Assignment: Compare and Contrast Essay
SECTION 1: The Topic
Topic: Islam and Democracy
The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast two articles on the topic of Islam and democracy. Students are required to read the two articles carefully and formulate a critical position on the issue of Islam and democracy.
For instance, Fukuyama sees the lack of
freedom in Islam as the major obstacle to democratization, while Esposito and Voll argue that Islamic tradition contains a number of key concepts that support democracy.
Main Requirement
Compare and contrast the arguments made by Fukuyama and Esposito and Voll and critically analyze the most essential features of their debate.
Some useful areas for comparison include asking:
a) What are the authors' primary arguments?
b) How do they go about making their arguments?
c) What assumptions do they make?
d) What are the strength and weaknesses of their arguments?
e) What conclusions do they reach?
f) Have they made a compelling case or not?
g) What conclusions do I believe can be drawn from these articles?
h) Do I agree with them or not? If yes, why? If not, why not?
You may only agree with one author, OR disagree with both, OR agree with some components in each argument.
It is important for you to carve your position clearly, succinctly, and rationally; this means you need to provide reasons for your position visà-vis the two articles. It is imperative that you are substantial ideas as opposed to attacking the authors.
Ensure that you keep any critique focused on their arguments and/or their approaches and not their personality, location, or name.
Important terms - Islamism vs. Islamicism vs. Islamic:
Esposito and Voll talk of Islamists, Muslims and Islamic thinkers in their article. Keep in mind the following definitions and distinctions (see page 245 of your textbook for details):
Islamist - a person or movement that advocates for a "political Islam," and seek to integrate Islam into multiple spheres of life including law and government.
Islamicist - a scholar or movement that studies Islam academically
Islamic - characterized by the principle teachings or cultural influence of the religion of Islam
SECTION 2: ASSIGNMENT BASICS
-This paper is worth 20% of your final grade. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you give yourself plenty of time to prepare for, draft, and edit this paper.
Requirements:
Your essay must have 6 to 9 pages.
Introduction - The introductory paragraph must contain a clear thesis statement and a description of the method used in the essay. In other words, the introduction must have a statement that includes an argument related to the essay question and then describe, briefly,
how you will prove your argument.
It must also include an overview of the similarities and differences you will address in the rest of your essay.
Body paragraphs -Each body paragraph must focus on one particular issue/point. Each body paragraph must end with a concluding sentence that connects the content of the paragraph back to the main argument stated in the introduction.
Conclusion - the concluding paragraph must restate what you have said in the essay. It is a blend of all the mentioned points.
You are strongly discouraged from using sources other than the articles provided for the topic AND the course materials. If you use other outside sources, failure to choose those sources wisely and/or use them effectively is grounds for a deduction from your final mark. Any outside sources (including course materials) must be properly cited.
Format
Your essay must:
- Include a cover page with your name, student number, and date of submission. Papers lacking this information may not be graded and may be assessed deductions for lateness.
- Be in 12-point Times New Roman font with double-spacing and 1-inch margin.
- Include a title.