Social Structure

About this course

This course will examine in detail the social structure of American society, the social issues of inequality in a stratified system and the role Muslim Americans can play in this system. How individuals and groups are differentiated in a society will be identified and discussed as well as ways of encouraging our own positive impact through an Islamic value-based lens. Understanding the intersection of the three main bases of inequality: class, race, and gender will help students understand how these are produced and reproduced over time as well as the way Islamic ideals can help to mitigate these social problems. We will examine why resources, opportunities, power, and status are distributed unequally within American society from a sociological and Islamic lens. This course will emphasize the influences of class, race, and gender on socioeconomic inequalities and how inequalities are reproduced and evolve in contemporary times in the United States. In this course, we will explore, from an Islamic perspective, how a Muslim American can understand American society and be an active participant in its improvement using various ayaat and ahadith to emphasize this. (3 credit hours)

About the Instructor(s)

DrTarekHussainteaches sociology at Mishkah University. He holds a PhD in Physical Therapy from Texas Woman’s University, and an M.A in Sociology from the University of Houston – Clear Lake. He also earned his M.S and B.S in Physical Therapy from Cairo University in Egypt.DrTarekhas extensive experience teaching university level courses in both Sociology and Physical Therapy. Among his research interests and projects is a study on prejudice against Muslim students in Houston Public Schools.