Discussion Questions for Gender/Sexuality/Islam Course - Week 9

From last semester's course, Gender/Sexuality and Islam.

For previous discussion questions for the same class, see Week 2 and Week 3.

The readings for the week were: “Living on the Extreme Margin” by Sharful Islam Khan, et al.; “Boys’ Love Thrives in Conservative Indonesia” by Yamila Abraham; and “Muslim Women and Foreign Prostitutes” by Christine Jacobsen, et al. 

Choose 2 of the following questions to answer.

4. Comment on the methodology of the study in “Living on the Extreme Margin.” Is it trustworthy completely, or does it have any gaps that may debunk at least some of the conclusions of the study? What is an SEKN model?

5. What is meant by “social exclusion”? Be sure to discuss it in the context of the hijras of Bangladesh, emphasizing the social/cultural, political, and economic ramifications of being a hijra in this specific society.

6. Comment on the conclusions made by the study “Living on the Extreme Margin.” Does anything stand out to you? Do the results seem too generalized, and do they push you to ask why, for instance, it is entirely negative, why all the hijras seem to have the exact same experiences, and, perhaps, why religion is never discussed in the article? Keep in mind that Bangladesh, while being a Muslim majority nation, also has a strong Hindu population in addition to Buddhist and Christian.

Choose 1 of the following questions to answer.

7. The article “Boys’ Love Thrives” discusses the political and religious natures of Indonesia. First, point out where Indonesia is located (mention the continent as well as a couple of neighboring countries). Then, summarize the author’s discussion on the political and religious natures of the country.

8. The author briefly mentions an international bill on women’s rights called the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). What is CEDAW and why does the author mention it? What do you think it means that the United States, while forcing many Muslim countries (such as Afghanistan) to sign and ratify it, refuses to ratify the bill itself?

Choose 3 of the following questions to answer.

9. In “Muslim Women and Foreign Prostitutes,” what is the author’s point in discussing tolerance, and what is the critique of “tolerance” that she cites from other scholars?

10. What do you think is meant by the term “transnational governmentality,” and how is it linked to tolerance?

11. Who is Ayan Hirsi Ali, and how is she important to the article’s discussion on victimhood and the representation of Muslim women in (Western) media? What role does Hirsi Ali play in these representations of Muslim women?

12. How does the author critique A glass of milk, please? How does it clarify the author’s discussion of victimhood?

13. On page 442, we read: “Another side of the depoliticization effect of tolerance discourse … is that the liberal state is perceived to be a neutral arbiter of pre-existing conflict rooted in natural differences, thus obscuring the normative nature of state policies.” What does this mean? In your explanation, try to give one example from your experiences or observations to clarify the point here.