In this blog post, I will explore Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality to discover how faith intersects with other identity factors such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status. By examining various resources, including talks, journal articles, and videos, we can gain a deeper understanding of how these intersecting identities influence individuals’ experiences, particularly in ways that may amplify or mitigate societal challenges and discrimination.
Study and Analysis
Faith and Race: Kwame Anthony Appiah’s talk, “Is religion good or bad? (This is a trick question)” (2014), addresses the complex role of religion in society. Appiah argues that religion can be both a source of comfort and a tool for division, depending on how it is practiced and perceived. When faith intersects with race, the experiences of individuals can vary significantly. For example, African American Christians might find solace and community in their faith, while also facing racial discrimination within broader society. This dual experience highlights the intersectional nature of faith and race, where a person’s religious identity cannot be separated from their racial identity.
Faith and Gender: Huma Jawad’s blog post, “Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women” (2022), explores the challenges faced by visibly Muslim women in sports. Jawad discusses how Muslim women athletes often confront both gender and religious discrimination, compounded by cultural stereotypes. The intersectionality here is evident as these women navigate their faith and gender within the often secular and male-dominated world of sports. This intersection can lead to unique forms of exclusion and bias, underscoring the need for policies and practices that recognize and address these overlapping identities.
Faith and Socioeconomic Status: Jelena Reki’s journal article, “Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account” (2023), examines how individuals of faith, particularly from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, experience epistemic injustice. Reki highlights that these individuals often face challenges in having their knowledge and experiences recognised and valued. When faith intersects with socioeconomic status, it can exacerbate feelings of marginalisation. For instance, poorer religious communities might struggle more with access to resources and opportunities, which further entrenches their disadvantaged position in society.
Recurring Themes and Differing Perspectives: A recurring theme across these resources is the way in which faith can both empower and marginalise individuals, depending on the context. For example, faith communities can provide crucial support and solidarity, but they can also be sites of exclusion when intersecting identities are not fully embraced. Another theme is the visibility of certain identities—such as being a visibly Muslim woman—which can intensify discrimination and bias. Differing perspectives arise in how these challenges are addressed, with some encouraging greater inclusion within faith communities themselves, while others call for broader societal changes to recognise and accommodate intersecting identities.
Faith Considerations in My Own Teaching Context: In my teaching context at UAL, it is crucial to recognise and accommodate the diverse faith backgrounds of students. Drawing on UAL data and my own experience, several considerations can be made:
- Cultural Sensitivity: Incorporate discussions about faith and its intersection with other identities in the curriculum. This helps to develop an inclusive environment where all students feel respected and understood.
- Flexible Scheduling: Recognise religious holidays and provide some flexibility in deadlines and attendance policies to accommodate religious observances. This is of particular note for me, as a lecturer I recently had attendance issues for a student presentation due to a clash with EID festival.
- Inclusive Practices: Ensure that classroom discussions and materials are inclusive of various faith perspectives and do not contain stereotypes or biases.
- Support Services: Provide access to resources and support services that address the unique needs of students from diverse faith backgrounds, such as prayer spaces and counselling.
By understanding and addressing the intersectionality of faith with other identity factors, educators can create more inclusive and supportive learning environments that acknowledge and respect the full spectrum of student identities.
References:
Appiah, K. A. (2014) Is religion good or bad? (This is a trick question). Youtube [Online]. 16 June. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2et2KO8gcY
Choudrey, S. (2016) Inclusivity – Supporting BAME Trans People [Online]. Gender Identity Research & Education Society, 14 February. Available from https://www.gires.org.uk/inclusivity-supporting-bame-trans-people/
Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), pp.1241–1299. doi:https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039.
Jawad, H. (2022) Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women. [Online]. Available at: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/religionglobalsociety/2022/09/islam-women-and-sport-the-case-of-visible-muslim-women/
Mirza, H. S. (2018) Black Bodies ‘Out of Place’ in Academic Spaces: Gender, Race, Faith and Culture in Post-race Times. In Dismantling Race in Higher Education, Eds. Arday, J & Mirza, H. S. Switzerland, Palgrave Macmillan. pp 184-187
Reki, J. (2023) Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account. Hypatia 38, pp779–800. Available to download from Moodle via the Readings & Resources folder.
