Author Archives: Janaki

CFP: The SACRED, the STATE, and the POOR

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The Philippine Association for the Sociology of Religion in partnership with the Faculty of Arts and Letters – University of Santo Tomas invite you to 3rd International Conference dubbed. The SACRED, the STATE and the POOR: Challenges/Gaps, Initiatives, and Cooperations in Engaging the Habitus of Poverty on

February 26 to 28, 2016

Call for Papers and Other Materials:

  1. A. Researches – as referred to here are the scientific papers that sought to discover or bring to light facts regarding the phenomenon of poverty and the interventions, or absence of it, by the Sacred and the State.

 

  1. Reflections – reflections on the other hand are serious consideration of a particular academic interest. In this case, it is the phenomenon of poverty and how the Sacred and the State intervene, or otherwise, to lessen or eradicate it.

 

  1. Documentaries – generally mean factual record of something and in this call for materials, it refers to the interpretation and presentation about the phenomenon of poverty employing the medium of film or the digital camera (film), photography and artwork (fine arts).
  2. Video-Ethnography – this focuses on a particular group, the poor and dynamics of the sacred and the state towards poverty, as the subject employing digital camera as its medium of presentation and interpretation. (20-30 minutes length)
  3. Photo-Ethnography – this also focuses on the sacred, the state and the poor using the still photos as its medium of presentation and interpretation.
  4. Art Works – this portrays and interprets the same focus or subject, the dynamics of the poor, the sacred and the state, or the absence of it, using the media of fine arts.

 

Areas/Disciplines that maybe involved:

  • Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, Governance and Public Administration
  • Economics, Community Development and Social Work
  • Religion and Theology, History, Philosophy and Education
  • Fine Arts, Multi-Media Arts, Mass Communication and Development Communication
  • Other Disciplines

Important Dates:

Deadline of Submission of Abstract: 15 December 2015

Deadline of Submission of Full Paper: 30 December 2015

 

Registration Fee:

Foreign (Professionals) 400 USD Coverage:

2 lunch, 5 snacks, kit and souvenir, for 3 days

with single-room hotel accommodation.

hotel to airport service.

Kit and souvenirs

 

Local (Professional) – 4,000.00

Coverage:

2 lunch, 5 snacks, kit and souvenir, for 3 days

(without accommodation)

Local (Students) – [TBA]

 

 

Contact Person: Prof. Precious ‘Chot’ Velasquez, M.A.

(email: chotvelasquez@yahoo.com, mobile: 09298208047)

 

The post CFP: The SACRED, the STATE, and the POOR appeared first on ISA Research Committee 22.

Job Opening: W3-Professorship in Oriental Studies (Arabic and Islamic Studies)

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http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/jobs/jobDetails/34044376

W3-Professorship in Oriental Studies (Arabic and Islamic Studies)

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The Oriental and Islamic Studies Institute at the Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany, announces a vacancy for a W3 Professorship of Oriental Studies (Arabic and Islamic Studies). The appointment begins April 1, 2016.

Description

The successful candidate will be expected to have research and teaching expertise in the discipline of Oriental Studies, especially the fields of Arabic and Islamic Studies and mainly for the early modern and modern periods. The expected focus of research and teaching activities is the early modern and modern developments of the culture, history, and religion of the Arab and Islamic worlds, combined with experience in working with sociological and anthropological approaches to these fields. Several years of study and research experience in Arab countries and/or other countries of the Islamic world, as well as a second regional field of specialization, are equally desirable. Candidates should be familiar with German to the extent that they are be able to teach in that language within a year’s time.

Nr of positions available : 1

Research Fields

Cultural studies – Oriental studies

Career Stage

More Experienced researcher or >10 yrs (Senior)

Research Profiles

Leading Researcher (R4)

Comment/web site for additional job details

Positively assessed junior professorships, post-doc lecturing and research qualifications (in the form of a Habilitation) or equivalent academic achievements and evidence of special aptitude are just as much required as the candidate’s willingness to take part in the university’s academic self-administration.

Additional requirements include:
– a high level of commitment in teaching
– readiness to participate in interdisciplinary academic work
– willingness and ability to attract third-party funding

Ruhr-Universität Bochum is an equal opportunity employer.
Complete applications with CV, list of publications, of courses taught and of projects funded should be sent to the Dekan der Fakultät für Philologie der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, no later than 2. January 2016.

