Jonas Otterbeck
Biography
Jonas Otterbeck is the Rasul-Walker Chair in Popular Culture in Islam, and professor of Islamic studies. Over the last twenty-five years, Professor Otterbeck has engaged in research about contemporary Islam, often with political relevance. His most recent research is on creativity in relation to Islam and popular culture. He also has an interest in research on music censorship and an engagement for artists' right to expression. Professor Otterbeck has, among other things, published on pop-nashid music, Muslim artists, the situation of Muslim students in Swedish schools, the identity constructions of Muslim youth and their understanding of Islam, the representation of Islam and Muslims in Sweden, Islamic revivalist discourse, active citizenship among Muslims, and the relation between European states and Muslim organizations.
Before moving to AKU–ISMC in September 2018, Professor Otterbeck was professor of Islamic studies at Lund University, Sweden. Prior to that he was working as lecturer at International Migration and Ethnic Relations at Malmö University, Sweden
Current areas of teaching
Creativity and Islam, gender, Muslims in Europe, Anthropology of religion, methodology and culture studies.
Research interests
- Contemporary Islamic thinking
- Creativity and Islam
- Masculinity/gender
- Migration and religion
- Music and Islam
- Muslims in Europe
- Popular culture and religion
- Youth and religious identities
Selected publications
Book: Nordin, Magdalena and Jonas Otterbeck (2023).
Migration and Religion. Cham: Springer.
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-30766-9Book Otterbeck, Jonas (2021).
The Awakening of Islamic Pop Music. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
https://ecommons.aku.edu/uk_ismc_series_music/1/
