Education and Islamic Spirituality in South Africa: The faith informed agency of Muslim women

Résumé

Muslim women enduring a life as minorities, face several persistent barriers within the realms of education, employment and a life in the public light, i.e. discrimination within the workplace, unequal opportunities for higher education, and are therefore stereotyped as the oppressed or symbols of resistance. Neither portrays the depth of complexity of the characters these women have built through experience, nor the critical role that education and the Islamic faith carry. This paper serves to question: how does education and Islamic spirituality, specifically sabr (patience) and tawakkul (trust in Allah) which aligns within Qur’anic discourse, enable Muslim women to execute agency in the context of minority? Highlighting theory of feminism, capability approaches, alongside Islamic feminist scholarship, this paper develops the Faith Agency Framework (FIAF) as a conceptual response. The FIAF puts forth the notion that the agency emerges through triad of interdependent elements, which are as follows: First, the place of education, it works to empower women, practically through economic independence, social mobility and personally as a dedicated space for formation of one’s identity and critical awareness. Followed by, spirituality driven by Islamic spirituality provides resilience, purpose and endurance providing sustenance to women facing structural adversity. Lastly through contextual negotiation, it serves to capture active process through which women may draw on education as well as faith simultaneously to navigate through barriers and make meaningful choices through life. Practically, FIAF possesses direct implications for the policy regarding education, curriculum design, and equity in workplace, particularly in contexts where faith and structural barriers meet.

Citer ce document

Accès au document

Texte intégral en lecture en ligne, réservé aux abonnés SPHAERO et aux membres de l'institution. Se connecter

Voir l'article sur le site de la revue

Auteur(s)

Statistiques

Consultations : 1

Téléchargements : 0