Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Summer 2026 - SA 322 D100

Religion and Society (A) (4)

Class Number: 2401

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    May 11 – Aug 10, 2026: Wed, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Instructor:

    Bascom Guffin
    mguffin@sfu.ca
    Office Hours: By appointment, in person or online

  • 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 be exploring 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 consider various ways that religious institutions and practitioners incorporate new technologies to express and spread their faiths. Throughout the course, we will consider religions as thoroughly modern phenomena that are important in shaping the world as we know it. The course’s materials draw from a variety of sources: scholarly articles, ethnographic monographs, music, films, and YouTube videos. This course will be discussion-heavy, and lectures will not necessarily extensively cover the assigned readings but will rather be complementary to them. It is therefore imperative that you do the readings before class so that you can make substantive contributions to class discussion each week. To that end, you will submit written responses to each week’s readings and video lectures. An important goal of this course is to develop a deeper understanding of the important roles religion plays in our contemporary global context. We approach this project as partners, and we will be insightful and generous critics to the material and each other.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

As a successful learner in this course, you will:

  • Become familiar with and mobilize key theoretical frameworks from which to examine contemporary religion from an anthropological and sociological standpoint
  • Cultivate your ability to read thoughtfully and critically
  • Hone your writing and communication skills
  • Develop a capacity to comparatively examine religious expressions and institutions across sociocultural contexts in order to deepen understanding while avoiding essentializations.

Grading

  • Class Participation and Attendance 15%
  • Weekly Reading Responses 15%
  • First Paper — Reflection on Religion and Space 15%
  • Second Paper — Building a Hypothesis 20%
  • Final Paper — Putting It All Together 35%

NOTES:

Grading: Grades in this class will be based on a percentage scale. Reading/lecture responses will not be accepted after 10 a.m. the day of class; late submissions for other assignments will result in a grade reduction of 5 percentage points per day, except in cases of a medical or other significant emergency. Except for reading responses or 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 A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D, F, N (N standing indicates student did not complete course requirements). Intervals for the assignment of final letter grades based on course percentage grades are 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 Honesty and Student Conduct Policies: The Department of Sociology and Anthropology follows SFU policy in relation to grading practices, grade appeals (Policy T 20.01) and academic honesty and student conduct procedures (S10-S10.05).  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: http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student.html.    

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:

All required readings are available through Canvas, the SFU Library, or online as noted.

  • Peña, Elaine A. 2011. Performing Piety: Making Space Sacred with the Virgin of Guadalupe. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
  • Chao, En-Chieh. 2017. Entangled Pieties: Muslim-Christian Relations and Gendered Sociality in Java, Indonesia. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.
Both books are available electronically through SFU’s online library system.
Additional required readings are available through Canvas, the SFU Library, or online as noted.

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.