (it’s all maps and charts).
weblink
Jan 23 Hafez, Sherine. 2013. Will the Rational Jan 25 Bowen, John R. 2012. A New Anthropology
Religious Subject Please Stand Up? Muslim of Islam. Malden MA: Cambridge University
Reason and Subjects and the Analytics of Religion. In Piety and Press, 42-74. (Sakai)
Faith Anthropology of the Middle East and North Practice: AND
Africa: Into the Millennium, Sherine Hafez and Prayer and Bowen, Donna Lee. 2014. Abu Illya and
Susan Slyomovics, eds. Bloomington, IN: Alms Zakat. In ELMME3, 315-318
Indiana University Press, 187-201. (Sakai)
AND Optional: Haeri, Nilofar. 2013. The Private
Billaud, Julie. 2013. Hallal Dating in London. Performance of Salat Prayers: Repetition,
Allegralab Fieldnotes, December 9. weblink Time, and Meaning. Anthropological
Quarterly 86(1):5-34 (Sakai)
Jan 30 Nelson, Kristina. 2014. The Sound of the Feb 1 Betteridge, Anne. 2014. “Caught among the
Divine in Daily Life. In ELMME3, 310-314. Unbelievers”: How Pilgrimage Shapes
Soundscapes AND Pilgrimage Iranians’ Understandings of Sectarian
Eisenberg, Andrew. 2010. Toward an (Inside Mecca) Difference. In ELMME3, 362-372.
Acoustemology of Muslim Citizenship in AND
Kenya. Anthropology News (Sakai) 1st observation Bianchi, Robert. 2014. The Hajj in Everyday
AND assignment Life. In ELMME3, 319-328.
Curtis, Edward IV. 2014. Siddis and Habshis due
in South Asia. In The Call of Bilal. Chapel Hill: Optional: Cooper, Barbara. 1999. The
The University of North Carolina Press, 85- Strength in the Song: Muslim Personhood,
109 Audible Capital, and Hausa Women's
Performance of the Hajj. Social Text 60:87-
Optional: Khan, Naveeda. 2011. The 109 (Sakai)
Acoustics of Muslim Striving: Loudspeaker
Use in Ritual Practice in Pakistan.
Comparative Studies in Society and History
53(3):571-594. (Sakai)
Feb 6 Bowen, Donna Lee. 2014. Abdul Qadar and Feb 8 Bowen, John R. 2010. Can Islam be
the Sheep of ʿAid al- Adha. In ELMME3, 329- French? Princeton NJ: Princeton University
‘Eyad Rituals 330. Eyad Press, 28-29, 167-171.
(Religious AND Rituals AND
Holidays) Roberts, Sean R. 2007. Everyday (Religious Korom, Frank and Peter Chelkowski. 1994.
Negotiations of Islam in Central Asia: Holidays) Community process and the performance
Practicing Religion in the Uyghur of Muharram observances in Trinidad. The
Neighborhood of Zarya Vostoka in Almaty, (Hosay Drama Review 38(2): 150-170. (Sakai)
Kazakhstan. In Everyday Life in Central Asia, Trinidad)
Jeff Sahadeo and Russell Zanca, eds. Optional: Tambar, Kabir. 2011. Iterations
Bloomington IN: Indiana University Press, of lament: Anachronism and affect in a Shi‘i
339-354. (Sakai) Islamic revival in Turkey. American
Ethnologist 38(3):484-500. (Sakai)
Optional: Schielke, Samuli, 2009. Being Good
in Ramadan. The Journal of the Royal
Anthropological Institute 15:S24-40. (Sakai)
Feb 13 Silverstein, Brian. 2014. Sufism and Everyday Feb 15 O’Connor, Paul 2012. Islam in Hong Kong:
Anthropology of Islam
01:070:322 • Spring 2018 • Rutgers University • Tuesday-Thursday 3:55-5:15pm • RAB 208
Becky Schulthies, Ph.D. • Office: 312 RAB • Office Hours Tuesday 1-2 pm or by appointment
becky.schulthies@rutgers.edu

