Fall 2021 - SA 322 D100
Religion and Society (SA) (4)
Class Number: 6470
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 8 – Dec 7, 2021: Wed, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
Vancouver
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Instructor:
Bascom Guffin
mguffin@sfu.ca
Office Hours: We 13:30–14:20
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Prerequisites:
SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
An examination of the relations between religion and the social environment. Consideration will be given to classical theoretical debates in the anthropology and sociology of religion. Specific topics vary from year to year, and may include: religion in personhood and communities; religion, gender, ethnicity and social class; secularization and secularism; the role of religion in political mobilizations; interreligious relations; religious freedom and citizenship.
COURSE DETAILS:
This course focuses on the role of religion in the contemporary world. Among other topics, we will explore the ways religion becomes more mobile in an era of increasing global migration as well as ways that many people look to religion for a sense of both spiritual and spatial rootedness. We will also examine various ways that religious institutions and practitioners incorporate new technologies in order to express and spread their faiths. Throughout the course, we will work to develop a deeper understanding of religions as thoroughly modern phenomena that are important in shaping the world as we know it. We approach this project as partners, and we will be insightful and generous critics to the material and each other.
Grading
- Participation and attendance 15%
- Weekly reading responses 15%
- First paper 15%
- Second paper 20%
- Final paper 35%
NOTES:
Grading: Where a final exam is scheduled and the student does not write the exam or withdraw from the course before the deadline date, an N grade will be assigned. Unless otherwise specified on the course syllabus, all graded assignments for this course must be completed for a final grade other than N to be assigned. An N is considered as an F for the purposes of scholastic standing.
Grading System: The Undergraduate Course Grading System is as follows:
A+ (95-100) | A (90-94) | A- (85-89) | B+ (80-84) | B (75-79) | B- (70-74) | C+ (65-69) | C (60-64) | C- (55-59) | D (50-54) | F (0-49) | N*
*N standing to indicate the student did not complete course requirements
Academic Dishonesty and Misconduct Policy: The Department of Sociology & Anthropology follows SFU policy in relation to grading practices, grade appeals (Policy T 20.01) and academic dishonesty and misconduct procedures (S10.01‐S10.04). Unless otherwise informed by your instructor in writing, in graded written assignments you must cite the sources you rely on and include a bibliography/list of references, following an instructor-approved citation style. It is the responsibility of students to inform themselves of the content of SFU policies available on the SFU website.
Centre for Accessible Learning: Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need classroom or exam accommodations are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (1250 Maggie Benston Centre) as soon as possible to ensure that they are eligible and that approved accommodations and services are implemented in a timely fashion.
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
Peña, Elaine A. 2011. Performing Piety: Making Space Sacred with the Virgin of Guadalupe. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Print ISBN: 978-0-520268333
VitalSource ebook ISBN: 978-0-520948808
This title is also available for free online through the SFU Library here.
A print copy will be available on reserve at the Fraser Library at SFU’s Surrey campus.
Hirshkind, Charles. 2006. The Ethical Soundscape: Cassette Sermons and Islamic Counterpublics. New York: Columbia University Press.
Print ISBN: 978-0-231138185
VitalSource ebook ISBN: 978-0-231510882
This title is also available for free online through the SFU Library here.
A print copy will be available on reserve at the Fraser Library at SFU’s Surrey campus.
Additional required readings will be available through Canvas, the SFU Library, or online as noted.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2021
Teaching at SFU in fall 2021 will involve primarily in-person instruction, with approximately 70 to 80 per cent of classes in person/on campus, with safety plans in place. Whether your course will be in-person or through remote methods will be clearly identified in the schedule of classes. You will also know at enrollment whether remote course components will be “live” (synchronous) or at your own pace (asynchronous).
Enrolling in a course acknowledges that you are able to attend in whatever format is required. You should not enroll in a course that is in-person if you are not able to return to campus, and should be aware that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes.
Students with hidden or visible disabilities who may need class or exam accommodations, including in the context of remote learning, are advised to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as early as possible in order to prepare for the fall 2021 term.