Southeast Asian 137: Islam, Culture, and Politics in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asian 137: Islam, Culture, and Politics in Southeast Asia

This upper-division undergraduate course studies key discourses on the cultures and politics of Islam in Southeast Asia. We trace the processes through which Islam entered the Malay world in the 13th century; explore the European colonial encounters with Islam in Southeast Asia and the ways that Islam interacted with and resisted colonialism; examine the role of mysticism and Sufi associations, and of reformist movements in the 18th through the 21st centuries; and analyze the place of Islam in Southeast Asian arts and literature. We will also explore the intersection of religion and gender. There will be a take-home mid-term exam and a final paper.