This interdisciplinary course focuses on the representations of women in modern-day literary, scholarly, and visual “texts,” produced by both men and women in Muslim-majority countries and their diasporas in the West. It covers a wide range of geographical regions and treats a variety of literary texts (novels, short stories, poetry), as well as other art […]
This course uses sociological theories on religion to study the main issues, gains and struggles faced by women in religious traditions around the world. Students study women in religion at the macro and micro level of spirituality and femininity. While this course has no prerequisite, a background in Sociology would be helpful. RELIGIOUS TRADITION(S) COVERED: […]
This course attempts a nuanced reading of texts dealing with sexuality and/or violence in the Hebrew Bible. The discussion focuses both on a contextual and on a contemporaneous reading of these texts. RELIGIOUS TRADITION(S) COVERED: Judaism
This course explores the relationship between gender and religion through the examination of contemporary religious movements such as men's and women's spirituality movements, new religious movements, LGBTQ movements, and fundamentalist movements. RELIGIOUS TRADITION(S) COVERED: Multiple
This course offers an exploration of distinctive Jewish approaches to questions of gender, sexuality, and the body, as formulated in their historical, religious, ethical and social dimensions. While we begin our journey with Biblical and other traditional sources, we focus most of our attention on contemporary encounters between gender/sexuality and Jewish life and the gendered […]
Examines the status, roles, and rights of Muslim women in the Quran, the Prophetic traditions, and the diverse Islamic laws. It explores the development of different schools of laws in diverse societies and examines the changes regarding Muslim women's identity. RELIGIOUS TRADITION(S) COVERED: Islam This course is offered as both 3.00 and 6.00.
This course analyzes culturally-rooted practices and ideological and political factors that justify or rationalize the inequitable treatment of women and children and sexual or religious minorities, with special attention to the legitimizing role of religion and movements for change. RELIGIOUS TRADITION(S) COVERED: Multiple Cross-listed as AP/HREQ 6.00.
Although the Nazi genocide targeted both men and women, writing by victims and survivors along with contemporary depictions of the Holocaust, indicates significant gender-specific differences in experience and ways of coping and remembering. Close readings and critical analyses of primary texts are emphasized. RELIGIOUS TRADITION(S) COVERED: Judaism
Religion plays an important role in inculcating and perpetuating societal norms and values. However, that is only part of the story. Many members of marginalized groups have also found within religion a space in which to resist and to manoeuvre within those same norms and values. For religion is not just the site of patriarchal […]
This course examines the representation and the construction of the gendered roles of “Muslim Woman” and “Muslim Man” in different Islamic societies. Interdisciplinary in approach, the course exposes the students to a variety of Muslim and non-Muslim sources, including works of historiography, jurisprudence and literature which provide a fertile ground for the analysis of the […]