Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	LH Anthropology of Islam
School	History and Cultures
Department	African Studies & Anthropology
Module Code	09 31885
Module Lead	Insa Nolte
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-10 hours Seminar-10 hours Guided independent study-180 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	This module explores the diversity and complexity of Islam around the world. It pays attention to the different ways in which this truly global religion adapts to the local, and questions how it shapes the lives of Muslims. Drawing on ethnographic studies of Islamic groups, this module focuses on the lived experiences of Muslims: students will learn how Islam shapes legal, political, social, and cultural spheres of life for these communities. Topics that the module covers will include, but are not limited to, piety and everyday life, kinship and gender, and relations between Muslims and non-Muslims. Throughout the module, students are encouraged to pay attention to the ways in which anthropologists have approached the study of Muslim societies, and how Islam sits within broader anthropological debates on religion and secularity, statehood, and globalisation.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Demonstrate a critical understanding of the diversity and complexity of the Muslim world; Analyse and critique ethnographically grounded insights into key concerns in Muslim societies around the world; Reflect critically on the significant developments in the anthropological study of Islam, including the different ways in which anthropologists have conceptualised and approached the study of Islam and Muslim societies.
Assessment	31885-01 : 1500 word essay : Coursework (40%) 31885-02 : 2500 word essay : Coursework (60%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 1 x 1500 word written assignment (40%)
Other
Reading List