Ethics in Turkey. In ELMME3, 351-361. Muslims and Everyday Life in China’s

Ethics in AND World City. Hong Kong University Press,
Practice Wiktorowicz, Quintan. 2014. Islamist Activism Food and 97-113. (Sakai)
in Jordan. In ELMME3, 224-234. Faith AND one of the following:
OR Ghassem-Fachandi, Parvis. 2012. Pogrom
Shehata, Samer. 2014. Politics of Class on an in Gujarat: Hindu Nationalism and Anti-
Egyptian Factory Floor. In ELMME3, 245-263. Muslim Violence in India. Princeton
OR University Press, 123-151. (Sakai)
Hawkins, Simon. 2014. “Madam You Drive a OR
Hard Bargain”: Selling to Tourists in Tunis’ Alyanak, Oguz. 2016. Do Your Best and
Medina. In ELMME3, 262-273. Allah Will Take Care of the Rest: Muslim
Turks Negotiate Halal in Strasbourg.
International Review of Social Research
6(1): 15–25 (Sakai)

Optional: Rouse, Caroline and Janet

Hoskins. 2004. Purity, Soul Food, and
Sunni Islam: Explorations at the
Intersection of Consumption and
Resistance. Cultural Anthropology
19(2):226-249 (Sakai)
Feb 20 Khan, Naveeda. 2010. “Mosque Construction, Feb 22 Messick, B. 1996. Media muftis: Radio
Or the Violence of the Ordinary” In Beyond fatwas in Yemen. Islamic legal
Material Crisis: Reevaluating Pakistan, Naveeda Khan, Applying interpretation: muftis and their fatwas. In
Culture ed. Routledge, 482-512. (Sakai) Shari’a Law Islamic Legal interpretation: Muftis and their
OR Fatwas, Muhammad Khalid Masud,
2nd Deeb, Lara and Mona Harb. 2013 Leisurely Brinkley Messick and David S. Powers eds.
observation Islam: Negotiating Geography and Morality in Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 310-
assignment Shi’ite South Beirut. Princeton NJ: Princeton 320. (Sakai)
due University Press, 1-15, 24-29 (Read the
opening vignette and the research methods Optional: Agrama, Hussein Ali. 2010.
section—the rest is pretty good too, but Ethics, tradition, authority: Toward an
optional) (Sakai) anthropology of the fatwa. American
Ethnologist 37(1): 2–18. (Sakai)
Feb 27 Inhorn, Marcia. 2014. Middle Eastern Mar 1 First Video Essay Due
Masculinities in the Age of Assisted
Applying Reproductive Technologies. In ELMME3, 143- Applying Sharia
Shari’a Law 150.
OR
Hamdy, Sherine. 2014. Kidneys, Kinship, and
Muslim Ethics in Egypt. In ELMME3, 69-84.
OR
Ghannem, Farha. 2014. Contested Traditions:
Gender and Mourning Practices in Egypt. In
ELMME3, 85-95.
OR
Wynn, Lisa. 2013. Hymenoplasty and the
relationship between doctors and muftis in
Egypt. In Islam in Practice, Gabriele Marranci,
ed. New York: Routledge, 34-48. (Sakai)
OR
Mir- Hosseini, Ziba. 2014. Tamkin: Stories
from a Family Court in Iran. In ELMME3, 172-
184.
Anthropology of Islam
01:070:322 • Spring 2018 • Rutgers University • Tuesday-Thursday 3:55-5:15pm • RAB 208
Becky Schulthies, Ph.D. • Office: 312 RAB • Office Hours Tuesday 1-2 pm or by appointment
becky.schulthies@rutgers.edu

