Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research focuses on teacher-learning for religious and cultural diversity. The background to the study is associated with curriculum reforms in South Africa since democratization in 1994 and the growing interest globally in the integration of Citizenship education and Religion education. In South Africa, the new national curricula after 1994 introduced Life Orientation as a learning area / subject which includes Citizenship education with Religion education as key focus areas. The outcomes associated with these focus areas require school-based learners to demonstrate knowledge of diversity, co-operative and communicative forms of democracy and commitment to the values espoused in The Constitution. The question that arises in relation to the professional development of teachers in this regard, concerns whether teachers have the professional knowledge base to ensure that their learners acquire the knowledge and skills to enable them to participate as competent citizens in a pluralist democracy. Consequently the large-scale transmissionist approaches to teacher development that have dominated INSET programmes have been critiqued in this study for being inadequate for learning the complexities associated with diversity, citizenship and democracy. This study has hence advocated for teacher-learning through participation in communities of practice which arguably provide appropriate learning conditions in which dialogue and critical reflection characterise the interaction between teachers. On the grounds that South Africa’s social-political history enforced the segregation of racial groups and privileged Christianity above other religions or beliefs, a further argument is related to how this history has influenced teachers’ frames of reference and whether teachers’ frames of reference continue to influence how Citizenship education is approached in the classroom. Hence, the theoretical framework for this study has been formulated to address the issue of teacher-learning for Citizenship education and Religion education (Citizenship education/Religion education) and the extent to which the frames of reference of teachers influence their approaches to democracy, values, citizenship and diversity. To this end two learning theory perspectives have been explored, viz. Mezirow’s transformative learning theory (1991, 2000) and communities of practice, as conceptualised by Wenger (1998, 2006b). The efficacy of the communities of practice concept for teacher-learning for diversity was investigated against a transformative learning theory background, using a mixed methods approach. A cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst 60 secondary schools in the Gauteng province, followed by a phase of participatory action research (PAR) with three teachers over a period of approximately eight months. The survey questionnaire was designed to determine the perspectives of a sample of Life Orientation teachers towards learning and teaching religious and cultural diversity in Life Orientation. The findings were used to inform the action research process which in turn drew attention to the significance of the community of practice concept for assisting teachers to generate content knowledge for Citizenship education/Religion education from an inclusive and constructivist perspective. The findings of the survey questionnaire indicated that the majority of the teachers in the sample were not opposed to including religious diversity in their Life Orientation classes despite not having backgrounds in Religious Studies or meaningful in-service training. The PAR findings indicate the value of engagement by teachers in a community of practice for creating and acquiring appropriate content knowledge and for critical reflection on the meaning and application of democratic and personal values for Citizenship education/Religion education. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingsprojek fokus op onderwyser-leer ter bevordering van religieuse en kulturele diversiteit. Die agtergrond van hierdie studie is enersyds kurrikulumhervorming in Suid-Afrika sedert demokratisering in 1994 en andersyds die groeiende, wêreldwye belangstelling in die integrasie van Burgerskapopvoeding (Citizenship Education) en Religieuse-onderrig (Religion Education). Lewensoriëntering as ‘n leerarea/vak wat Burgerskapopvoeding en Religieuse-onderrig as primêre fokus insluit, is na 1994 as deel van die nuwe nasionale kurrikulum in Suid-Afrika bekendgestel. Die leeruitkomste van hierdie fokus vereis dat leerders kennis moet demonstreer rakende: diversiteit, samewerkende- en kommunikatiewe vorms van demokrasie en die verbintenis tot die waardes soos in die Grondwet vervat. Die vraag word gestel of die professionele ontwikkeling van onderwysers die nodige professionele kennisbasis bied wat kan verseker dat leerders wel kennis en vaardighede verwerf wat hulle in staat sal stel om bevoegde burgers te wees om aan ‘n pluralistiese demokrasie deel te neem. In hierdie studie word die transmissionistiese benaderings (transmissionist approaches) wat die indiensonderwysersopleiding (INSET) gedomineer het, krities ondersoek en bevraagteken ook hierdie benadering vir die onderrig-leer