Muslim Schools, Communities and Critical Race Theory - Faith Schooling in an Islamophobic Britain?

This book explores the position of Muslim schools in contemporary Britain. A Critical Race Theory approach is used to consider some of the specific issues faced by Muslim schools, in particular those looking to become state-funded. The book provides a critically considered and meaningful application of a theory of 'race' to Muslims as a religious community, without restricting the analysis to minority ethnic Muslim groups; it also provides a counter-narrative which contests assumptions about Muslim schools presented in the media and in public debates more generally. These insights are positioned against current political climates within which Muslims have been consistently subjected to surveillance and suspicion. The book draws on first-hand research carried out inside Muslim schools to offer insights into the ways that these schools cater to diverse and locally-specific needs. It concludes by arguing that independent Islamic schools represent ideal models of community need.Therefore, bringing such schools into the state sector, in a way that allows them to retain autonomy, represents an ideal strategy for the educational and political enfranchisement of British Muslims. Muslim schooling represents an opportunity for increased state investment in Muslim interests as a strategy for offsetting the ways in which Muslim communities have been marginalised more generally in contemporary political climates. The book will make compelling reading for students and researchers in the fields of Education, Sociology, and Religious Studies, particularly those with an interest in faith schools, Islam, and Critical Race Theory.

List of contents

Chapter One. British Muslim Communities, Faith Schooling and Critical Race Theory.- Chapter Two. Exploring the Application of Critical Race Theory to Muslims in Britain.- Chapter Three. Critical Race Theory, Policy Rhetoric and  Outcomes: The Case of Muslim Schools in Britain.- Chapter Four. Applying CRT in Research on Muslim Schools.- Chapter Five. Researching Muslim Schools in Practice.- Chapter Six. Muslim Schools as Mobilisations of Interests: How Islamic Schools Come into Being.- Chapter Seven. Community, Connectivity and Nuanced Needs.- Chapter Eight. Manifesting Educational and Islamic Interests in Independent and State-Funded Contexts.- Chapter Nine. In Conclusion: Distilling an Effective Counter-Narrative Around British Muslim Schools.

About the author

Dr Damian Breen is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at De Montfort University, Leicester, UK. His research interests are primarily focused on faith schooling; Muslim communities; Critical Race Theory; and political, educational and civic equity among marginalised groups.

Summary

This book explores the position of Muslim schools in contemporary Britain. A Critical Race Theory approach is used to consider some of the specific issues faced by Muslim schools, in particular those looking to become state-funded. The book provides a critically considered and meaningful application of a theory of 'race' to Muslims as a religious community, without restricting the analysis to minority ethnic Muslim groups; it also provides a counter-narrative which contests assumptions about Muslim schools presented in the media and in public debates more generally. These insights are positioned against current political climates within which Muslims have been consistently subjected to surveillance and suspicion. The book draws on first-hand research carried out inside Muslim schools to offer insights into the ways that these schools cater to diverse and locally-specific needs. It concludes by arguing that independent Islamic schools represent ideal models of community need.Therefore, bringing such schools into the state sector, in a way that allows them to retain autonomy, represents an ideal strategy for the educational and political enfranchisement of British Muslims. Muslim schooling represents an opportunity for increased state investment in Muslim interests as a strategy for offsetting the ways in which Muslim communities have been marginalised more generally in contemporary political climates. The book will make compelling reading for students and researchers in the fields of Education, Sociology, and Religious Studies, particularly those with an interest in faith schools, Islam, and Critical Race Theory.

Additional text

“Muslim Schools, Communities and Critical Race Theory – Faith Schooling in an Islamophobic Britain? is a remarkable, detailed ethnographic study of independent and state-funded Muslim schools against the backdrop of two decades of British state’s policy framework on education and the rise of Islamophobia.” (Ali Azam, British Journal of Educational Studies, Vol. 67 (3), 2019)

“The book succeeds with its larger argument because of the strong theoretical lens Breen brings to the subject along with the many new voices he includes through ethnographic research and interviews. … It will be most accessible to specialists in Islamophobia and CRT. Even so, its ideas are of great import for public discourse about Islam and Islamophobia in Britain, and that alone makes the book worth the effort for non-specialists.” (Todd Green, Reading Religion, readingreligion.org, October, 2018)

Report

"Muslim Schools, Communities and Critical Race Theory - Faith Schooling in an Islamophobic Britain? is a remarkable, detailed ethnographic study of independent and state-funded Muslim schools against the backdrop of two decades of British state's policy framework on education and the rise of Islamophobia." (Ali Azam, British Journal of Educational Studies, Vol. 67 (3), 2019)
"The book succeeds with its larger argument because of the strong theoretical lens Breen brings to the subject along with the many new voices he includes through ethnographic research and interviews. ... It will be most accessible to specialists in Islamophobia and CRT. Even so, its ideas are of great import for public discourse about Islam and Islamophobia in Britain, and that alone makes the book worth the effort for non-specialists." (Todd Green, Reading Religion, readingreligion.org, October, 2018)

Product details

• Authors: Damian Breen
• Publisher: Springer Palgrave Macmillan
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.01.2017
• EAN: 9781137443960
• ISBN: 978-1-137-44396-0
• No. of pages: 201
• Dimensions: 155 mm x 218 mm x 18 mm
• Weight: 375 g
• Illustrations: XIV, 201 p.
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > Practical theology; Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > Miscellaneous; Islam, B, Educational Policy, Sociology of Education, Education, Educational strategies & policy, Social research & statistics, Educational Policy and Politics, Education and state, Educational sociology, Ethnicity in Education, Religion and Education, Church and education, Schools and Schooling, Schools