Module overview:

This module analyses the patterns and characteristics of Islamic economies and their governance in Southeast Asia, with an emphasis on the region’s Muslim-majority countries. It investigates common and competing understandings of ‘market Islam’ and ‘civil Islam’; as well as of local and globalising Islamic economies. The module will first review the history of Islam in the region and conceptualisations of state-society-Islam relations with an emphasis on their economic impact. This will be followed by the examination of a range of topical issues such as halal certification regimes, Islamic finance and religious travel.

Learning Objectives

• Demonstrate an understanding of the historical and contemporary development of Islam in the Southeast Asia region.
• Provide analytical accounts of the configuration of local and globalising Islamic economies in the Southeast Asia region.
• Demonstrate an awareness of how Islam affects and is affected by state-market relations in the Southeast Asia region.
• Demonstrate awareness of various aspects of the Islamic economy - flows of people, goods and money – and how they unfold and are governed in the Southeast Asia region.

Topics covered:

• Introduction: Islam in Southeast Asia
• A political economy perspective?
• Indonesia and Malaysia: Islamic Leviathans
• Islamic finance
• Halal consumption
• Modest fashion
• Pilgrimage and Muslim-friendly travel
• Islam in the workplace