Multiculturalism, Identity, Citizenship, Intercultural Dialogue, Islam, Media, Communication, Sociology, Theology, Philosophy, Antropology

A Visual Approach to Multiculturalism

by Jerome Krase

This is a draft of an article that appeared as “A Visual Approach to Multiculturalism,” in Beyond Multiculturalism edited by Giuliana Prato, Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 2009: 1-38.

There are undoubtedly many ways by which one can approach multiculturalism and its many intersections at the local,... more There are undoubtedly many ways by which one can approach multiculturalism and its many intersections at the local, national and global levels. Each different perspective on the subject adds another dimension to our understanding of this complex, and changing phenomena. Offered here is a visual approach to one of its more ubiquitous versions, ethnic diversity, as it is expressed in the appearance of vernacular landscapes. It is argued that there is something about ethnic vernacular landscapes that can be best grasped via the use of image-based research. It is also suggested that such an approach might provide some needed focus to the inter- and intra-disciplinary debates over cultural diversity in its many scientific and related ideological forms.

Discursive grouping in a virtual forum: Dialogue, difference, and the “Intercultural”

by Saskia Witteborn

Slavery and Colonialism: The Worst Terrorism on Africa

by Mohamed Eno

Co-authored with Omar A. Eno, Mohamed H. Ingiriis, and Jamal M. Haji; Published in African Renaissance, Vol. 9, No. 1, 2012.

Humans need not justify terrorism of any kind, regardless of whether one is Muslim, Christian or Jew, because it is... more Humans need not justify terrorism of any kind, regardless of whether one is Muslim, Christian or Jew, because it is the axis of evil and devastation of mankind. However, the deliberate use of the term terrorism in recent decades was carefully selected, mainly, against a certain religion (Islam). The idea was then globally politicized by the Western world. Leaving that scholarly view in its own right, we disagree with the opinion raising terrorism as the devil’s just-born child of evil, when in reality Africans had been terrorized for centuries as slaves and human chattel. Hence the basis for the concept of this thesis: conceptualizing the episode of ‘terrorism’ and ‘terrorist’ from the broader perspective of its practice from the Middle Passage or the Atlantic Slave Trade. To portray that argument and broaden the scope of the debate over this critically sensitive subject, we divided the discussion into three sections: an examination of what constitutes terrorism and terrorist; history of terrorism and terrorists from an Africa perspective; and the ideological constraints within the subject of terrorism as practiced by the US and its Western allies.

National plurality within single statehood in the European Union

by Carlos Closa

What the Future Holds for Muslims in Western Europe

by Konrad Pedziwiatr

Pedziwiatr, K. (2006). What the Future Holds for Muslims in Western Europe. Arches Quarterly, 2, 2-8.

Memoria, trayectos y recorridos (Parte II) (2).Montevideo: Dosmil30, 2009.

by L. Nicolás Guigou

Memoria, trayectos y recorridos (Parte II) (2).Montevideo: Dosmil30, 2009.

...Pero tratemos de equilibrar la balanza: ya
admitida que las cronologías y nuestra manera de
adentrarnos... more ...Pero tratemos de equilibrar la balanza: ya
admitida que las cronologías y nuestra manera de
adentrarnos en la historia, es, precisamente
nuestra, ya antropológicamente relativizado– e
historizado- el propio conocimiento historiográfico,
un conjunto de saberes que entrecruzan
disciplinas varias, remiten a modalidades de
dialogar con nuestras tradiciones, nuestras
temporalidades y nuestros mitos desde otros
lugares.
Estas singularidades culturales, que organizan
las temporalidades e historicidades de diferente
manera, producen lugares.
Lugares que no llaman necesariamente ni a los
espectros de la “verdad histórica” – un
absolutismo disciplinario siempre en ciernes- ni al
caleidoscopio de las múltiples visiones y
perspectivas que se afincan en un relativismo
radical. Hay hilos, hilos de la memoria, que hacen
saltar ese recorrido lineal del tiempo intervenido
históricamente.

