Faculty of Arts Asia Institute

New courses and subjects in 2007

110-227 Islam, Orientalism and the Arabs in Film

Subject Description:
It is almost impossible today to open a newspaper, surf the internet or listen to television or radio without reading or hearing something about Islam or Muslims. This new module, available to 2nd and 3rd year students (12.5 credit points), takes a unique look at the background to why Islam has become such a major focus in the media, and at how it has been portrayed in movies and documentaries. Set against some of the most important written critiques of Islam, Orientalism and the Arabs published over the past few decades (Edward Said etc.,) we will be looking at the most significant historical and social issues being dealt with in film today, and exploring the disparate modes of representation that separate the Muslim, Arab and Western media, as well as the cultural and ideological perspectives specific to each. In addition to investigating themes of Imperialism, Orientalism and Post-Modernity through a weekly film screening for each of the 12 weeks of the semester, students will encounter Muslim and Arab perspectives on such important topics as migration, gender, sexuality and politics. Thus the Eurocentric/Western conventions dominated by populist Hollywood cinema that provide us with an 'Orientalist' perspective of Islam are contrasted with the self-representation of filmmakers producing counter-cinema (particularly in Iran and North Africa).
Generic Skills:
  • have developed an ability in critical thinking, and analysis and appreciation of film;
  • have an understanding of social, ethical and cultural context;
  • have developed effective written communication skills.
Credit Points:
12.5
Semester:
Semester 1 (view timetable)
Availability:
2nd and 3rd year
Prerequisites:
Fifty points of first year level study within the Faculty of Arts.
Contact Hours:
A 1-hour lecture, a 1-hour tutorial and a 2-hour screening per week.
Assessment:
A 1500 word tutorial paper 40% (due during the semester), a 2500 word essay 50% (due during examination period), and 10% tutorial participation.
Prescribed Texts:
A subject reader will be available from the Bookroom at the beginning of semester. E Said, Orientalism. Penguin 1995. Matthew Bernstein & Gaylyn Studlar (eds), Visions of the East: Orientalism in Film. I B Taurus 1997.
Coordinator:
Dr A. Gully

110-559 Muslim Philosophical Traditions

Subject Description:
This subject will focus on the rich heritage of Islamic philosophy. It will present a survey of the development of Islamic philosophy, from the period of translation to the present. Students will study and critically evaluate key features and contributions of prominent schools of philosophy, for example the Peripatetic School (al-mashshaiyyun) and the Illuminationist School (al-ishraq). Primary sources will be studied, including selected writings of major philosophers such as al-Kindi, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, al-Razi, Ibn Rushd, al-Ghazali, al-Tusi, Suhrawardi and Mulla Sadra. Selected modern Muslim philosophers will follow, with an added focus on their concerns within the context of the influence of a number of Western philosophers in the modern period.
Generic Skills:
  • analyse and comment upon complex intellectual phenomena;
  • present analytical research as structured written arguments;
  • recognize the plurality of global intellectual and cultural traditions and their commonalities.
Credit Points:
12.5
Semester:
Semester 1
Availability:
4th year and postgraduate
Prerequisites:
Admission to the Postgraduate Diploma (Islamic Studies) or permission of the subject coordinator.
Contact Hours:
A 2-hour seminar per week.
Assessment:
An essay of 5000 words 100% due at the end of semester.
Prescribed Texts:
A collection of texts from primary and secondary sources will be provided by the Institute.
Coordinator:
Dr M. Kamal

110-560 Sufism: Doctrines and Practices

Subject Description:
This subject will explore the development of sufism from the point of view of various sufi schools, looking at their doctrines and practices, and will also study the rise of tariqahs. Selected key sufi texts, for example, by Rabi'a al-'Adawiya, Junayd, al-Muhasibi, al-Hujwiri, al-Hallaj, Abu Yazid al-Bistami, al-Sarraj, al-Qushayri will be read. This broad approach to the literature will continue with al-Ghazali, Ibn al-Arabi, al-Rumi, Suhrawardi, Jami, Mahmud Shabistai, Ahmad Sirhandi and Shah Walliullah. Continuing emphases will be on identifying features of sufi schools, the prominence of various tariqahs, the influence of sufism on Muslim society in general, and the revival of sufism in the modern period. A significant aspect to be explored will be the tension between sufism and orthodoxy, and the role of al-Ghazali in bringing sufism into the orthodox mainstream.
Generic Skills:
  • understand the place of primary texts within widely divergent cultural contexts;
  • develop the capacity for rigorous and independent thinking;
  • communicate complex ideas in reasoned and structured written form.
Credit Points:
12.5
Semester:
Semester 2
Availability:
4th year and postgraduate
Prerequisites:
Admission to the Postgraduate Diploma (Islamic Studies) or permission of the subject coordinator.
Contact Hours:
A 2-hour seminar per week.
Assessment:
An essay of 5000 words 100% due at the end of semester.
Prescribed Texts:
A collection of texts from primary and secondary sources will be provided by the Institute.
Coordinator:
Dr M. Kamal

