RELG 053. Gender, Sexuality, and the Body in Islamic Discourses

An exploration of sexuality, gender roles, and notions of the body within the Islamic tradition from the formative period of Islam to the present. This course will examine the historical development of gendered and patriarchal readings of Islamic legal, historical, and scriptural texts. Particular attention will be given to both the premodern and modern strategies employed by women to subvert these exclusionary forms of interpretation and to ensure more egalitarian outcomes for themselves in the public sphere. Topics discussed include female piety, marriage and divorce, motherhood, polygamy, sex and desire, honor and shame, same-sex sexuality, and the role of women in the transmission of knowledge.
Humanities.
1 credit.
Eligible for ESCH, GSST, MDST
Fall 2024. al-Jamil.
Catalog chapter: Religion
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/religion

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