2024 Faculty Courses Liberal arts and basic science courses Humanities and social science courses
Area Studies: Middle East and Africa
- Academic unit or major
- Humanities and social science courses
- Instructor(s)
- Fuga Kimura
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 3-4 Wed
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- LAH.A504
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 14, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
In the first half of the quarter, this course aims to provide an understanding of the basic religious and political ideology of Muslims, who are expected to reach 2.2 billion people (26.4% of the world's total population) by 2030, and in the second half of the quarter to understand the diversity of the Middle Eastern and Islamic world, which stretches from Southeast Asia to North Africa, with a focus on the Middle East, from the perspectives of sects, ethnic groups, and regional history.
Course description and aims
(1) To be able to gain a deeper historical understanding of the religious thought of the majority sect of Islam (Sunni sect) through comparison with the existence of other sects, based on knowledge of the religious thought learned in high school world history and ethics classes.
(2) To be able to roughly understand how the diversity of doctrines and sects has influenced differences in religious practice, political ideology, and social structure in contemporary Muslim countries.
(3) To be able to take into consideration the origins and sect of each Muslim person when dealing with them coming to Japan for work, study, etc.
Keywords
Islam, Middle East, immigrant society, multicultural exchange, inbound tourism
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
The course will be based on a lecture format using slides, but will also incorporate small group work. In group work, students will discuss a topic set by the instructor and share their findings with the class. In addition, small assignments will be given in class to check students' progress, and extracurricular activities such as field trips to Islamic temples in Tokyo will be organized for students who wish to do so.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Guidance and review of Islamic basics | Reviewing the explanations of Islam in high school world history and ethics classes. |
| Class 2 | Historical Background of Islam: Monotheistic Tradition and Arab Society | Comparing Islam with other religions from a comparative religious perspective. |
| Class 3 | Fundamentals of Islamic Theology and Jurisprudence: Towards a Deeper Understanding of the Six Beliefs and Five Principles | Understanding the differences between Islamic sects and academic structures. |
| Class 4 | Where is the "Middle East"? Rethinking the Concept of the Middle East | Understanding that the geographical concept of the "Middle East" is an analytical concept that was born from a Western-centric worldview in the modern era. |
| Class 5 | The Spread of the Modern Islamic World: Beyond the Middle East | Comparing and understanding the history and differences of sects and cultures in Muslim-majority countries. |
| Class 6 | Considerations of Muslim Minority Societies: Immigrants, Refugees, and Tourism in Japan and the West | Identifying issues regarding coexistence with Muslims in Europe, the United States, Japan, and other countries where the number of immigrants, refugees, tourists, and labor forces is expected to increase in the future. |
| Class 7 | Review of learning so far and exam | After the exam, students will refer to the sample answers provided and compare them with their own answers for review. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
In order to maximize your learning, students should refer to the relevant sections of the materials distributed in class and reference materials related to each topic introduced in each class, and aim to spend approximately 100 minutes each preparing for and reviewing the class content (including assignments).
Textbook(s)
No textbooks are prescribed as reference materials will be distributed in each class.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
References related to each topic will be introduced in each class.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Grading will be based on the results of the exam (55%) and the "small assignment" (45%) submitted after the 4th class.
Related courses
- LAH.A501 ： Area Studies: Europe
- LAH.A502 ： Area Studies: East Asia
- LAH.A503 ： Area Studies: Latin America
- LAH.A505 ： Area Studies: South and Southeast Asia
- LAH.A506 ： Area Studies: North America and Oceania
Prerequisites
There is no prior knowledge or skill that needs to be acquired.
Office hours
Contact before and after classes, or e-mail for an appointment.
Contact information (e-mail address) for the instructor of this course can be found on T2SCHOLA.
If you have any inquiries before registering this course, please contact the Office of Humanities and Social Science Courses.
Other
If students wish, there will be an opportunity to visit Islamic temples in Tokyo during extracurricular activities
(participation is optional for those who wish to do so).
This course is 500-level course.
Tokyo Tech’s “wedge-shaped style education” enables students to pursue liberal arts education in a phased manner throughout undergraduate and graduate programs.
Students are encouraged to take 100-level to 600-level courses in order. As such, master’s students must begin Humanities and Social Science courses at the 400 level (in 1Q/2Q of the first year for those entering in April, and 3Q/4Q for those entering in September), then proceed to 500-level courses (in 3Q/4Q or later for those entering in April, and 1Q/2Q of the following year or later for those entering in September).