Spring 2021 - SA 322 D100

Religion and Society (SA) (4)

Class Number: 5553

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 11 – Apr 16, 2021: Thu, 11:30 a.m.–2:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Instructor:

    Bascom Guffin
    mguffin@sfu.ca
    Office Hours: Th 14:30-15:20 via Zoom
  • 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

  • Attendance and participation 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.

REQUIREMENTS:

Classes will take place during our normally scheduled course hours, using Zoom.
Course materials, course structure, assignments (including submissions), etc., will all be on Canvas.
With this in mind, you must have:

  • An Internet-connected device with at least a microphone and sound output
    • Having a webcam turned on will help you with your participation marks
  • A reliable Internet connection
  • A space where you can engage in class-time activities uninterrupted
  • Access to Canvas and to Zoom

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Please see SFU Bookstore website for information on textbook purchase options.

REQUIRED READING:

Hirshkind, Charles. (2006). The Ethical Soundscape: Cassette Sermons and Islamic Counterpublics. New York: Columbia University Press.

Peña, Elaine A. (2011). Performing Piety: Making Space Sacred with the Virgin of Guadalupe. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.

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 SPRING 2021

Teaching at SFU in spring 2021 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges 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. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).