In this second blog post I welcome the opportunity to further build on my knowledge of Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality and explore how faith intersects with other identity factors.
With my positionality as a non-religious person, exploring the topic of faith within the context my teaching practice is inciteful. In the first instance and as a visual learner, I find it a useful exercise to check dictionary definitions and visualise keywords as below:
Fig.1 Exploring keywords: faith, religion and belief (Kelly Harrison, 18 May 2025)
I also share the diagram as below to visualise how intersectionality connects different identities via one lens, evidencing how experiences of multiple discrimination can arise, thereby highlighting the importance of avoiding a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
Fig. 2 How faith intersects with other identity factors (Kelly Harrison, 18 May 2025)
I was struck by Simran Jeet Singh’s relatable and emotive video ‘Challenging race, religion and stereotypes in the classroom’. His description and contextualisation of how the Western world was built around discrimination and racism, flagged up the importance of acknowledging historical events and raising awareness of how these negative behaviours still exist to this day.
By way of example, I was saddened by his description whereby he boards a plane and feels obliged to smile and talk about his daughters to reassure fellow passengers – illustrating how the intersection of faith with other identifying characteristics still has the potential to create negative assumptions and stereotypes.
I noted how Singh highlighted three key positive methods and approaches to address exclusion and marginalisation in his classrooms as below:
Challenge stereotypes:
Singh states ‘One of the real challenges we’re facing in our society is a tendency to try and paint entire communities with a single brush stroke’. I am inspired by Singh’s painting metaphor as he describes how by raising awareness of our behaviours and creating opportunity to demonstrate and challenge stereotypes, we should be aiming to create increased inclusivity in the classroom.
Engage with difference:
Singh states ‘Everyone has their own experiences, everyone has their own perspectives, and if we can try and understand where people are coming from with empathy, with sort of a human element then that allows us to really engage with difference in a way that is constructive rather than destructive’. Key words which resonate with me here are ‘empathy’ and ‘human element’, by raising levels of empathy and human understanding we should be aiming to not only engage with, but also celebrate our differences.
Deal with argumentation:
Singh describes how he encourages students to ‘Look at the ways in which people mobilize different arguments and propaganda as a way of gaining power’. He describes how raising student understanding and awareness of how the use of speech, media and debates are used (for good and bad), will help better equip them to understand what they are encountering in the world.
In reference to my own teaching context, I note that while numbers of UAL students who identify with a religion or faith has declined from 34% in 2019/20 and to 29% in 2022/23 (Fig.3). This data makes me question whether current global and political issues are impacting on students’ willingness to either engage with or share their faith, religion or belief identities?
Fig.3 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report (UAL 2022/2023)
As discussed in previous blogs, I teach large student groups and so it’s not possible for me to know everyone’s intersected identities. That said, the materials for this unit (in particular Singh’s methods and approaches as above), have enriched my knowledge which I aim to embed into my teaching practice to create opportunities for increased inclusivity and supported learning environments – for all students with diverse faith, religion and belief identities.
Reference
Singh, S. J. / Trinity University (2016) Challenging Race, Religion, and Stereotypes in the Classroom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CAOKTo_DOk
TED (2014) Appiah, K. A. (2014) Is religion good or bad? (This is a trick question) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2et2KO8gcY
Reki, J. (2023) Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account
Jawad, H. (2022) Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/religionglobalsociety/2022/09/islam-women-and-sport-the-case-of-visible-muslim-women/
Dunn, R. and McKeown, P. (2021) ‘A ‘Life-Style Choice’ of a Philosophical Belief?: The Argument for Veganism and Vegetarianism to be a Protected Philosophical Belief and the Position in England and Wales’
UAL, London (2023) Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report 2022/2023 https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/432141/SPCB23435-EDI-report-2022-23.pdf
I’ve found your blogging style to be consistent since Blog 1, and I really appreciate your continued use of diagrams; they help clarify the assigned topics and add depth, making it easier for me to understand the content.
Regarding the “Challenging Stereotypes” section and Singh’s experience, I could personally relate to it. When I was a student attending high school in the UK, far from my hometown, I noticed a constant stereotyping among local students as well as some teachers that Chinese students tend to stick to their own groups and are less likely to engage socially outside of them. Because of this, I made a conscious effort to interact with local (English) students, to show them that I could speak English and that I was open and friendly. I found myself repeating this behaviour even during my undergraduate studies, actively working to break down these assumptions.
From a teacher’s perspective, have you ever encountered students who perceive an invisible barrier when approaching certain tutors, possibly including yourself? Do you find that building trust becomes a key part of helping international or minority students feel more comfortable opening up?
In your “Engaging with Difference” section, you highlight empathy and the human element, something I found particularly important. I’m curious, in design-based units, when students write evaluations or critical appraisals, have you encountered instances where students reflect on how personal issues such as health or family affected their progress, but in a way that doesn’t follow a “formal” or “academic” writing tone? How do you approach or assess that?
Personally, I had to focus on the practical elements and learning outcomes, as I feel personal circumstances shouldn’t influence grading, otherwise, it risks being unfair to others. However, I also find myself questioning this stance, as it challenges my own sense of empathy and human element as an educator.