Momin Rahman Professor, Sociology
B.A., Ph.D. (Strathclyde)
Otonabee College 228, ext. 7812, mominrahman@trentu.ca
Classes I teach at Trent:
- SOCI 2110H - Discovering Social Theory
- SOCI 3661H - Ethnicities, Racism and Multiculturalism
- SOCI-GESO-IDST-4630H-A: Advanced Studies in Gender: the dilemmas of global LGBT and sexual diversity politics.
- IDSR 6010H - Theoretical Foundations of Social Inquiry
Supervisor for the Interdisciplinary Social Research PhD program.
My research interests include:
LGBT identities and politics, racialization and systemic racism, postcolonialism, Islamophobia
How does your research translate into your teaching, both through courses and supervision?
I do research on the dilemmas of advancing LGBT politics in global contexts and that is really the direct basis of my fourth year course which deals with this cutting edge area of research and contemporary politics. I know many of the key academics in this field and have been lucky enough to have them visit the class as guest lecturers.
This research demands an understanding of racialization, both in a western and global context, as well as understanding global patterns of capitalism and colonialism and their relationship to hierarchies of gender and sexuality. All of these issues figure directly in my other taught courses and supervision of research project, so I really feel that my teaching is embedded within my research program and enriched by conducting research. This has led to teaching publications in the form of a text book and individual chapters in text books. Above all, Sociology asks us to consider how the organization of societies, in both national and international contexts, have affected how we experience the world as groups and individuals, and that key focus anchors my research and teaching.
My current or recent projects include:
LGBT Muslim identities in Canadian and Global Contexts Developing LGBT Advocacy Strategies in International Context Postcolonial Queer Sexualities
Five publications that exemplify my work:
- 2020 – The Oxford Handbook of Global LGBT and Sexual Diversity Politics (co-edited with S. McEvoy and M. Bosia). (https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190673741.001.... oxfordhb-9780190673741)
- 2014 - Rahman, M. Homosexualities, Muslim Cultures and Modernity, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Published in their monograph series on the Politics of Identity and Citizenship https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1363460715618367
- 2010 - Rahman, M. and S. Jackson, Gender and Sexuality: Sociological Approaches, Oxford: Polity Press. November, 2010. Full joint authorship (http://www.polity.co.uk/book.asp?ref=9780745633763).
- 2020 - M.L Picq and M. Rahman – “Gender and Sexuality”, Chapter 5 in Introducing Gender and Women’s Studies (5th edition, edited by Diane Richardson and Vicki Robinson). Macmillan International Higher Education: London. PP76-92.
- 2010 - “Queer as Intersectionality: Theorizing Gay Muslim Identities.” Special issue on theorizing sexuality, Sociology, 44 (5): 1-18. October, 2010.
What achievements and/or contributions in research are you most proud of?
I have helped to establish a new field of Queer Muslim studies, with my 2014 book being described as the ‘landmark study’ in this area and the 2010 article reprinted in numerous anthologies, showing high impact of this research. Moreover, this has impact outside of academia, with advocacy work for Queer Muslim groups and for policy makers dealing with the thorny issue of advancing LGBT rights globally.
For example, in 2017 I was involved in planning and running workshops at ICRA 2017, the International Conference on Religious Acceptance, organized by Maruf, the Dutch Queer Muslim organization, September 11-14th 2017. Although this did involve some presentation of the current research on LGBT Muslims, the main aim here was to provide workshop discussion and empowerment groups for the LGBT Muslims in attendance. I helped to plan and to run these, and the collaboration has led directly to the current grant application.
I have also used this knowledge and experience to contribute to developing policy. For example, in 2016, I was invited to a conference on “Freedom of Religion or Belief and Sexuality” organised by the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of religion or belief and Muslims for Progressive Values from 8 to10 June 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland (see attached invitation letter). This was a three day private discussion with activists, UN human rights professionals and a limited number of academics (less than 7 out of 45 participants), that focused on pathways to dialogue between faith groups and LGBTIQ groups (http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/FreedomReligion/Pages/ReligionAndSexualit...) . As a result of that conference, I helped the Special Rapporteur to compile, edit and publish a limited number of written contributions from the event, including my own short essay (see the acknowledgement in the introduction to the attached report, Special Rapporteur’s Compilation of Articles on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Sexuality).
Accepting new UG and Graduate student supervisions: (yes/no)
YES