Overview

Frederic Volpi compares the academic disciplines that observe contemporary political Islam to the actual individuals and communities that are being observed by them. Zeroing in on the social sciences and their distinct approach to Islamic subject matter, Volpi shows how disciplines analyze political Islam according to their own dominant paradigms. Even with the incorporation of specialist viewpoints, the interdisciplinary drive often results in nothing more than educated guesses geared toward political and public consumption. Volpi argues that the competition between these paradigms obscures the actual dynamics and cohesiveness of political Islam. He identifies the strengths and weaknesses of disciplinary approaches toward the Islamist phenomenon and takes the first step in developing an account based on post-orientalism, international relations, the sociology of religion, and studies in democratization, multiculturalism, security analysis, and globalization. Political Islam Observed

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9780231701785

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(A) must for anyone discussing and seeking to understand Islamic politics around the world. Midwest Book Review Jan. 2011 Political Islam Observed compares the various academic disciplinesthat observe political Islam to the communitiesand individuals actually being observed throughthe specialized lenses of social science. Middle East Journal 3/31/11

Author Information

Frederic Volpi is senior lecturer in international relations at the University of St. Andrews and author of Islam and Democracy.

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