van kompleksiteite soos diversiteit, burgerskap en demokrasie. In hierdie studie word onderwyser-leer by wyse van deelname aan “gemeenskappe van praktyk” (communities of practice) onderskryf hoofsaaklik weens die moontlikhede wat hierdie benadering bied om gepaste leeromstandighede te skep waar onderwysers se interaksie deur dialoog en kritiese refleksie en terugskouing gekenmerk word. In die lig van Suid-Afrika se sosio-politiese geskiedenis waartydens die segregasie van rassegroepe afgedwing is en Christendom bo ander religieë of geloofsoortuigings bevoorreg was, word kritiese argumente gevoer rondom die invloed van hierdie geskiedenis op onderwysers se verwysingsraamwerke en hoe hierdie betrokke verwysingsraamwerke onderwysers se benadering tot Burgerskapopvoeding beïnvloed het. In die teoretiese raamwerk van hierdie studie word die grondliggende kwessies en diskoerse van onderwyser-leer vir Burgerskapopvoeding en Religieuse-onderrig (Burgerskapopvoeding/ Religieuse-onderrig) ondersoek asook die mate waarop die verwysingsraamwerke van onderwysers hulle onderrigbenaderinge tot demokrasie, waardes, burgerskap en diversiteit beïnvloed het. Die twee leerteorieë en perspektiewe van Mezirow se Transformatiewe Leerteorie (1991, 2000) en “gemeenskappe van praktyk”, soos deur Wenger (1998, 2006b) gekonseptualiseer is, word as vertrekpunte geneem. Die effektiwiteit van die konsep “gemeenskappe van praktyk” vir onderwys-leer in belang van diversiteit, word ondersoek teen die agtergrond van ‘n transformatiewe leerteorie deur gebruik te maak van ‘n gemengde-metodesbenadering (mixed methods approach). ‘n Deursnee-opname is aan 60 sekondêre skole in die Gauteng provinsie gedoen, gevolg deur ‘n fase van Deelnemende-Aksienavorsing met drie onderwysers oor ‘n tydperk van ongeveer agt maande. Die vraelys vir die opname is sodanig ontwerp dat ‘n steekproef Lewensoriënteringonderwysers se perspektiewe van onderrig-leer van religieuse en kulturele diversiteit in Lewensoriëntering bepaal kon word. Hierdie bevindinge is vir die aksienavorsingsfase gebruik wat die aandag gefokus het op die belangrikheid van “gemeenskappe van praktyk” as ‘n konsep wat onderwysers kan help om inhoudskennis vir Burgerskapopvoeding/Religieuse-onderrig vanuit ‘n inklusiewe en konstruktiewe benadering te genereer. Die bevindinge van die vraelysopname toon dat die meerderheid van die onderwysers, wat deel was van die steekproef, nie gekant is teen die insluiting van religieuse diversiteit in Lewensoriënteringsklasse nie ten spyte van die feit dat hulle geen agtergrond in Religieuse-onderrig of enige ander betekenisvolle indiensopleiding ontvang het nie. Die bevindings van die Deelnemende– Aksienavorsingsproses bewys die waarde van onderwyserbetrokkenheid in “gemeenskappe van praktyk” om inhoudskennis te verwerf en krities na te dink oor die betekenis en toepassings van demokratiese en persoonlike waardes vir Burgerskapopvoeding/Religieuse-onderrig.

This thesis explores conviviality, a set of processes surrounding everyday living with difference. Based on 18 months of fieldwork (2007-2010) equally split between Casamance, Senegal, and Catalonia, Spain, the comparison takes the transnational lives of Casamançais and their embeddedness in both local fields into account. Locally, Casamançais often spoke of cohabitation (French) and convivencia (Castilian). Exploring discourses as well as practices related to encounters with difference and everyday socialising, this thesis addresses three questions: (1) How do migrants who come from a context of religious and ethnic diversity manage to make their way within new social contexts of cultural diversity? (2) How do their pre-migration experiences of diversity affect the ways in which they deal with the changing configurations of diversity that they encounter in Europe? (3) How do ways of living together with difference change over time in both sending and receiving contexts due to migration and other concurrent societal transformations? In four ethnographic chapters, I firstly explore everyday neighbourhood encounters and the centrality of multilingual greeting and temporary gatherings in open spaces for conviviality. A second chapter focuses on cultural and religious festivities and argues that, apart from the political recognition of diversity, the local residents’ sensuous experiences of difference are a crucial dimension of conviviality. Addressing challenges to conviviality, the third chapter engages with the processes of social closure, isolation and homogenisation which reveal alternative ways of living with difference. The fourth ethnographic chapter puts migration-related inequalities centre-stage, showing how conviviality also involves subtle forms of inequality. Analytically, this thesis suggests that conviviality is not a static conception of sociality, but one that is in-process. I find that socio-cultural differences are permanently negotiated, that ways of dealing with difference are translated between the old and new contexts of diversity, and that discourses and practices of living with difference are continuously (re)produced in everyday interactions. Casamançais perspectives reveal ways of maintaining minimal sociality among local residents who remain different.