2012 A reflection oin being Fijian & belonging to Fiji: A Value Theory Approach to Citizenship Education

by Cresantia (Frances) Koya Vaka'uta

Education in the 21st century is marked by the vast influence of globalization and the drive for international... more Education in the 21st century is marked by the vast influence of globalization and the drive for international comparability. In Fiji, as in the rest of the Pacific, this is no different. Education systems in the Pacific islands are characteristically informed and
influenced by external push and pull factors which are reflective of colonial legacies, as well as current donor dependency and the agendas that these dictate. This educational reality may be seen as a crisis of relevance that has been well documented by Pacific scholars. This paper presents the argument that the issue of what it means to ‘be’ Fijian and to ‘belong’ to Fiji is a wider socio-cultural/historical debate that has not been adequately dialogued. This dialogue is critical if citizenship education is intended to contribute to participatory citizenship and towards conscientization of national identity for social cohesion. It is further argued that a holistic curriculum package would enable students to learn through problem-solving the ability to bring about change in their own lives and in their communities.

Perceptions of the processes of radicalisation and de-radicalisation among British South Asian Muslims in a post-industrial city

by Tahir Abbas

co-authored with Assma Siddique

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study exploring the perceptions of British South Asian Muslims in... more This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study exploring the perceptions of British South Asian Muslims in relation to the pathways towards radicalisation and the challenges of community leadership in relation to de-radicalisation. The study is based on in-depth interviews, using an ethnographic methodological framework, with a purposive sample of 30 Muslim men and women, including senior political figures, community leaders, religious figures and young Muslims (aged 18_25) from across the city of Birmingham, UK. The fieldwork was carried out between September 2005 and May 2007. Respondents reflected a general perspective that regards social exclusion, Islamophobia, lack of effective theological and political leadership, regressive anti-terror law and geo-political events as principal factors in the radicalisation and the de-radicalisation of British Muslims. These findings provide important insights into Muslims in Britain in relation to questions of ‘radicalism’ and politics, and they have specific implications for research, policy and practice in this area.

Keywords: Birmingham (UK); radicalisation; Muslims; Islamism; extremism; cohesion; leadership

Images of Islam

by Tahir Abbas

Muslim-on-Muslim Social Research: Knowledge, Power and Religio-cultural Identities

by Tahir Abbas

2010

This paper provides a detailed discussion of the questions relating to the role of the researcher in relation to the... more This paper provides a detailed discussion of the questions relating to the role of the researcher in relation to the researched when the researcher and the researched are both of Muslim origin. Issues relating to questions of objectivity, transparency, bias and interpretation are elaborated upon as part of the analysis of impacts and outcomes in relation to methodological process. It is argued that, ultimately, the subjective positions of researcher and researched are less important than the objective nature of the research process. The intention of this paper is to convey, to other Muslim and non-Muslim social researchers engaged in research on Islam and Muslims, how to avoid or identify the range of risks and pitfalls that may emerge in operationalising and evaluating social research in a highly charged political, cultural and social research arena.

The impact of inter-generational change on the attitudes of working-class South Asian Muslim parents on the education of their daughters

by Tahir Abbas

co-authored with Aisha Ijaz

This paper presents the findings of ethnographic research into inter-generational attitudinal change of parents... more This paper presents the findings of ethnographic research into inter-generational attitudinal change of parents towards the education of young British Muslim women. Based on in-depth interviews with parents of different generations, given social class and ethnicity, there is a universal belief in the importance of education for young Muslim women per se, with economic and cultural factors significant in shaping this sentiment. A range of important differences in attitudes towards Islamic schooling and mainstream education, and questions relating to marriage, however, were found. There are complex issues of identity and religion among Muslims in relation to educational issues, but there has been a move towards Islamisation among both generations; the first generations through a form of cultural traditionalism and the second generations through Islamic conservatism. Although this finding is based on a study of a relatively small and isolated working-class Muslim community in a declining post-industrial town in the West Midlands, it is argued that this Islamisation places both particular risks and opportunities in relation to young Muslim women in education in such isolated and disaffected communities which have a wider conceptual, theoretical and policy impact.

