Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2018 - SA 322 D100

Religion and Society (SA) (4)

Class Number: 9682

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2018: Tue, 8:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • 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:

What is religion, and why should we care? This seminar provides an introduction to the social scientific study of religion by looking at the role of organized religion in the modern world. Examples from North America and the former Soviet Union show how people in ethnically and politically diverse societies decide and debate the place of religion. Questions we will ask include:

  • Does religion become a private matter in modern society, or does it continue to have effects on public life?
  • Are conflicts involving religious expression mainly about dogma and truth claims, or about everyday aesthetic and moral sensibilities?
  • How do believers and non-believers draw on ideas about the sacred in political action, gender expression, and self-development?
We will approach these questions by means of lectures, discussions, video materials, and readings of classical and contemporary scholarly texts. Students will also help prepare and conduct a panel discussion about faith-based social engagement. Additional requirements include weekly reading responses, an observational walk on the place of religious diversity in the urban environment, an in-class midterm exam and a final paper (10-15 pages). The goal is to understand the diverse ways of defining and practicing religion inside and outside of Canada, and to discuss their consequences for social life.

Grading

  • Participation 15%
  • Reading responses 10%
  • Observational exercise 10%
  • In-class midterm exam 20%
  • Panel discussion report 15%
  • Final paper 30%

NOTES:

Grading: Where a final exam is scheduled and you do not write the exam or withdraw from the course before the deadline date, you will be assigned an N grade. Unless otherwise specified on the course outline, all other graded assignments in this course must be completed for a final grade other than N to be assigned.

Academic Dishonesty and Misconduct Policy: The Department of Sociology and 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: http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student.html.    

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

McBrien, J. (2017). From Belonging to Belief: Modern Secularisms and the Construction of Religion in Kyrgyzstan. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.
ISBN: 978-0-822965084

Weiner, I. (2013). Religion Out Loud: Religious Sound, Public Space, and American Pluralism. New York: NYU Press.
ISBN: 978-0-814708200

Additional articles and book chapters will be available through CANVAS and the SFU Library.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Dawson, L. & Thiessen, J. (2013). The Sociology of Religion: A Canadian Perspective. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press. 
ISBN: 978-0-195425574

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/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

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS