TEACHING

SINGAPORE SOCIETY IN TRANSITION

Contemporary Singapore has been described by observers in many different ways. The country has been perceived by some as a model of economic success and multi-ethnic harmony. Others have criticized the high degree of state regulation in the nation-state. This course provides a sociological perspective on various aspects of Singapore society, from its historical formation to its post-independence social transformation.

Issues to be covered include the question of national identity and culture. We examine whether Singaporeans possess a common identity and a culture to call their own.  Matters concerning the exercise of political power and the maintenance of authority will also be analyzed. We explore methods of governance that shape society and individuals. Finally, we examine social divisions, for example, class, gender, and religious affiliations.

Students will learn to develop the "sociological imagination"- the ability to relate personal problems of everyday life to the larger political, economic, social and cultural issues.

DEVIANCE AND SOCIETY

Why are some social actions stigmatized and deemed as deviant? Why do people deviate and how do they “become” deviant? Why do some embrace while others reject the label of deviant? Can an individual or a social group enter and exit out of a deviant status? How do other social statuses such as ethnicity, gender and social class affect the conferring of deviance? Who gets to label whom deviant, and who benefits from this? Exploring the set of interrogations above will expose you to questions of power and construction, social order and control.
The module will equip students to be conversant in the major theories of deviance and grasp the nature and dynamics of power in carving moral definitions of the social. Students will be taught to analyse the ways that social structure generates, organizes and transforms social deviance. These are done through recognising the significance of constructions of race, social class and gender as they relate to deviance. The course will also prepare students to examine how historical factors have shaped our understandings of social change and how we value current explanations of the causes and retorts to deviance.

HIP-HOP AND ISLAM:​​
A SOCIOLOGY OF GENERATIONS PERSPECTIVE

This course takes on two of the most important topics in contemporary times, global Islam and global hip-hop. The course will analyse the social, political, religious and legal impact of the interactions between Islam and hip-hop. Using sociological lens, we will probe the major controversies surrounding the appropriation of hip-hop by young Muslims over the last five decades. Through the use of academic writings, music and documentaries, this course will explore how the interaction between Islam and hip-hop has led to profound social change.
Popular culture and religiosity are important parts of everyday life. This course will examine how these intertwine in the formation of modern identities. Hip-hop culture has been deemed the most important youth culture in the world today according to many sources. Despite its transnational reach, hip-hop is at the same time complex in its practices, reflecting the environments in which it is produced. Islam is also the most debated religion in mainstream media and political circles and is critical in the policy formulations of many countries. Hence, it is essential that we make sense of these global phenomena.

SOCIOLOGY OF ISLAM IN THE MALAY WORLD

This module explores the effects of the modernization project upon the religious life of the Malays.

By employing sociological insights, the course provides theoretical tools to critically examine the strategies various Muslim and non-Muslim social groups in the Malay World adopt to respond and adjust to these social processes. It will study themes such as popular youth cultures, religious ideologies, socio-economic development, social movements and state management - to disentangle the ways in which global processes (such as the increasing securitization besieging the September 11 generation and living in an age of migration) are experienced in the context of pietization in the Malay World.

This module aims to afford students with an empathetic understanding of the forms of piety and religious institutions of the Muslims in SEA, the factors and transformations that influence the different aspects of their lives (popular culture, workplace, education etc.), their significance, and challenges in the context of globalization, technological change and the management of religiosity in the face of secularization and multiculturalism/multiracialism. It seeks to develop perspectives on the study of Islam in SEA through employing theoretical tools derived from the sociology of religion. Students will also learn the techniques of searching for new sources to study Islam in SEA, formulate critical questions and prepare a well-researched paper based on the themes of the course.

QUALITATIVE METHODS

This course offers theoretical and practical training in qualitative social research. It covers issues of methodology and methods in sociological investigations of the world. Students will hone their skills for critiquing research and learn the basics of designing, conducting and reporting on their own sociological investigations. The course will prepare students for the Final Year Project.

The course is divided into three sections. In the first, we address certain basic questions in social research: how do we think about the connections between theory and empirical data? What do sociologists study and how? What are the differences between qualitative and quantitative research? We will also tackle the many ethical and practical issues that come about in sociologists’ use of qualitative data.

In the second section of the semester, students learn more about two of the most important methods in qualitative sociological research: participant observation (also known as ethnography) and in-depth interviews. You will read examples of these methods as well as learn the techniques for conducting such research.

Third, we will discuss how to organize and interpret data, and how to effectively use data in theory-building and in our writings. We will examine once again the connections between theory and data, and thereby further discuss what makes for good sociological questions and how to design good research.