This thesis considers how religious diversification has shaped the roles of clergy and seminaries. The focus of this qualitative, interview-based study is seminaries and clergy affiliated with various denominations of Judaism and Protestant Christianity in greater London and New York City. Religiously diversifying societies in the US and England have brought forth new challenges for clergy and seminaries, prompting new questions about how or why a faith community should or should not engage with diversity in the public square. This study investigates how seminaries and individual members of the clergy, as sources of religious authority, are responding to religious diversification in different ways - the former sluggish to recognise the impact of religious diversification in curriculum and pedagogical structures and the latter seeing it as a resource for social action initiatives, local networks, and political activism. This has created a gap between training and practice whereby clergy have assumed greater religious authority in religious life. Beyond contributing to the field of sociology of religion, this thesis concludes by allowing the experience of clergy in interreligious engagement to inform appropriate pedagogies that could be employed by seminaries.

En 1947, après l’obtention de l’indépendance, l’Inde est devenue une république séculière et démocratique proposant ainsi une nouvelle organisation de la société. Sans faire l’unanimité, des lois familiales différenciées selon l’identité religieuse ainsi que des droits socioéconomiques associés à l’appartenance à un groupe ont été reconnus par l’État. Dans le climat politique des années 90, le secularism et les droits de groupe ont été le sujet de débats. À partir d’une considération du contexte sociohistorique, cette recherche porte sur les manières de se représenter la laïcité indienne et sur ses rapports potentiels avec des lois différenciées selon l’appartenance religieuse. À travers la notion d’égalité, cette recherche explore les droits et les devoirs associés à la juste approche de la diversité religieuse en Inde indépendante. Une attention particulière est accordée à la période contemporaine et aux droits des Indiens musulmans. Dans cette recherche, les représentations juridiques qui se dégagent de l’analyse des débats publics et intellectuels sont mises en parallèle avec les points de vue de dix-sept répondants de la classe moyenne de Kolkata (été 2011). À travers cette démarche, cette analyse du discours informe sur les conceptions du secularism débattues en Inde indépendante et dans la période contemporaine. Parallèlement à un accent mis sur l’amour de la diversité, les droits individuels, les devoirs et l’auto régulation, les droits différenciés pour les musulmans sont, pour la majorité des répondants, rejetés. Deux approches de l’État sont soulevées dans les définitions du secularism, une version plus dirigiste et l’autre laissant plus de souveraineté aux groupes. / In 1947, India became a secular democratic republic proposing a new organization of society. Family laws, established according to religious affiliation and affirmative action policies, were recognized by the state without unanimity. In the political climate of the nineties, such secularism and group rights were questioned. From a socio-historical perspective, this research focuses on the practices & representations of Indian secularism and its potential relationship with laws differentiated by religious affiliation. Based on the notion of equality, the present research explores the rights and obligations associated with the just approach to religious diversity in independent India. Particular attention is given to the contemporary period and to Indian Muslims’ group rights. In this research, legal representations that emerge from the analysis of public and intellectual debates are paralleled with the viewpoints of seventeen of Kolkata’s middle-class informants (summer 2011). Using this approach, the discourse analysis informs the reader on the conception of secularism discussed in contemporary, independent India. Recognising the value of diversity, duties and self regulation, the majority of respondents reject differentiated rights for Muslims. Two approaches of the state emerge; one in which the State is more directive and one which provides more autonomy to the group.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:44:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5925.pdf: 1518979 bytes, checksum: 0e8752ae082bff153a2a2686337068c9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-24 / Our study discuss the process of returning to homeland faced by young muslins Burkinabes who studied in countries of Arabic language Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria and Libya, among others. It is about a theoretical study that has been complemented with a preparatory fieldwork made at Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), in 2010. It can be seen, by one side, the search for religious knowledge and sociocultural legitimation; by other, the problems faced at return and the role of institutions in the reconstruction of social, professional and economical network. Burkina Faso is a country taking place at west of Africa, with a population of 16.241.811 inhabitants, from which 60% are muslins. The population aged between 15 to 39 years old represents more than 31%, raising its social and economic importance. Most of the population has studied at the so called franco-arab schools, in an education imbricated with a deeply religious manner, within a context that the study of French (the official language) is a matter of secondary concern. Considering the challenges of getting a university degree, countries of Arabic speaking languages became attractive because its stronger appeal of having equivalent values and due to offers for scholarships by countries like Egypt, Syria, Libya and Saudi-Arabia. By the time of return, there are plenty of difficulties about social and professional insertion for returnees. Among the possibilities that seem to be more open there are these of teaching at Franco-Arabic schools and working for associations that promotes the Islam and rights of Islamic populations. It is noted, firstly, the social historic context of education in the country and, then, the role of Muslim Institutions, mainly, of local Islamic Universities in the process