Trinity University (2016) Challenging Race, Religion, and Stereotypes in the Classroom. [Online]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CAOKTo_DOk
Hello James, this is, once again, a great post. From your writing, I gather that faith can be both a source of empowerment (for oneself) and also a source of stereotyping (from others). Just from that statement, we know we are dealing with a topic of utmost complexity and, dare I say, very human (for what isn’t human that isn’t contradictory and sophisticated?). This fed into your teaching practices well, where you say that you wish to be inclusive in your teaching material. I wonder, do you ever worry that by your willingness to be inclusive, you are accidentally furthering certain stereotypes? As a South Korean, I welcome it when people talk about Korea and Korea’s most representative exports, but I admit feeling uneasy when people always talk about the same things when they talk about Korea (e.g., Kimchi, K-pop/drama) – it becomes all too simplified. Would love to know your thoughts, as this is something I think about often as I teach – one wishes to be inclusive, but exactly how, and without cheapening the real value beneath? Young-Jin.
Hello James. Thanks for sharing another interesting blog post. I appreciate how you manage to consider about the practical implications of the unit content, and what this means for your teaching practice.
I encourage you to also think about your own positionality in relation to the unit content. How does your own lived experience (not just in terms of identity but also in terms of your values, your experiences as an educator, and your professional background) feed into your practice, and what gaps in your knowledge might you need to mitigate against?
Hello Carys,
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I’m glad you found the discussion on the practical implications for teaching practice valuable.
Your suggestion to reflect on my own positionality is a good one. Having had what can be considered a privileged background; many of the challenges raised in this unit for individuals and groups have positively developed my views on how to approach my teaching practices. It’s made me reflect on understanding my own potential biases and gaps in knowledge. It has also given me a set of skills including appropriate language and terms to feel more confident on how to approach this with my students and peers. Previously I feel my scope of this subject was too narrow. This reflection will help me better support my students’ diverse needs and create a more inclusive environment in the future.
Recognising and addressing these gaps will be an ongoing process for me as it’s a complex field. I appreciate your encouragement to delve deeper into this aspect, and I look forward to integrating these reflections into my practice. Thank you for prompting this critical self-examination.
Best, James
James, I’ve found your post very helpful to refresh my own perspective on the topic as it summarises the proposed materials very clearly and conclude with specific actions to bring the discussion on faith identities into our teaching practice.
Your point on the high visibility of certain identities, and how being more exposed can intensify bias and discrimination against them is very interesting. It brings back on the debate on generalisation and assumptions, and the importance of unlearning spread stereotypes in favour of an understanding of faith identity at individual level, acknowledging diversity within communities and groups, just as much as between them.
I am aligned with the considerations you propose to bring this into our teaching practice. I am also reflecting on how to take it further to be able to consider – and action on- faith identity as an individual identity, avoiding assumptions and helping build a culture of empathy and understanding based on the individual, over the community and what we know (or assume we know) about it. This approach opens a whole new level of challenges and unresolved questions for me, but I guess that’s the point, hence me sharing these thoughts here!
Very thought-provoking post – looking forward to discussing more in the upcoming sessions.
Hello Sonia,
Thank you for your interesting comments on my blog post. I’m pleased to hear that you found it helpful in refreshing your perspective on the intersection of faith and identity. The high visibility of certain identities and the intensified bias they face is indeed a critical issue, and I’m glad this point resonated with you.
Your reflection on unlearning stereotypes and understanding faith identity at an individual level is essential and something for me to also reflect on. Acknowledging the diversity within and between communities can help us move beyond assumptions and build a more empathetic and nuanced teaching practice.
Your thoughts on taking this approach further are very valuable. Considering faith identity as an individual identity and avoiding assumptions is indeed challenging but I believe is crucial for developing a culture of empathy and understanding. This perspective not only helps in addressing biases but also in creating a more inclusive environment for our students.
I appreciate you sharing these thoughts and look forward to discussing these challenges and exploring solutions together.
Best, James