Second Essay

For anyone who needs access to the prompt, here it is.

Please note that the phrasing of this essay in part 1 clearly calls for your own thesis, which again is what I am expecting from everyone. Good luck, and email me with any questions.

Second Essay, Sociology 20. Invented Tradition?
Due May 23

Your assignment is to apply the concept of an “invented tradition” to recent changes in Islam to evaluate the usefulness of the concept. To guide you in building an argument, please address the following three issues:

1. Identify and describe what you consider to be some of the most significant changes in Islamic belief and popular Islamic religious attitudes since the Second World War.
2. How did social, economic, and/or technological causes contribute to these changes in Islamic belief and attitude toward religion? For this part of the question, you may want to consider the guidelines that Marx, Gellner, Eickelmann, Roy, and others offer for how society influences religion.
3. Do you think that some of the religious movements in contemporary Islam now bear the traits of an “invented tradition”? Explain why or why not [or why both]. Please justify your evaluation with examples.

Note that you may decide to emphasize some of the religious changes over others to make your point. There is no comprehensive correct answer to #1 above, but you must support your focus from the readings. Do not write more than five pages, double-spaced. Wherever possible, back up assertions in your essay with page references to the readings or to historical facts from lecture. You are not expected to do research, but if you happen to know of evidence apart from course assignments, you are free to cite it in your essay. You may cite lecture ONLY for historical evidence -- plain facts -- not found in the readings.

In evaluating your essays, we will be looking at three dimensions: [1] the quality and consistency of the analysis, [2] the range and aptness of source citations that you use to back up your analysis, and [3] grammar and clarity of expression.

Essays are due at the start of lecture, May 23th. To discuss your own essay answer, come to Prof. B.’s office hours Mondays or Fridays, 9 to 10.