Liverpool Hope Theological Book Review, of Ahlstrand, K. & Gunner, G. (2011). Non-Muslims in Muslim Majority Societies: With Focus on the Middle East and Pakistan. Cambridge: Lutterworth Press

by Daniel Briggs

Rights of Exit

by Leslie Green

Southall's Kaleido-scape: A study in the changing morphology of a west London suburb

by Noha Nasser

2011-12-14-Recommendations Diversity Panel for the Police

by Rey Ty 鄭文華 (郑 文华)

Issues and Recommendations for
Police Officers for Cases Involving People of Diverse Backgrounds:
Diversity Panel for
Training Police Officers of the Department of Police and Public Safety
Northern Illinois University
Barsema Hall, 300, Northern Illinois University
December 13, 2011

© 2011 Dr. Rey Ty
International Training Office
Division of International Programs

Issues and Recommendations for
Police Officers for Cases Involving People of Diverse Backgrounds:
Diversity... more Issues and Recommendations for
Police Officers for Cases Involving People of Diverse Backgrounds:
Diversity Panel for
Training Police Officers of the Department of Police and Public Safety
Northern Illinois University
Barsema Hall, 300, Northern Illinois University
December 13, 2011

© 2011 Dr. Rey Ty
International Training Office
Division of International Programs

2012-01-09-Intercultural-Orientation-reyty-SUMMARY-CHART-version

by Rey Ty 鄭文華 (郑 文华)

Rey Ty. 2012. Intercultural Orientation for New International Students

Constraining Random Dialogue in a Modern Eliza

by Huma Shah

Chapter in forthcoming (Ed: SCHMIDT C.T.A): From Man Through to Artefacts to Man - Essays on Computers and Philosophy. Publisher: AAAI/MIT

One of the differences between natural conversational entities – NCE (humans) and artificial conversational entities –... more One of the differences between natural conversational entities – NCE (humans) and artificial conversational entities – ACE (such as Carpenter’s Jabberwacky), is the ability the former have to constrain random output during dialogue. When humans want to participate in, and pursue conversation with each other they maintain coherent dialogue through contextual relevance, create metaphors – fusing seemingly unrelated ideas to ensure abstract points are understood, and indicate topic change at mutually acceptable junctures.

Music listening circles: Contributions from development education to democratising classical music

by Danilo Chaib

Cite article as: Chaib, D (2010) 'Music listening circles: Contributions from development education to democratising classical music developments' in Policy & Practice: A Development Education Review, Vol. 10, Spring 2010, pp.42-58, available at: http://www.developmenteducationreview.com/issue10-focus1

Development education (DE) has made and continues to make a significant contribution to music education. Specifically,... more Development education (DE) has made and continues to make a significant contribution to music education. Specifically, Freire’s culture circles have evolved into two musical and literacy education approaches towards dialogic learning in Spain.  Through the work of many scholars these Freirean circles have now morphed into two new categories: a) ‘tertulias dialógicas literarias’ or ‘dialogical literacy circles’ reflecting the literacy approach; and b) ‘tertulias dialógicas musicales’ or ‘dialogical music listening circles’, reflecting the musical education approach. In this article, Danilo Martins de Castro Chaib examines how the theory underlining the practice of the music circle impacts and alters our understanding of how Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital relates to Iris Young’s cultural imperialism. It will look at the social groups that support these circles such as the federations and confederations created by the participant groups. It will also examine how particular practices coming from the field of development education assist these culture circles in achieving their key objective, i.e. the wider appreciation of music and literature by facilitating the creation of new interpretations and developing tastes born of the particular cultural background of each participant.

Espaços de sociabilidades - a atuacao da SCABI - Revista FAP 2011 (A.Medeiros; A.Carlini)

by Alvaro Carlini

Resumo: Este artigo realiza estudo sobre a Sociedade de Cultura Artística Brasílio
Itiberê – SCABI (1944‐1976),... more Resumo: Este artigo realiza estudo sobre a Sociedade de Cultura Artística Brasílio
Itiberê – SCABI (1944‐1976), e seu trabalho na consolidação de espaços de
sociabilidade voltados para a formação de plateia em música erudita, por meio da
realização de concertos e recitais a partir de 1944. Para tanto, realizou‐se
levantamento das características da sociedade curitibana, a atuação da
intelectualidade local no desenvolvimento das práticas artísticas na capital, e a
reelaboração da plateia em música erudita após a fundação da SCABI.
Palavras‐chave: Formação de plateia em música erudita em Curitiba. Musicologia
Histórica. Sociedade de Cultura Artística Brasilio Itiberê (SCABI).

Intercultural Dialogue In Nordic Literatures

by Silke Reeploeg