Mar 6 Rogozen‐Soltar, Mikaela. 2012. Managing Mar 8 Farzana, Kazi Fahmida. 2016.
Muslim Visibility: Conversion, Immigration, Voices of the Burmese Rohingya Refugees:
Migration and and Spanish Imaginaries of Islam. American Migration and Everyday Politics of Survival in Refugee
Religion Anthropologist 114(4):611-623 (Sakai) Religion Camps in Bangladesh
Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences &
Video Essay Optional: Eisenlohr, Patrick. 2012. Guest Lecture Humanities 24 (1): 131 – 150 (Sakai)
Paper Due Cosmopolitanism, Globalization, and Islamic
Piety Movements in Mauritius. City and Optional: Farzana, Kazi Fahmida. 2011.
Society 24(1): 7-28 (Sakai) Music and Artistic Artefacts: Symbols of
Rohingya Identity and Everyday Resistance
in Borderlands. ASEAS – Austrian Journal
of South-East Asian Studies, 4(2), 215-236.
(Sakai)
Spring Break March 10-18
Mar 20 Grewal, Zareena. 2013. Islam is a Foreign Mar 22 Grewal, Zareena. 2013. Islam is a Foreign
Country: American Muslims and the Global Country: American Muslims and the Global
Traveling Crisis of Authority. New York: NYU Press, 1- Crisis of Crisis of Authority. New York: NYU Press,
Islam 26 Authority 31-78
Mar 27 Grewal, Zareena. 2013. Islam is a Foreign Mar 29 Grewal, Zareena. 2013. Islam is a Foreign
Country: American Muslims and the Global Making Country: American Muslims and the Global
Islam in Crisis of Authority. New York: NYU Press, 79- American Crisis of Authority. New York: NYU Press,
America 124 Islam Sunni 125-173
Apr 3 Grewal, Zareena. 2013. Islam is a Foreign Apr 5 Grewal, Zareena. 2013. Islam is a Foreign
Country: American Muslims and the Global Country: American Muslims and the Global
Learning Crisis of Authority. New York: NYU Press, Gendering Crisis of Authority. New York: NYU Press,
Islam 177-218 Islamic 219-252
Optional: Early, Evelyn. 2014. Tele-Preachers Authority Optional: Adely, Fida. 2014. Pedagogy,
and Talk Shows: Egyptian Religious (Veiled Islamic Education, and Life Lessons in a
Discourse, ELMME3, 331-350. Voices) Jordanian Secondary School for Girls. In
ELMME3, 282-292.
Apr 10 Grewal, Zareena. 2013. Islam is a Foreign Apr 12 Video Essay Two Due
Country: American Muslims and the Global
Reforming Crisis of Authority. New York: NYU Press, Authority, Race, and Authenticity
Islam 292-356
Apr 17 Gaudio, Rudolf. 2009. Allah Made us. Malden April 19 Abu-Lughod, Lila
MA: Wiley-Blackwell Publishers, 1-25. (Sakai) 2002 Do Muslim Women Really Need
Gendering AND Gendering Saving? Anthropological Reflections on
Islam Beeman, William. 2014. Few “Gays” in the Islam Cultural Relativism and Its Others.
Middle East, but Significant Same- Sex American Anthropologist 104 (3): 783–790
Video Essay Sexuality. In ELMME3, 151-158. (Sakai)
Paper Due AND two of the following:
Optional: Boellstorff, Tom. 2005. Between Nutter El-Ouardani, Christine. 2014.
Religion and Desire: Being Muslim and Gay in Childhood and Development in Rural
Indonesia. American Anthropologist 107(4): Morocco: Cultivating Reason and Strength.
575-585 (Sakai) In ELMME3, 24-38.

Chatty, Dawn. 2014. Harasiis Marriage,

Divorce, and Companionship, In ELMME3,
49-54.

White, Jenny. 2014. Two Weddings. In

ELMME3, 55-68.
Anthropology of Islam
01:070:322 • Spring 2018 • Rutgers University • Tuesday-Thursday 3:55-5:15pm • RAB 208
Becky Schulthies, Ph.D. • Office: 312 RAB • Office Hours Tuesday 1-2 pm or by appointment
becky.schulthies@rutgers.edu

Frield, Erika. 2014. A Thorny Side of

Marriage in Iran. In ELMME3, 122-132.

Jaschok, Maria and Hau Ming Vicky Chan.

2009. Education, Gender and Islam in
China: The place of religious education in
challenging and sustaining ‘undisputed
traditions’ among Chinese Muslim women.
International Journal of Educational
Development 29:487–494
Apr 24 Tsing, Anna. 2005. Friction: An Ethnography Apr 26 Schulthies, Becky. Forthcoming. Plant Piety
of Global Connection. Princeton: Princeton paper
Muslim University Press, 213-238. (Sakai) Muslim
Activism Ecologies