SCHOOLING, COMMUNITY, & IDENTITYThe Perspectives of Muslim Girls attending an Islamic School in Florida

Questions

Research Questions

How do students at FIS perceive their school environment?

In what ways has the formal Islamic school environment influenced the construction and/or maintenance of the religious, ethnic, and community identities of its students?

In what ways do students negotiate membership in multiple communities, and what role has FIS played in these negotiations?

Theory

Socio-Cultural Reproduction and Resistance (Durkheim 1956, Bourdieu and Passeron 1977, Giroux 1983)

1) Schools are not isolated sites.

2) Legitimized space for production and reproduction of ideologies and structures

3) Reproduction of cultural values needed for success

4) Students do not passively absorb socializing ideologies.

Adolescent Identity Formation(Erikson 1968, Phinney 1990, Jenson 2003, Shrake and Rhee 2004)

1) Developmental period of identity construction

2) Complex negotiation of multiple cultural and ethnic ideologies

3) Identity negotiation and sense of belonging affect their well being.

4) Multiple ideologies and practices must be considered

Methods

Observation Interviewing Focus Groups

Fieldwork

140 HRS

11 Weeks

12 Students

5 Alumni

TeachersAdministrators

Morning Assembly

Islamic Studies

English

Social Studies

Arabic

Home Economics

Lunch

Afterschool Events

Clubs

4 Groups

3 Grades

5-6Each Focus Group

22Total ParticipantsPhoto-

Elicitation

3 Students

Setting & Participants

Florida Islamic School (FIS)

Girls

“That song is old!” “So! Your mom is old and you still listen to her! That song is old and I still listen to IT!”

“Akia Fakhouri is the sexiest beast alive!” (said by Akia herselft)

“I don’t know anyone who went to public school and turned out good.”

“Are mohawks haram (forbidden)?”

14-18 years old 9-12 grades 1-10 siblings

K-12 400 students 80 high school 50 high school girls

Family and Community

“It takes a community to build and fund the school.” – Alumni

“Someone who does this does not belong to our community. They do not belong to our school.” – Vice Principal

“Whoever did that, they’re disrespecting their family”. - Teacher

Community Family Ties“You’d be surprised, you figure out somehow you’re related.” - Student

“You can feel it, everybody cares about each other.”- Student

“They all treat us like their children.”- Student

“Here you can be your teacher’s friends. You can call teachers names and joke with them”- Student

Family-Like Relationships

“We are like a family”- Student

“We all grew up with each other, like brothers and sisters”- Student

Family and Identity

“Everyone comes from the same background.”- Student

“Arab time”

“Typical Arabe”

“…business is already in your blood.”- Teacher

Arab Identity Arabic

“You can’t be Arab and not speak or understand Arabic. The word Arab is IN the word Arabic!”- Student

“Arabic/Arab school”

“Sometimes I act a little Arab.”- Student

“She has a little Arab in her.”- Student

“A lot of other cultures are afraid to walk in”- Student

Integration& Exclusion

Muslim Identity Arab Identity

Community Family

Arab Ethnicity

Environment

“Like being a student at any other school, only not a hazardous.”- Student

“We’re preserved from dating and drugs.” - Student

“There are no guns here.” - Student

“We are like in a bubble.” - Student

Safe Islamic

“I can talk to anyone here, and they won’t look at me weird.” - Student

“I like that everyone prays, so you’re not the only one.” - Student

What does Allah do when I feel lonely and pray for guidance, “What does he do?” – Student

Disciplined

“At all points of our life we had 50 eyes on us!” - Student

“Some days you know that Br. [Hawk] is going to be patrolling so you’re extra careful.”- Student

“Even when they’re tough it’s for our own good.” - Student

Living Islamically

“I like that that we get know more about our religion... I also like that they have prayer.” - Student

“We try to prepare our students for this life and the hereafter.” – Teacher

“Try to be honorable, noble, upright.” - Teacher

“Are you prepared to die?” - Teacher

“What do you think is the best thing to prepare you for the here-after? “GOOD DEEDS.” - Teacher

“Public school teaches you and then you go home. FIS teaches you your religion and teaches you to be a good person.” - Student

“One thing I love about this school is that we’re taught to be modest.” - Student

“I think it helps me (Qur’an and Islamic Studies).” - Student

Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah)

Inshallah (God willing)

Mashallah (whatever God wills)

ArabicPreparation

Learning

Negotiation

“[The Vice-Principal and others] want everyone to be on the same path, because of our religion, but I chose a path that wasn’t straight because we’re teenagers, we’re not perfect, we go through things, but as long as you get to where you’re supposed to be, then you’re good.”

“Guys! Haram!”

Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah)

“Typical Arabe”

“So if Jesus didn’t have a father, where did his DNA come from? Was it all his mothers?”

“Everyone has their own mind and makes their own decisions, I’m sorry.”

“You know how we are supposed to love all prophets equally? Why do we put so much emphasis on prophet Muhammad?”

“I do what I want anyway.”

Reproduction Resistance

Acknowledgments

Special Thanks to:The girls at FIS

FIS Teachers & Staff

Rebecca Zarger, PhD.John Napora, PhD.

Darlene DeMarie, PhD.Shumin Lin, PhD.

Angela BookoutAnn Persaud

Peter & Patricia Martinez