of social support in constructing spaces that aim social belonging and work. / Nosso estudo discute o processo de retorno de jovens muçulmanos burquinabês que realizaram seus estudos em países de língua árabe - Arábia Saudita, Egito, Síria e Líbia, principalmente. Trata-se de estudo teórico complementado com atividade de campo preparatória realizada em Ouagadougou (Burquina Faso), em 2010. Destaca-se aqui, por um lado, a busca do conhecimento religioso e/ou de legitimidade de posição sociocultural; por outro, as problemáticas no momento do retorno e o papel das instituições na reconstrução dos laços sociais, profissionais e econômicos. O Burquina Faso é um país localizado na África do Oeste, possui uma população de 16.241.811 habitantes, sendo cerca de 60% muçulmanos. As pessoas com idade entre 15 a 39 anos representam mais de 31%, evidenciando, assim, sua importância econômica e social. A maior parte delas estudou em escolas chamadas de franco-árabes, passando por um processo formativo profundamente imbricado ao universo religioso, dentro de estruturas em que o ensino do francês (língua oficial do país) é matéria de interesse secundário. Diante do desafio da formação universitária, os países de língua árabe tornam-se atraentes tanto pela confluência de valores como pelo oferecimento de bolsas de estudo por alguns países como Egito, Síria, Líbia e Arábia Saudita. Na ocasião do retorno muitas são as dificuldades de inserção social e profissional. Entre as possibilidades que parecem abertas para eles, encontra-se tanto o ensino nas escolas franco-árabes como o trabalho em associações que atuam para a promoção do Islã e os direitos da população muçulmana. Descreve-se, por um lado, o contexto social e histórico da educação no país e, por outro, o papel das instituições muçulmanas, notadamente, das universidades islâmicas locais no processo de busca de suporte social para a construção de espaços de pertencimento social e de trabalho.

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Germany is presently transforming into a modern immigration state, leaving behind its image of a “guest worker” country. Parallely, it is confronted with growing religious plurality and rising religious conflicts. Moreover, religious labeling of groups other than the Christian or undenominational majority population becomes more significant. Against this background, the paper discusses the views of the population in Germany towards religious plurality, practices of religious minorities as well as attitudes towards members of different religious groups. The results reveal a considerable amount of negative attitudes towards foreign religious groups in Germany. More specifically, Islam and Muslims are mostly viewed as negative by the German population. Structural equation models with manifest variables show that, in particular, the frequency of contacts have positive impacts on attitudes towards people of different religious affiliations.

L’objectif de la recherche est de comprendre l’héritage du rapport de la Commission de consultations sur les pratiques d'accommodement reliées aux différences culturelles (Commission Bouchard-Taylor). Nous présenterons une analyse des mesures adoptées par divers gouvernements québécois, qui ont voté des lois en chambre parlementaire afin de promouvoir la laïcité de l’État. Plusieurs éléments socioculturels retiennent une attention particulière en ce qui concerne les recommandations émises par les experts, puis appropriées par les politiciens lors de projets de loi. Notre recherche de terrain se focalise sur les pratiques religieuses des catholiques pratiquants, ce qui représente une approche distincte par rapport aux autres recherches qui se sont principalement penchées sur les communautés religieuses minoritaires telles que les musulmans ou les juifs, dont les pratiques religieuses sont plus visibles et directement affectées par les lois sur la laïcité. Par le fait d’étudier des membres de la religion catholique dans cette étude, nous pourrons également mieux comprendre la perception de ces pratiquants dans une société qui, depuis de nombreuses années, a véhiculé des préjugés marqués à leur égard dans les médias et l'imaginaire collectif. / The aim of this research is to understand the legacy of the report by the Commission de consultations sur les pratiques d'accommodement reliées aux différences culturelles (Bouchard-Taylor Commission). I first analyze the measures adopted by various Quebec governments, that promote the secular nature of the State. Several issues come to the fore in the way recommendations issued by expert are conceived and then appropriated by politicians when bills are drafted. My research focuses on the religious behavior of practising Catholics, which represents a distinct approach from other research that has focused mainly on minority religious communities such as Muslims or Jews, whose religious practices are more visible and directly affected by secularization laws. By looking at members of the Catholic religion in this study, we will also be able to better understand the perception of these practitioners in a society which, for many years, has conveyed marked prejudices towards them in the media and the collective memory.

Parents play an integral role in the support of early learning. This study focuses on parent support of learning in an international reception class in Copenhagen, Denmark. This study includes a literature review of parent support of early learning and school facilitation of parent involvement in early learning. A qualitative investigation of parental support of early learning, within the context of global mobility and multi-culturalism, was undertaken in Rygaards School, in particular in its Reception Class. It was established that very little support exists on a global, social and local level, for the globally mobile families whose children attend this particular international school. Furthermore, the school itself does not fully meet the needs of its globally mobile families. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations for introducing comprehensive parent involvement were proposed, amongst others the introduction of an Induction Programme for newcomers to Rygaards, strategies for compensating for the absence of a middle management amongst its teaching staff and the extension of parent participation in curriculum provision. / Educational Studies / M.Ed.