Generating ideas for good practice in teaching Islamic Studies

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Generating ideas for good practice in teaching
Islamic Studies

• Gary R. Bunt

www.heacademy.ac.uk/islamicstudies islamicstudies_at_
heacademy.ac.uk
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Objectives of session

• Insight and advice on developing an Islamic
  studies student handbook
• Primarily for religious studies perspectives, but
  also transferable information and advice
• Designed for postgraduates and undergraduates
• Builds on a book in preparation on Islamic
  studies in UK higher education

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Key concerns

• What are the key subject specific issues for a
  study guide?
• Good practice (generic)
• Subject specific concerns
• Motivation
• Outcomes
• Undergraduate specific
• Postgraduate specific
• Resource availability

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(No Transcript)
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Why choose IS?

• Motivation
• Outcomes personal
• Academic interest
• Career
• Significant and relevant subject
• Transferability
• Planning subject choice

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Study skills development

• Terminology
• Transliteration
• Formatting
• Bibliographical standards
• Data recording
• Resources
• Languages

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Study skills development II

• Fieldwork, approaches, security
• Interviewing
• Networking concerns
• Relationships with supervisors
• Structure of work
• Feedback from diverse sources
• Textual, archive, digital

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Computer Resource use

• Use of internet resources for IS (including
  contemporary materials, Facebook, Twitter, blogs,
  YouTube, Google)
• Subject matter dictated by contemporary events
• Catalogues library resources and availability of
  other materials
• Wikileaks, political interference

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Approaches to subject matter

• Symbolism, leadership, source material access and
  application (QSH), reliability of translations,
  use of Quran databases fatwa databases, use of
  sources, library work
• Personal worldviews impact, concepts of academic
  neutrality and their validity (if any).
• Academic language v. belief issues (i.e. Islamic
  terminology and sensitivities)

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Approaches to subject matter II

• Traditional approaches? Defining Islamic
  perspectives through a spectrum of understanding
• Terminology isues what is authentic,
  traditional, Deobandi, Salafi, Barelwi,
  Wahhabi, Sufi, progressive, liberal,
  modernist etc.?

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Subject sensitivities

• Access to data and individuals
• Insider outsider considerations (are they
  valid?) pressures of community, family, etc.
• How IS disciplines are perceived a serious
  subject? Relevant? Working in RS and other
  contexts

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Will examiners get it?

• Generational gaps
• technology,
• worldviews,
• political-religious perspectives
• Methodological differences
• Source conflicts

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Controversial subjects

• interpretation issues and theories i.e. fatwa
  authorities, concepts, legal frameworks,
  political concerns, philosophical approaches,
  critical commentaries representing particular
  worldviews
• underrepresented subjects under the framework of
  IS (minority perspectives?)
• Gender issues/sexuality
• Multiculturalism debate and identity(-ies)
• Jihadi discourse how is this negotiated, for
  example online

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Controversial subjects

• How do academics dialogue in sensitive areas?
• Security concerns fieldwork access and
  sensitivities, i.e. community access,
  international travel, fear of publication can we
  get an accurate picture of concerns?
• Country subjects
• Military subjects

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Controversial subjects

• Censorship personal, implicit, subtexts for
  study
• Sponsored institutions and chairs ideas/ideals
  of neutrality/objectivity being closely
  monitored by departments, universities, external
  agencies free speech, home countries
• Orientalism/post-orientalist debates
• Opening up other areas for study, i.e. regions,
  issues, access
• IS in European/N. American/western contexts

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Presenting your ideas to others

• Timing
• Conferences
• Workshops
• Exposure to criticism/networking v. giving away
  source code and being plagiarised

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www.heacademy.ac.uk/islamicstudies islamicstudies_at_
heacademy.ac.uk