EU486 Half Unit
Religion in Contemporary Europe: Race, Identity and Culture in Conflict
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Tahir Rashid
Availability
This course is available on the MSc in Culture and Conflict in a Global Europe, MSc in Culture and Conflict in a Global Europe (LSE & Columbia) and MSc in Culture and Conflict in a Global Europe (LSE & Sciences Po). This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process.
To apply for a place, ALL students should submit a statement via LSE for You outlining your specific reasons for applying, how it will benefit your academic/career goals, and how you meet any necessary pre-requisites (maximum 200 words).
The first round of offers will be made from 12-noon on Friday 26 September. The final deadline for applications is 12-noon of Friday of Autumn Term week 2.
For queries contact: ei@lse.ac.uk
This course has a limited number of places (it is controlled access) and demand is typically very high. Priority is given to students from the European Institute, so students from outside this department may not get a place.
Course content
For several decades secularisation theorists have been predicting the inevitable collapse of religion in contemporary society. This is particularly true for Europe where the secularising process is deeply entrenched both socially and politically. However, the question of religion remains significant in contemporary European discourse and that is through contouring notions of culture, society and politics. How far does religion shape the categories that go into understanding, interpreting and framing conflict in Europe? This course explores the question of religion and conflict through a number of contested categories including secularism, nationalism, coloniality, race, migration and sectarianism that bear on conflict in Europe and how this is reflected in the growth of populism, the notion of genocide or the contested place of Museums in European cities. The weekly reading will orientate the discussion on the theme by allowing a deeper analysis and reflection of these categories and how they figure in contemporary political, cultural and identitarian debates in Europe.
Teaching
20 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.
2 hours of lectures in the Spring Term.
This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.
A review session will be held at the start of the Spring Term to prepare for the online assessment.
Formative assessment
Presentation
Essay (1200 words)
Indicative reading
- Cesari Jocelyne, The Oxford Handbook for European Islam, 2014
- Nielsen Jorgen, Muslims in Western Europe, 2015
- Ozyurek, Esra. Being German, Becoming Muslim: Race, Religion, and Conversion in Contemporary Germany, 2014
- Journal of Muslims in Europe, Gilliat-Ray, Muslims in Britain 2010
- Luber Diana, Islam in Europe, 2023
- Daniel Norman, Islam and the West: The Making of an Image, 2009
- Rodinson Maxime, Europe and the Mystique of Islam, 1988
- Bowen John, Can Islam be French? Pluralism and Pragmatism in a Secularist State 2009
- Ansari Humayan, The Infidel Within, 2004
- Laurence, Jonathan, Emancipating Muslims 2012
- Bowen John, Why the French Don’t Like Headscarves, 2006
- Cesari Jocelyne, When Islam and Democracy Meet: Muslims in Europe and United States; Lewis Bernard, The Muslim Discovery of Europe, 2000
- Garcia Humberto, Islam and the English Enlightenment 1670-1840
- Said Edward, Orientalism 1978
- Balibar, Etienne 1991
- Is There a ‘Neo-Racism’? Bunzl, Matti. 2005
- “Between Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia: Some Thoughts on the New Europe.”; Philip Gorski, ‘After Secularisation’, 2008
Assessment
Written test (100%)
The written test for this course will be administered via Moodle. Questions will be made available at a set date/time and students will be given a set period in the ST to complete the answers to questions and upload their responses back into Moodle.
Key facts
Department: European Institute
Course Study Period: Autumn Term
Unit value: Half unit
FHEQ Level: Level 7
CEFR Level: Null
Keywords: Religion, Secularism, Race, Europe, Nationalism, Coloniality
Total students 2024/25: 1
Average class size 2024/25: 1
Controlled access 2024/25: YesCourse selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.
Personal development skills
- Leadership
- Self-management
- Team working
- Problem solving
- Application of information skills
- Communication