Discussion Guide and Paper Prompt for Keeping it Halal: The Everyday Lives of Muslim American Teenage Boys by John O’Brien

Abstract

This resource offers discussion questions, short activities, and an essay assignment for Keeping it Halal: The Everyday Lives of Muslim American Teenage Boys by John O’Brien (2019). I have organized the questions and activities by chapter for ease of use, but instructors could easily modify questions to reflect the content of multiple...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Cultural Sociology, Introduction to Sociology/Social Problems, Religion

Resource Type(s):

Assignment, Class Activity, Essay

Class Level(s):

College 100, College 200

Class Size(s):

Any

Usage Notes

The discussion questions that I include below can be used in multiple ways. In my Introduction to Sociology course, I use them during structured “book club” meetings, which occur at four points in the semester. To prepare for these more in-depth discussions, I assign students to groups of four, and each week, every student has a pre-assigned role with...

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. To think critically about O’Brien’s analysis of the Muslim American teenage experience
2. To analyze how different groups in the U.S. manage their culturally contested lives using key sociological concepts

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Students will summarize, critique, and extend O’Brien’s findings through small group discussions and collaborative work on application activities
2. Students will write an analytical paper that builds on O’Brien’s argument using new examples and/or relevant class concepts