MEAS8116 Islam and Democracy
| Offered By | Centre for Arab & Islamic Studies |
|---|---|
| Academic Career | Graduate Coursework |
| Course Subject | Middle Eastern & Central Asian Studies |
| Offered in | First Semester, 2010 and Second Semester, 2011 |
| Unit Value | 6 units |
| Course Description | This course examines in detail the debates over the democratisation of Muslim societies. It begins by an examination of modern Islamic thought and considers diverse views of the state, authority, pluralism, and citizenship. It assesses the importance of political culture and structural factors to the emergence of democracy. In doing so, it critically examines essentialist and exceptionalist assumptions about Middle Eastern and Muslim societies, the role of elections, the position of Islamist movements, the constraints on democratic consolidation, and the possibilities of ‘exporting' democracy. While the course is organised thematically, examples are drawn from a number of specific cases and democratic theory is invoked in order to relate the specificity of Muslim societies to broader debates. |
| Learning Outcomes | To understand the diverse normative positions on democracy and political authority in contemporary Muslim societies; to assess the importance of elections in the Middle East as a marker of political liberalisation; to assess whether democratization can be assisted by external intervention; to evaluate the academic controversies on the subject. |
| Indicative Assessment |
1 x 4,000 - 5,000 word essay = 50% 1 in-class oral presentation = 10% 1 x 3 hr examination to be held in exam period at end of semester = 40% |
| Workload |
One two-hour seminar per week for 11 weeks. Regular attendance is compulsory. |
| Course Classification(s) | AdvancedAdvanced courses are designed for students having reached 'first degree' level of assumed knowledge, which provide a deep understanding of contemporary issues; or 'second degree' and higher levels of knowledge; or for transition to research training programs. |
| Areas of Interest | International Relations and Political Sciences |
| Preliminary Reading |
John L. Esposito and John O. Voll, Islam and Democracy. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996. Larry Diamon, Marc F. Plattner, and Daniel Brumberg, Islam and Democracy in the Middle East. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003. |
| Academic Contact | Prof Jim Piscatori |
The information published on the Study at ANU 2010 website applies to the 2010 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2009 website.
