Understanding Political and Social Change in Muslim States and Societies

Recent events have compelled social scientists to once again recognize the impact of religion on the social, political, and economic outcomes of Muslim states and societies. However, attempts to understand these events and the role that religion has played in shaping them have also revealed the limitations of current approaches to the study of religion and politics. This is particularly the case concerning Muslim societies, which have largely been absent from broader discussions on the role of religion in our analyses.

This conference explored the extent to which theories about core topics of inquiry in political science apply to Muslim societies and interrogate the degree to which Islam influences individual attitudes and behavior, regime change, social and political mobilization, economic development, and governance.

Scheduled Presenters:

  • Kikue Hamayotsu, Northern Illinois University
  • Maya Tudor, Oxford University
  • Feryaz Ocakli, Skidmore College
  • Jean Lachapelle, University of Michigan
  • Thomas Pepinsky, Cornell University
  • Steven Wilkinson, Yale University
  • S. Erdem Aytac, Koc University
  • Dustin Gamza & Pauline Jones, University of Michigan
  • Avital Livny, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Lawrence Markowitz, Rowan University
  • Elizabeth Dekeyser, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Wendy Pearlman, Northwestern University
  • Adria Lawrence, John Hopkins University
  • Scott Radnitz, University of Washington
  • Alexandra Siegel, New York University