Religious Oppression & Identity Development of Muslim Students

Religious Oppression & Identity
Development of Muslim Students
March 20, 2013
Anil Shetty & Alyssa Zewe

2013 NASPA Annual Conference * Orlando, Florida * March 16-20, 2013

Today’s Learning Outcomes
• Define religious oppression and its connections to social identity
development

• Recognize Christian privilege and its relevance to understanding the
experience of diverse minority religious populations at public
institutions

• Establish the relevance of the Muslim student population to the field
of student affairs

• Explore support issues for Muslim students

• Promote interfaith dialogue and programming on campuses


Why are you here?

Images designed to reinforce the question: Why are you here?


Relevance of the Muslim Population


Population is consistently growing
Demographics  Mosque Study Project (MAPS)
 American Jewish Committee
 American Religious Identification
Survey (ARIS)
College Enrollment will reflect these
demographic trends
Muslim population in the U.S. in terms of
higher education
 24% have had some college
attendance and 58% are college
graduates according to the MAPS
Survey (Ahmadi and Cole, 2010)
 Number of Muslim students is
proportionately higher than the
general population (Smith, 2001)

Ahmadi, S., Cole, D. (2010). Reconsidering Campus Diversity: An Examination of
Muslim Students’ Experiences. Journal of Higher Education, 81, 121-139.
The Global Religious Landscape: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s
Major Religious Groups as of 2010. (2012, December 18). The Pew Forum on
Religious & Public Life. Retrieved from http://www.pewforum.org/global-religious-
landscape-exec.aspx


ACPA/NASPA Professional
Competency Areas
• History, Philosophy, and Values
• Personal, Foundations
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion


Fowler’s Theory of Faith Development
• Stages of Faith (1981)
o Prestage: Primal Faith
o Stage 1: Intuitive – Projective Faith
o Stage 2: Mythic-literal Faith
o Stage 3: Synthetic-conventional Faith
o Stage 4: Individuative-reflective Faith
o Stage 5: Conjunctive Faith


Faith Development Theory of Parks
• The Critical Years (1986)
• Big Questions, Worthy Dreams (2000)

• Principles:
o Forms of Knowing
o Forms of Dependence
o Forms of Community


Limitations of Theory
• Ethnically and religiously biased
• Spirituality framed from lens of Western
traditions
• Cross-sectional studies


Origins of Islam
• Historical context
• Divergence

Image of the Kaaba
Esposito, J. L. (2011). What everyone needs to know about Islam. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.


Religious Oppression &
Christian Privilege


Iris Marion Young’ 5 Faces of Oppression

1. Marginalization: Expelled from social life
2. Exploitation: Energy expended
3. Powerlessness: Lack of authority in decision-making as well as
individual development
4. Cultural Imperialism: the dominant meanings of society
that render alternative views invisible or unworthy
5. Violence: fear of unprovoked attacks on their person or
property
Young, I. M. (2000). Five faces of oppression. In M. Adams, W. J. Blumenfeld, R. Castañeda, H. W. Hackmann, M. L. Peters, & X. Zúñiga (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social
justice (pp. 35-49). New York: Routledge.


How Does This Affect Our Campuses?
• Cultural background
• Societal attitudes
• Campus climate


Christian Privilege
Five Faces of Oppression Christian Privilege

Christian Privilege: Conscious and subconscious advantages afforded
to the Christian faith in America’s colleges and universities

• Formal: Physical Facilities, On-Campus Dining Options,
Institutional Calendar
• Informal: Traditions, Language, Dress, Assumptions

Seifert, T. (2007). Understanding Christian privilege: Managing the tensions of spiritual plurality. About Campus, 12, 10-17. doi:
10.1002/abc.206
Young, I. M. (2000). Five faces of oppression. In M. Adams, W. J. Blumenfeld, R. Castañeda, H. W. Hackmann, M. L. Peters, & X. Zúñiga (Eds.),
Readings for diversity and social justice (pp. 35-49). New York: Routledge.


Muslim Student Experiences


Muslim Student Experience
• Muslim students were shown to do the following more
frequently than their Christian counterparts:
– Have a roommate of a different racial/ethnic and religious background
– Participate in racial/ethnic specific organizations
– Socialize with someone of a different racial/ ethic group
– Attend racial/cultural awareness workshops
– Tutor another college student

• However, Muslim students spend less time in religious
service/prayer

Ahmadi, S., Cole, D. (2010). Reconsidering Campus Diversity: An Examination of Muslim Students’ Experiences. Journal of Higher
Education, 81, 121-139.


