REL 266
Being American, Being Muslim: American Muslim Literature in the 21st century
Last Offered Spring 2019
Division II Difference, Power, and Equity
Cross-listed COMP 228 / AMST 266 / ENGL 268
This course is not offered in the current catalog

Class Details

Islam and Muslims in the United States are the subject of extensive public scrutiny and media coverage in broader public discourses. It is less common, however, to hear Muslims’ own voices speak about their lives, experiences, beliefs, and commitments. This course will take a literary approach to exploring American Muslims’ own narratives about themselves. We will address questions such as: How have American Muslims understood their identity in the wake of 9/11? What are the pressures and demands of American national belonging and cultural citizenship that Muslims must navigate? How are race, gender, ethnic heritage, and immigration definitive of Muslim experiences and self-understandings? What are the competing claims and contestations about authentic expressions of Islam? How are Muslims approaching the tensions between communal belonging and individuality? We will be engaging such questions primarily through an analysis of popular memoirs, autobiographies, novels, and short stories, but will also explore some plays, films, poetry, and comedy.
The Class: Format: seminar
Limit: none
Expected: 20
Class#: 3388
Grading: no pass/fail option, yes fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation: regular reading responses, two short essays (3-4 pages), final presentation, and final paper (7-8 pages)
Prerequisites: none
Enrollment Preferences: none
Distributions: Division II Difference, Power, and Equity
Notes: This course is cross-listed and the prefixes carry the following divisional credit:
REL 266 Division II COMP 228 Division I AMST 266 Division II ENGL 268 Division I
DPE Notes: This course will explore the intersections of power in American Muslim life, such as: Muslims as a religious minority in the context of the War on Terror; racial and ethnic differences in Muslim communities; immigration and national belonging; competing claims to religious authenticity and authority; and conflicting gendered norms. Students will learn to identify these multiple layers and configurations in the texts, and how to analyze their workings in nuanced multidimensional ways.

Class Grid

Updated 12:35 pm

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