The reading and analysis of all materials, combined with class discussions during workshops 3 and 4, as well as recent news observations relating to the Palestine and Israel war, all underscore the complexities and multifaceted interactions involved in analyzing faith within social contexts. Across these resources, a common theme and point of deep reflection to me has been the meaning and definition of religion. As Appiah (2014) also states on his video, our understanding of religions in the past century is itself an interpretation that has been socially constructed by specific power identities. Decoding those meanings while also understanding my intersectionality to look at them has been my challenge to look at this topic which is not a common place for me.
Across the resources, particularly in Haifaa Jawad’s piece on sports and visible Muslim women and Jaclyn Rekis’ article “Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account,” we find compelling examples underscoring the urgent need to address religious identities and the experiences and perspectives of women in society. I appreciate how both articles engage with each other, enriching the discussion and highlighting the importance of an intersectional approach to the topics of religion, race, and gender. Jaclyn Rekis discusses how religious individuals can be subjected to epistemic injustice and argues for an intersectional account of religious identity to prevent harm. Meanwhile, Jawad presents a tangible case study of Muslim women’s participation in sports, emphasizing the numerous preconceptions they face, which lead to discrimination and their invisibility in physical education activities, mainly in western countries.
The recurring theme I noticed across the resources is that we are not taught to discuss religions. Throughout most of my life, I heard that discussing religion was discouraged unless within one’s own religious community. This practice likely stemed from a desire to avoid potential disrespect. However, as exemplified by Haifaa’s and Jaclyn’s articles, our diverse society urgently needs practices that foster greater awareness of faith-based principles and a better understanding of religious identity. This approach would not only help avoid epistemic harm but also ensure we have more inclusive communities and societies.
Bridging to my teaching context, I have to admit that within my still short experience in the teaching side, I haven’t reflected much on faith implications on the learning environment. I still haven’t encountered a situation that needed special attention, but at the same time, this also reflects perhaps how my lack of knowledge might also have missed situations in which a different message or approach would have been necessary and beneficial. Before this unit, I might have not thought enough about the faith lenses, but I could not agree more with Simran Jeet Singh’s statement on how we should encourage students to embrace diverse perspectives with empathy, fostering constructive engagement rather than destructive. For sure this will now also consider an attention to faith.
Resources:
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
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.
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/
Trinity University (2016) Challenging Race, Religion, and Stereotypes in the Classroom. [Online]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CAOKTo_DOk
2 responses to “Blog post 2- Intersectionality and faith”
The history of art and design could be seen as running parallel to the history of religion. Throughout much of European history the Church, whether Catholic, Protestant or Orthodox, has exerted an enormous influence over the entire population from paupers to princes (sorry, I do like alliteration!). Additionally, the Catholic church, with its great wealth, patronised the arts, strengthening these connections. I use Christian Europe (and its colonised lands) as my example, but a similar situation exists in other continents and with other faiths. Faith is communicated in painting, sculpture, fashion, architecture and more.
I don’t claim what I’ve said here to be revelationary, but it does mean that discussion of world religions has relevance in the art and design classroom. What’s important is to be respectful of all faiths, and avoid appropriation in the way religious elements may be incorporated into designs – homage, good; parody, bad.
Thank you for your comment, Andrew! Indeed, art and religion have always been intertwined and hopefully will continue to be. By comparing different historical moments, we have learned not only about other religions but also how to coexist with these differences. However, we still have a long journey ahead, as unfortunately, a lot of disrespect caused by religious prejudice remains. I am originally from Brazil, a country where religious syncretism is strong, yet the religions of ethnic minorities are still viewed with prejudice by many. Hopefully, our work in arts education will continue to lead the way in changing that.