110-584 Researching Islam and Muslim Societies

Subject Description:
This subject is taught in English and deals with advanced studies in Islamic primary sources and methods of research in Islamic studies. It will cover issues such as the early development of main areas of Islamic studies; important primary sources of Islam; the methodologies followed in selected Shari'ah related areas of study; strengths and weaknesses in the so-called 'traditional' and 'modern' methods of research in Islamic studies; and the current state of research in selected areas of Islamic studies. Students will also undertake a small scale research project in Islamic studies and present the results in writing.
Generic Skills:
  • have an ability to evaluate research and professional literature concerning Islamic Studies;
  • have an ability to evaluate different methodological approaches to social and intellectual problems;
  • have an appreciation of the design, conduct and reporting of research.
Credit Points:
12.5
Semester:
Semesters 1 and 2
Availability:
4th year and postgraduate
Prerequisites:
Admission to the Postgraduate Diploma (Islamic Studies or Asian Studies), the Master of Arts (Asian Societies) or permission of the subject coordinator.
Contact Hours:
A 2-hour seminar per week.
Assessment:
An essay of 5000 words 100% due at the end of semester.
Prescribed Texts:
Materials prepared by the Institute.
Coordinator:
Dr M. Kamal

110-587 Asian Health and Development

Subject Description:
Utilising approaches from anthropology, development studies and public health, this subject aims to introduce current ideas, issues and responses to health and development in the region. Students do not need any clinical training to complete this subject. It begins with a critical look at the premises beneath health and development in Asia and the history of colonial interventions in health. A series of case studies of health issues introduces some of the major health and development issues affecting the region and a critical assessment of responses to them. Topics covered in the course include urbanisation and health, work and health, the effects of war and displaced populations, HIV/AIDS, water and development, population and development, indigenous health knowledge and emerging issues such as medical tourism. Responses to these issues from the government and non-governmental sectors will be examined. These case studies provide opportunities to explore the importance of political economy in the experience of health by a population, the stratification of health along the lines of gender, ethnicity and class, and the translation of international health initiatives into local health care delivery.
Generic Skills:
  • exercise critical thinking skills to evaluate and synthesise research and professional literature;
  • have a capacity to articulate their views and findings in oral and written presentations;
  • develop team work skills through participation in group discussions and exercises.
Credit Points:
12.5
Semester:
Semester 1
Availability:
Postgraduate
Prerequisites:
Admission to a coursework Masters program or permission of the subject coordinator.
Contact Hours:
A 2-hour seminar and a 4-hour workshop over 4 weeks.
Assessment:
A reading notebook of 2000 words 40% (due mid-semester) following workshops and a 3000 word essay 60% (due at the end of semester).
Prescribed Texts:
-
Coordinator:
Dr A. Whittaker

110-588 Strategies for Communication in Asia

Subject Description:
How social relationships form and change is a crucial topic in understanding any society. This subject will focus on communication as a social and political act within diverse Asian societies. Students will be introduced to a range of typical and contested communicative strategies, including cross-cultural engagement with the West. Students will be encouraged to explore the concepts underlying social relationships in Asia, including the Chinese art of guanxi (social relationships), Japanese notions of gift-giving, negotiating tactics in everyday and business contexts, the manipulation of speech styles, the construction of identity through communicative styles in local, national and global contexts, the impact of globalised business and culture on indigenous social relationships, and East-West encounters in the Asian workplace. On completion of this subject students should be able to bring East-West perspectives to an analysis of social relationships within Asian societies and an understanding of how these practices are evolving under the impact of globalisation.
Generic Skills:
  • critical enquiry and debate with regard to the conceptual frameworks underlying different systems of social relationships;
  • communicative skills in written and oral presentation and debate;
  • skills in evaluating empirical data and identifying its conceptual underpinning;
  • awareness and insight into issues relating to cross-cultural communication.
Credit Points:
12.5
Semester:
Semester 1
Availability:
Postgraduate
Prerequisites:
Admission to the Master of Arts (Asian Societies) or permission of the subject coordinator.
Contact Hours:
A 2-hour seminar per week.
Assessment:
One research project presented orally in class and written up as a 1000 essay 20% (due mid-semester); and one 4000 word essay 80% (due during the exam period).
Prescribed Texts:
A subject reader will be available from the Bookroom at the beginning of semester.
Coordinator:
Dr M. Ewing and A/Prof A. McLaren
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