In this blog post I am looking at the provided resources from the angle of intersectionality and what that means in the context of faith.
Kwame Anthony Appiah gives a good background explanation about the western world view. In his video he describes how a lot of religions or ways of seeing our world are ultimately compared to the Western concept of a religion. As the early European travelers and colonisers have established a “list” that mirrors expectations from Christianity- which is extremely credal and focuses on believing in particular western history and believes, and historically punished those who do not believe in it or have other believes.
He further explains that the development of science is fundamentally interlinked with Christian beliefs, as historically, accounts of the natural world often included perspectives tied to Abrahamic religions, such as the story of creation. Although this connection has evolved over time, Christianity remains deeply rooted in the origins of the scientific method, influencing education and the way subjects are taught.
Jaclyn Rekis’s article on religious identity and epistemic injustice explores how religious individuals can experience these forms of injustice. She identifies two perspectives on religious identity: as a social identity and as a worldview. The main argument is that intersecting factors such as race, gender, and religion compound to negatively impact individuals’ perceived credibility. Rekis advocates for a nuanced approach that acknowledges and respects the complexity of these intersecting identities.
The second part of the blog reflects on how discriminated groups, often with intersecting identities, navigate stereotypes and societal challenges to be better understood and reduce discrimination against them. This section is based on Simran Jeet Signh’s (PH.D) teaching and daily experience as well as Haifaa Jawad’s(PH.D) article about stereotyping of Islam, women and sports.
Simran Jeet Signh’s (PH.D) has a pro-active and affable approach towards informing students and general public about the “invisible” deeply embedded issues of stereotyping by actively challenging them and demonstrating his unique identity on a relatable human level. Which makes people understand that there are many different ways of viewing the world and that every perspective is valid. Another takeaway from his interview is his openness to engaging in public discourse about media and propaganda in a conversational and constructive manner. He suggests that the media often hinders this discourse as a means to gain and maintain political power. I fully agree,the current media landscape frequently employs language and mannerisms that are cagey and difficult to engage with, making genuine conversations challenging. I believe that Kimberlé Crenshaw’s approach, language, and terminology are very helpful in breaking down biases and enabling individuals to participate in conversations in a more impactful way.
Lastly, Haifaa Jawad (PH.D) highlights the challenges and prejudices that visibly Muslim women athletes, particularly those wearing hijab, face in sports due to a lack of empathy and understanding of their reality. These athletes encounter barriers in Western sporting environments, including cultural, social, and regulatory constraints. She emphasizes the intersection of faith and gender, noting that stereotypes about Islam, gender roles, physicality, and various social, political, and educational factors contribute to discrimination. These compounded challenges significantly impact the participation and experiences of Muslim women in sports.
Both Dr. Haifaa Jawad (PH.D) and Dr. Simran Jeet Singh (PH.D) highlight how complex intersecting identities, such as faith, gender, and ethnicity, are often misunderstood and misrepresented in Western media. They argue that these portrayals not only perpetuate stereotypes and biases but are also strategically leveraged for political agendas, contributing to societal division and reinforcing systemic discrimination. It is clear that there is a need for a more nuanced and empathetic understanding of diverse identities to counteract the negative impact of such media narratives.
References:
TED (2014) ‘Kwame Anthony Appiah: Is religion good or bad? (This is a trick question)’, YouTube, 12 June. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2et2KO8gcY (Accessed: 8 July 2024).
Rekis, J. (2023) ‘Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account’, Hypatia, 38, pp. 779–800. (Accessed: 8 September 2024).
Simran Jeet Signh (PH.D), Challenging Race, Religion, and Stereotypes in Classroom (2016) YouTube video, 1 December. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CAOKTo_DOk (Accessed: 8 September 2024).
Haifaa Jawad (PH.D) (2022) ‘Islam, women, and sport: The case of visible Muslim women’, LSE Religion and Global Society Blog, 22 September. Available at: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/religionglobalsociety/2022/09/islam-women-and-sport-the-case-of-visible-muslim-women/ (Accessed: 8 September 2024).
4 responses to “Task 2 [Faith]”
This is a very interesting blog post, particularly when it comes to teaching Game design and considering intersectionality in education. I really like how you write about how you consider the contrast between skill-based and luck-based mechanics and possible cultural implications this can have with player psychology when it comes to chance based mechanics, particularly for those of faith. Addressing this in conversation and even having a content warning as a way of flagging the possibility of sensitive content being discussed is a great idea.
So far in the first year of the Character Animation pathway, faith isn’t necessarily something that has come to the fore very often, both from the faith identities the students present on the course, or the character development work they’ve produced. Nevertheless, this is something I’m working on in my intervention, so this could be a good approach before working with the students I have in mind for this workshop, as intersectionality is a great consideration (with aspects of disability, faith, and race) when working on character and story development.
Thanks for the comment, Darren, yes I believe little things like content warning can be helpful in moving towards move inclusive teaching style- also bringing this up ahead of time and saying “yes,we are aware of cultural differences” and how are we going to continue conversations forward, and what can students add. I think in animation there are different ways of approaching this topic, for example the concept of Anime- to my understanding it is mostly seen as non-western animation with prevalence of particular genres and storytelling devices. There are many other animation styles that are particular to the culture – even something like in-game animations, they are made with very particular mentality and purpose, I think there can be an interesting discussing about demographics and representation.
Great in-depth exploration of how multiple identities intersect to shape individual experiences. Well one applying Kimberlé Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory, which effectively highlights how race, gender, and ability intersect to either empower or marginalise individuals. This theoretical grounding adds a framework to the discussion. I found that highlighting Christine Sun Kim’s experiences with deafness really personalises and deepens the overall analysis.
I definitely appreciate how you discuss fostering open dialogue. I think it shows great commitment to applying theoretical concepts in some relatable settings and also demonstrates a proactive approach to tackling barriers faced by students.
Food for thought:
How might you address the cultural differences in disability declaration among international students, especially given the significant percentage of Chinese students?
What specific measures could be considered to ensure the social model of disability is effectively implemented across different cultural and linguistic backgrounds?
Thank for your comment, Jesse. I think Christine Sun Kim experience is very empowering, I am really fascinated by her story. I think because her story is personal, the message of the video feels more emotional and impactful. Perhaps one way of approaching disabilities or trying to be more empathetic towards different interesectionalities is bringing them into the curriculum where it is appropriate. For example- in Games Design we touch on information theory and games as systems, and it is possible to have a conversation about comparing verbal communication vs sign languages- as both have strengths and weaknesses. Accessibility is fundamentally a beneficial design property that allows more people to engage with the designed artifact (game, video, art etc). I am not sure if this answers all of your questions, but I think it’s important to align inclusivity with the curriculum as it gives opportunities to talk about these topics from a unique angle which is closer to students interests.