Module ARAM249 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
ARAM249: Theorising Islam
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
The module aims to introduce students to the major theoretical debates on the study of Islam, on the nature of colonial and orientalism praxes as they have arisen, as well as elements of the theory of decolonial and reparative epistemology and praxis. From these foundations, in this module, you will learn to engage key concepts within the study of Islam that help us to make better sense of our world such as race, class, gender, sexuality, justice, sovereignty, and art. By the end of the module, you will understand and be able to apply what is meant by a decolonial study of Islam as well as the potential shortcomings that such an approach may have.
As the module will be taught online, engagement with digital media and platforms and developing a confidence in their usage will be essential.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
---|---|
Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the most important approaches to the study of Islam in the field 2. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of what is meant by colonial, postcolonial, and decolonial approaches |
Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. Demonstrate an ability to engage in an interdisciplinary and intersectional study of Islam through the study of gender, class, race, and sexuality among others 4. Demonstrate an ability to digest and apply postcolonial and decolonial theory to the study of Islam |
Personal and Key Skills | 5. Demonstrate writing and oral presentation skills, group work and ability to synthesize large areas of unfamiliar reading, subjects and a selection of interpretive and methodological approaches 6. Demonstrate ability to use digital media and platforms for learning and disseminating knowledge and understanding |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Over the course of the module students will cover the following topics:
- Colonialist knowledge on Islam
- The problem of Orientalism
- Modernisms, Liberalisms and Conservatisms
- Postcolonial approaches to the study of Islam
- What is Islam? Some recent approaches and options
- Gender and Sexuality in Islam: Beyond binaries
- Race and ethnicity and the question of culture
- Sovereignty, justice and political theology
- Lived Islam: The arts and literary expressions
- Decolonial Islamo-futurism
- What are the limits of a decolonial understanding of Islam?
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
---|---|---|
33 | 117 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
---|---|---|
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 11 | Synchronous seminars |
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 22 | Tasks, presentations, uploading material, research |
Guided Independent Study | 44 | Research and preparation for sessions |
Guided Independent Study | 73 | Work towards the sessions and on assessments. Library and fieldwork |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
---|---|---|---|
Oral presentation on a relevant topic | 10 minutes | 1-6 | Oral (and written if requested) |
Regular reflective reaction pieces | 750 words in total | 1-6 | Written (and oral if requested) |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
---|---|---|
100 | 0 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
---|---|---|---|---|
Portfolio | 75 | 2,500 words | 1-6 | Oral and written |
Book review | 25 | 1,000 words | 1-6 | Oral and written |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
---|---|---|---|
Portfolio | Essay (2,500 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
Book review | Book review (1,000 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |