Aims

By the end of the course, students will:
- be familiar with a basic bibliography and with texts relating to the body in Islam and the west;
- have completed a short study in a field related to the theme of the seminar;
- have presented their work on the closing day of the seminar.

Main themes

The objective of this seminar is the human body as mediator between orders of differing realities (i.e. religious, social, psychological and biological).
We will study the body as a cosmic representation, and as a surface for inscription, and conceptions of illness and representations of the body as a metaphor for religious and cultural conceptions.

Content and teaching methods

Content
- A review of basic anthropological texts by writers such as Lévi-Strauss, Dumezil, Massignon and Corbin.
- An introduction to the dogmas and texts of, and the schisms in, Islam.
- The body in Greek, Jewish, Christian and Moslem thought.
- Discussion on current research into the anthropology of the body.
Methodology
- Sessions 1, 2 and 3: A presentation of the bibliography, and an introductory talk on fields of psychological anthropology.
- Sessions 4 and 5: Students will present issues taken from the texts they will be studying.
- Session 6: A presentation of the teacher's current research work on the theme of the seminar.
- Sessions 7 and 8: A discussion with students concerning their "fields".
- Sessions 9 and 10: A presentation of field work, and the assessment.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Assessment: This will focus half on participation in the reading on the seminar, and half on the presentation of personal work on the last day of the seminar.

Programmes in which this activity is taught

Other credits in programs