Requirements

Required Research Experiences

Main Research Field

Cultural studies

Sub Research Field

Oriental studies

Years of Research Experience

10

Required Languages

Language

GERMAN

Language Level

Excellent

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Resource: The World Religions and Spirituality Project (WRSP) — Japanese New Religions and Minority Traditions

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We would like to draw the  attention of those interested in the study and teaching of religion in Japan  to the following resource and project.  The World Religions and Spirituality Project (WRSP) http://www.wrs.vcu.edu/index.html

It is an academic open-access free source of information about various religious movements around the world. It has recently developed a number of themes within it, including a section on Japanese New Religions and Minority Traditions, which is being overseen and directed by Erica Baffelli, Ian Reader and Birgit Staemmler:

 http://www.wrs.vcu.edu/SPECIAL%20PROJECTS/JAPANESE%20NEW%20RELIGIONS/JapaneseNewReligions.htm

 This site includes an extensive overview of new religions, downloadable as a pdf, along with, currently, profiles of six movements (Hikari no Wa, Aum Shinrikyo,  Soka Gakkai, GLA, Seicho no Ie,  covert Shin Buddhists) by scholars who have worked on these movements.  Besides the project editors, contributors thus far have been Levi McLaughlin, Crystal Whelan and Clark Chilson.  A number of other profiles are in the pipeline.

 We would encourage anyone who teaches in relevant areas to make use of this resource. In addition, we would encourage anyone who is working in relevant areas and who would be interested in contributing a profile of a particular movement, to contact us.  Normally contributions should be around 5-6000 words long and follow the general format set out in the profiles.

 Erica Baffelli  erica.baffelli@manchester.ac.uk

Ian Reader  ian.reader@manchester.ac.uk

Birgit Staemmler  birgit.staemmler@japanologie.uni-tuebingen.de

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Journal Announcement: Sociology of Islam, Volume 3 (2015) Issue 1-2 (Brill)

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Sociology of Islam: Volume 3 (2015) Issue 1-2
EDITORS: Tugrul Keskin and Gary Wood
Sectarian Affiliation and Gender Traditionalism: A Study of Sunni and Shi’a Muslims in Four Predominantly Muslim Countries
Authors: Gabriel A. Acevedo and Sarah Shah
ABSTRACT:
This paper will add to the expanding scholarship in the sociology of Islam and explore the influence of Sunni-Shi’a affiliation on views of gender traditionalism. Using a subset of the World Values Survey, we contrast views towards women’s roles in society held by Sunni and Shi’a respondents in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Pakistan (n = 10,799). Our findings suggest that views of gender traditionalism are not solely a function of sectarian affiliation but that educational attainment, income, demographic factors and national culture are stronger and more consistent predictors of gender traditionalism than sectarian affiliation alone. We draw from theories of religious incongruence and discuss the theoretical implications of our findings. These findings suggest the need for additional research that links sociological theories of religion to the empirical study of Islam, as well as a greater emphasis on the role that social context plays in shaping Muslim public opinion.
Affiliations: 1: Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Texas at San Antonio, gabriel.acevedo@utsa.edu ; 2: Doctoral Student, University of Toronto, ssarah.shah@mail.utoronto.ca
Al-Qaida in Iraq Beyond Rhetoric: Visualizing an ‘Islamic State of Iraq’
Author: Christoph Guenther
ABSTRACT:
In any contest for power, the multiple actors involved employ various strategies to convey their messages to national and international audiences. The contest for control over the state between the Iraqi government forces and Jihadist groups after 2003 has seen the latter deploy both rhetoric and particular forms of visualization to persuade their audience of the need to establish an ‘Islamic State’ in Iraq and beyond. This article evaluates the extent to which al-Qāʿida in Iraq ( aqi) and its successor the ‘Islamic State of Iraq’ ( isi) have tried to appeal to supporters by employing specific rhetorical and visual signs. It analyzes the group’s utopian prospects – a vision that is reinforced through rhetoric and images that play on emotions and inspire the adherents of the ‘Islamic State’.
Affiliations: 1: University of Leipzig Leipzig, GermanyRitterstr. 12, 04109 Leipzig (Germany) christoph.guenther@uni-leipzig.de
The 1961 Constitutional Referendum in Turkey
Authors: Yunus Emre and Burak Cop
ABSTRACT:
The 1961 referendum on the new constitution was the first referendum held in the history of the Turkish republic. However, no deeper analysis of this phenomenon has been conducted in the English-language academic literature. This paper undertakes that objective. The new constitution was drafted and adopted under anti-democratic conditions. The post-coup era was a missed opportunity for instituting a stronger democracy. The referendum was the last nationwide vote in which traditional actors played significant roles in determining voting behavior. The notables and major landowners of the under-developed provinces led the masses to vote in favor of the new constitution. Starting in 1965, politics in Turkey became ideology-centered and class-oriented, thus causing the influence of traditional actors to diminish. Although the campaign for votes to support the referendum dominated the political scene in 1961, the electorate showed its distance from the coup anyway.
Affiliations: 1: Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations, Istanbul Kültür University, y.emre@iku.edu.tr; 2: Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations, Istanbul Kültür University, burakcop@yahoo.co.uk
Globalization, Political Islam, and Moderation: The Case of Muslim Democratic Parties
Author: A. Kadir Yildirim
ABSTRACT:
In this article, I examine the rising significance of a moderate kind of Islamist party emerging in the Middle East in recent years—Muslim democratic parties—and, the factors underlying their electoral success. In this, the manuscript takes a closer look at an important constituency of Islamist parties, the small and medium business owners ( smes). Briefly, I argue that smes’ support underlies the success of moderate Muslim democratic parties as opposed to more conservative Islamist parties, and what determines smes’ support for a moderate party is the change in their political preferences. The change in smepreferences, I show, is due to the form that economic liberalization takes, whether economic liberalization is more inclusive (what I call competitive liberalization) or exclusive/selective (what I call crony liberalization). Empirically, I rely on original field interviews I conducted with party officials and business owners in Egypt, Morocco, and Turkey. I also integrate primary sources such as party publications into the analysis.
Affiliations: 1: Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, ay18@rice.edu

