GENDER AND ISLAM COURSE!

Gender and Islam

WMST 425B

Term 2 (Jan 08, 2007 to Apr 12, 2007) UBC Vancouver

An interdisciplinary course from a feminist, postcolonial, critical perspective

What do we mean by the ‘woman question’ in Islam?

Why is Gender such a crucial issue in debates on Islam?

What are the voices and actions of Muslim women saying to us?


In this course we will problematize assumptions of binary opposites such as ‘Islam versus the West’, ‘good versus evil’ ‘active versus passive’ or ‘freedom versus oppression’, in relation to Gender and Islam.

We will examine and unpack from a critical, feminist perspective, questions and debates on Gender and Islam that are complex and often fraught with conflict.

To this end, we will

* interrogate neo-colonial, predominantly western, constructs of Muslim women
* problematize notions of Muslim women’s oppressions
* examine diverse challenges that Muslim women face
* explore complex avenues of Muslim women’s resistance and agency
* listen to the voices of Muslim women, including scholars, activists and feminists

Our aim will be to understand Muslim women’s interactions with and approaches to religion and society, and their lived experiences and struggles as they negotiate complicated spaces and influences at the local and transnational levels.

Credits: 3

Pre-requisites: WMST 100

(Permission of the Instructor is also permissible)

For more information contact:

Women's Studies Program,

University of British Columbia
1896 East Mall, Vancouver, B.C, V6T 1Z1

Tel: 604-822-9171 Fax: 604-822-9169

E-mail: wmst1@interchange.ubc.ca

Or visit the UBC website http://ubc.ca/