Muslim Student Experience


College Student Learning Outcomes


Conscious Modes of Thought
Conscious Modes of Thought – “Active Thinking”

New ideas and ways of processing information

Complex social environments

Enhanced intellectual engagement & cognitive growth
Ahmadi, S., Cole, D. (2010). Reconsidering Campus Diversity: An Examination of Muslim Students’ Experiences. Journal of Higher Education, 81, 121-139.


Complex Social Environment
• Interfaith dialogue, religious diversity, and
ethnic/racial diversity can serve as complex
social environments and enhance learning

• Muslim population in the U.S. is the most
racially & ethnically diverse religious group
(Gallop, 2008)

Ahmadi, S., Cole, D. (2010). Reconsidering Campus Diversity: An Examination of Muslim Students’ Experiences.
Journal of Higher Education, 81, 121-139.


Traditional Learning Outcomes
Religious activities are most often correlated with increases in…
• Social integration
• Emotional well-being
• Knowledge of different cultures

Religious/spiritual development has positive effects on…
• Intellectual/Academic Outcomes
• Personal/Emotional Outcomes
• Attitudinal Outcomes
Ahmadi, S., Cole, D. (2010). Reconsidering Campus Diversity: An Examination of Muslim Students’ Experiences. Journal of Higher Education, 81, 121-139.
Astin, A. W., Astin, H. S., & Lindholm, J. A. (2010). Cultivating the spirit: How college can enhance students’ inner lives. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.


Reflection
• How does your campus offer multi-faith spaces
for students to engage in spiritual reflection?
• How do you support the spiritual identity
development of your students?
• Have you consciously or unconsciously
contributed to the religious oppression of
Muslim students?
• What do you plan to take back to your campus
as a result of today’s discussion?


Parting Thoughts
• Relevance of Muslim student population
• Create complex social environments to:
– Change campus cultures
– Develop diversity & multicultural competencies for
students, staff, and faculty
– Help students achieve cognitive and affective
development through religious and spiritual
exploration


Takeaways
• 3 C’s Model:
– Congruent
– Comprehensive
– Consistent

• Examples:
– Interfaith programming such as dialogue series, spiritual walks, workshops &
trainings, retreats
– Providing physical spaces for exploration
– Reflection
– Faculty & staff education & development
– Living learning communities
– Co-curricular learning


Florida State University – Center for Global Engagement
Meditation Room


Questions?
Anil Shetty
ashetty@admin.fsu.edu

Alyssa Zewe
arz07c@admin.fsu.edu


References
• Ahmadi, S., & Cole, D. (2010). Reconsidering campus diversity: An examination of Muslim students’ experiences. Journal of Higher
Education, 81, 121-139.
• Astin, A. W., Astin, H. S., & Lindholm, J. A. (2010). Cultivating the spirit: How college can enhance students’ inner lives. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
• Bagheri, E., Ali, R.S. (2009). Practical Suggestions to Accommodate the Needs of Muslim Students on Campus. New Directions for
Student Services, 2009, 47-54. doi:10.1002/SS.307
• Dalton, J., & Crosby, P. (2007). Let's talk about religious differences: The neglected topic in diversity discussions on campus. Journal of
College and Character, 9(2), Retrieved from http://journals.naspa.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1125&context=jcc
• Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010). Student development in college: Theory, research, and
practice (2 ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Esposito, J. L. (2011). What everyone needs to know about Islam. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.
• Leonard, D. (2012, Feb. 13). Interview by Alyssa Zewe [Personal Interview].
• National Association of Student Personnel Administrators & American College Personnel Association. (2010). Professional competency
areas for student affairs practitioners. Washington, DC: National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.
• Seifert, T. (2007). Understanding Christian privilege: Managing the tensions of spiritual plurality. About Campus, 12, 10-17. doi:
10.1002/abc.206
• Speck, B. (1997). Respect for religious differences: The case of Muslim students. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 70, 39-46.
• Takim, L. (2004). From conversion to conversation: Interfaith dialogue in post 9-11 America. The Muslim World, 94, 343-355.
• The Global Religious Landscape: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Major Religious Groups as of 2010.
(2012, December 18). The Pew Forum on Religious & Public Life. Retrieved from http://www.pewforum.org/global-religious-landscape-
exec.aspx
• Young, I. M. (2000). Five faces of oppression. In M. Adams, W. J. Blumenfeld, R. Castañeda, H. W. Hackmann, M. L. Peters, & X. Zúñiga
(Eds.), Readings for diversity and social justice (pp. 35-49). New York: Routledge.
• Younis, M. (2009, March 2). Muslim Americans Exemplify Diversity, Potential: Key Findings from a new report by the Gallup Center for
Muslim Studies. Gallup World. Retrieved from http://www.gallup.com/poll/116260/muslim-americans-exemplify-diversity-
potential.aspx


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Editor's Notes