 

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Two conferences in Africa in July 2016

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From 4th to 8th July 2016, the Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations in Eastleigh, St. Paul’s University, Kenya, will host a conference on Faiths and (In)security in Africa.

The AASR Conference will take place at the University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, from 26th to 29th July 2016. The theme is ‘Religion, Sexuality, and Identity in Africaand the African Diaspora’.

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Journal Announcement: Politics and Religion Journal (Vol. 9, No. 2) is now available online

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Dear members of ISA’s RC 22,
it is my great pleasure to inform you that the new issue of the Politics and Religion Journal (PRJ) is now available!  Topic of this issue is “Politics and Religion in Europe”, with Dr. Roberto Cipriani as a guest editor.
You can find more information about this issue on the IPSA’s website, while the direct link to the articles is available on the Journal’s web page.
On behalf of the PRJ,
Marko Vekovic

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CfP: Graduate Student Conference in Arabic and Islamic studies

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Crossing the borders. Interdisciplinary research in Arabic and Islamic studies

Yerevan State University, Yerevan, Armenia, May 2016

The Chair of Arabic Studies at Yerevan State University in cooperation
with Middle Orient project is pleased to invite graduate students (MA
and PhD) and recent post-docs of all fields associated with Arabic and
Islamic Studies (broadly defined) to present their recent research
during the graduate conference entitled Crossing the borders.
Interdisciplinary research in Arabic and Islamic studies, which will
take place in the first week of May 2016 (the exact date of the
conference will be specified later).

Research papers are accepted on all aspects of Arabic and Islamic
studies, including, but not limited to:
–Islamic Studies (History, religion, politics)
–Arabic Literature
–Arabic Linguistics
–The History of Arabic countries
–The Arab world in the framework of international relations
–Intercultural dialogue
–The topical issues of Arab Middle East

Each participant will be expected to speak for no longer than 20
minutes. At the end of each session the discussion will be opened by
the session moderator.

Submission process

For submitting a paper proposal, please send an abstract of proposed
paper (no more than 300 words) and a current CV to
graduateconferenceysu@gmail.com by 15th of February, 2016. Abstracts
should provide a brief description of the work, clearly outlining the
theoretical perspectives and methodology to be applied in the paper.

