Faculty of Arts

Department of Sociology
SOC 885: Women and Islam
WINTER 2017

ESSAY GUIDELINES

Due Class Monday March 20, 2017

25 % Marks

Instructor: Amina Jamal

Office: JOR 310
Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday 3-4pm
Email: amina.jamal@ryerson.ca

TOPIC: This Essay is based on the topic of Women and the State in Muslim Majority States.

STEP 1: Read carefully the following essays:

- Kandiyoti Denise (1994). Identity and Its Discontents: Women and the Nation. In Williams, P.
and Carisman, L. (eds). Colonial Discourse and Post-colonial Theory. New York: Columbia
University Press. Pp376-391.

- Ziba Mir-Hosseini(2006). Muslim Womens Quest for Equality: Between Islamic Law and
Feminism. Critical Inquiry 32 (Summer 2006) 629-645.

Both authors discuss how womens rights in the modern Muslim state are undermined when either
the state or powerful community members use Islam as a tool to deny women their full citizenship
rights of autonomy and freedom. Women are also oppressed when community members resort to
narrow interpretations of Islamic texts to restrict womens rights. This is Kandiyoti says the
situation of women in Muslim majority states is full of paradoxes.

Find one additional article from a scholarly journal that addresses the relationship between women
and the state in a Muslim majority or Islamic state. Summarize the key arguments about gender,
state and Islam as discussed in the three articles (your selected one plus Kandiyoti and Mir
Hosseini.) Compare and contrast the situation of women in your selected article with those
discussed by Kandiyoti and Mir Hosseini. Do you notice any paradoxes? Explain why or why not.

OBJECTIVE: Your essay must demonstrate that you have read and clearly understood the arguments of
all three authors. You have the option to also refer to any other material *from this course* to support
your arguments. However *no outside reference* is permitted.
DUE DATE: March 20. No email or faxed submission. Submit in class or use Sociology Department
Dropbox. 0.5 mark deduction for each day overdue. **Late submissions more than ONE week **
only through turnitin.

** No essay will be accepted after essays are returned to the class (April 5). Grade re-allocation to
another assignment or exam may be requested but this will include a deduction of late marks from
the class due date.

**The above does not apply to students with accommodation who have submitted the requisite
documents through their program adviser.

LENGTH: Min 2000-2500 max words.

GRADE: 25 marks.

REQUIRED: Running header or footer on each page with student name, year and page number.

STYLE: Times New Roman 12 point font; double-spaced: - The paper must have an introduction, a body
and a conclusion. You may use the first person i.e. I or We.
-Include a Title Page.
-Provide a complete bibliography.
-Use in-text citations with page numbers for all references to authors in addition to direct quotes.

** An essay without proper in-text citation may arouse suspicion of plagiarism and will be graded
accordingly.

Academic Integrity: Fraudulent or deceptive acts aimed at improving grades or obtaining course credit
are considered cheating. Plagiarism is the use of anothers work without proper acknowledgement or an
attempt to pass it off as ones own work. Please note the penalty for plagiarism may be a 0 grade in the
assignment and possible suspension from the course. It is your responsibility to be informed about what
constitutes plagiarism and the Academic Integrity policy of the University. Please Read the University and
Sociology Department Policies on Plagiarism and other forms of Academic Misconduct at:

http://www.ryerson.ca/ai/students/studentcheating.html
www.ryerson.ca/soc/plagpol.html

www.ryerson.ca/learningsuccess/TipSheets/avoidingplagiarism.htm
 GRADING CRITERIA

Excellent (A- to A+), Good (B- to B+),Satisfactory (C- to C+), Adequate (D- to D+) or
Inadequate (F) on the degree to which it meets the following criteria:

1. A solid understanding of each authors main arguments evidenced by a clear and concise
summary that engages analytical and conceptual aspects of the argument rather than mechanical
and descriptive discussion.

2. Discussion is clear and well explained. Should demonstrate analysis, evaluation and reflection
rather than description and summary.

3. Careful use of quotes, facts, details from text: to support, illustrate and enhance rather than
repeat, rephrase or restate.

4. Structure and writing: Connections, transitions, flow of writing, sentence construction,

grammar, spelling. Citations are appropriate and free of mistakes.

5. Conforms to the assignment guidelines.