Notifications of acceptance will be sent until 29th of February, 2016.

All proposals will be subjected to peer-reviews. The selected papers
will be published in the proceeding volume of “Arabic Studies”- the
annually published official journal of the Chair of Arabic Studies,
YSU.

For any enquiries regarding the conference, please contact
info@middleorient.com.

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Job Opening: Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Gender Studies with reference to the Middle East and Islam – University of Exeter

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Combining world class research with very high levels of student satisfaction we are a member of the Russell Group and now have over 19,000 students. In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) Exeter was ranked 16th nationally with 98% of its research rated as being of international quality.

The Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies has the strongest REF2014 results of any Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies department in the UK, establishing Exeter as the leader in the field in terms of research quality, impact and environment. Our international profile as a pioneering and multidisciplinary institute continues to grow.

In this role you will contribute to extending the research profile of the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies in the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at Exeter, particularly in areas related or complementary to the study of Gender with reference to the modern Middle East and/or Islam.

You will hold a PhD or equivalent in Middle East Studies, Politics, Sociology, Anthropology, Gender Studies or related fields, and have an independent, internationally-recognised research programme in an active field of Social Science and Gender Studies research related or complementary to existing Exeter strengths. You must be able to demonstrate the following qualities and characteristics: a strong record in attracting research funding, or demonstrable potential to attract such funding, teamwork skills to work in collaboration with existing group members, an active and supportive approach to inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary research that will help to foster interactions and links both within the University and externally, the attitude and ability to engage in continuous professional development, the aptitude to develop familiarity with a variety of strategies to promote and assess learning and enthusiasm for delivering undergraduate programmes. Experience of fieldwork in the relevant regions and linguistic proficiency in Arabic and/or other relevant languages are highly desirable.

The starting salary for appointments made at Lecturer level will be from £33,574 on Grade F and for appointments at Senior Lecturer level, from £41,255 on Grade G, depending on qualifications and experience.

Informal enquiries can be made to Prof Christine Allison (tel: 01392-724026, email: C.Allison@exeter.ac.uk. You may also wish to consult our web site at (http://socialsciences.exeter.ac.uk/iais/) for further details of the College.

For more information and to apply online please go to our website www.exeter.ac.uk/jobs

The closing date for completed applications is Wednesday 6th January 2016.

The University of Exeter is an equal opportunity employer which is ‘Positive about Disabled People’. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented in the workforce. 

Apply Link

https://jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open? VACANCY_ID=670875DaQc&WVID=3817591jNg&LANG=USA

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Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship in Islamic Studies (Ref 034833, closing date 15 December), University of Edinburgh

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POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP IN ISLAMIC STUDIES

The Alwaleed Centre at the University of Edinburgh (www.alwaleed.ed.ac.uk) seeks to appoint a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, on a fixed-term non-renewable three-year basis, to assist the development of its interdisciplinary research and teaching activities, to commence on 1st February 2016 or as soon as possible thereafter. The successful candidate will have expertise in any aspect of Islamic Studies (broadly understood, so that it could include such sub-disciplines as Art, Ethics, Law, Philosophy, Science or Theology). Applications would be particularly welcome from candidates with expertise on Christian-Muslim Relations.

Closing date: 5 pm on Tuesday 15 December 2015

Further details:https://www.vacancies.ed.ac.uk/pls/corehrrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobspec?p_id=034833

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Journal Announcement – Approaching Religion Vol. 5/2: Systems thinking spirituality and wisdom: Perspectives on Ken Wilber

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We are happy to announce the publication of

Approaching Religion Vol. 5/2 (November, 2015)
Theme: Systems thinking sprituality and wisdom: Perspectives on Ken Wilber

Available at: www.abo.fi/approachingreligion

The current issue consists of articles based on presentations given at the seminar on Ken Wilber’s philosophy arranged by Professor Matti Kamppinen at the University of Turku, Finland in October, 2014.

AR is an open access journal published by the Donner Institute in Åbo, Finland. Its purpose is to publish current research on religion and culture and to offer a platform for scholarly co-operation and debate within the field. The articles have been selected on the basis of peer-review.

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