“Living together with the Other”

Education & Religion in a European Context

Robert Jackson

Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit

Coordinating Group for Religious Education in Europe (CoGREE) Conference, Berlin, October

2005

Political and Social ContextPolitical and Social Context

Events – global and localEvents – global and local Sept 11, 2001 in USASept 11, 2001 in USA Afghanistan and Iraq warsAfghanistan and Iraq wars Bali, Casablanca, Jakarta, Bali, Casablanca, Jakarta,

Madrid, London etcMadrid, London etc Israel/Palestine and other Israel/Palestine and other

‘ethnic’ conflicts‘ethnic’ conflicts Civil disorder in northern UK Civil disorder in northern UK

towns in 2001 – economic & towns in 2001 – economic & demographic factorsdemographic factors

Context of Late/Post Context of Late/Post ModernityModernity

Traditional pluralityTraditional plurality religious and ethnic diversityreligious and ethnic diversity stereotyping and boundariesstereotyping and boundaries

Modern/postmodern pluralityModern/postmodern plurality instant communicationinstant communication globalisationglobalisation multiple influences on identitymultiple influences on identity erosion of cultural boundarieserosion of cultural boundaries responses to relativity and truthresponses to relativity and truth

Interaction of ‘modern’ and Interaction of ‘modern’ and ‘traditional’ plurality‘traditional’ plurality

Cultural DiscourseCultural Discourse ‘‘Dominant discourse’ reifies Dominant discourse’ reifies

cultures - ‘communities’ defined cultures - ‘communities’ defined by ethnic and religious identity by ethnic and religious identity

‘‘Demotic discourse’- the Demotic discourse’- the language of cultural interaction language of cultural interaction ‘on the ground’‘on the ground’

‘‘Culture’ as Culture’ as bothboth a possession of an ethnic or a possession of an ethnic or

religious ‘community’ religious ‘community’ a dynamic process relying on a dynamic process relying on

personal agencypersonal agency

Religious Education in England Religious Education in England and Walesand Wales

Agreed SyllabusesAgreed Syllabuses Partnership of teachers, faiths, Partnership of teachers, faiths,

politicianspoliticians National FrameworkNational Framework

Informs AS conferencesInforms AS conferences A national syllabus?A national syllabus?

Towards a National StrategyTowards a National Strategy Teacher training and professional Teacher training and professional

developmentdevelopment

National Framework for National Framework for Religious EducationReligious Education

Religious education actively promotes the Religious education actively promotes the values of truth, justice, respect for all and values of truth, justice, respect for all and care of the environment. It places specific care of the environment. It places specific emphasis on:emphasis on:

pupils valuing themselves and otherspupils valuing themselves and others the role of family and the community in the role of family and the community in

religious belief and activityreligious belief and activity the celebration of diversity in society the celebration of diversity in society

through understanding similarities and through understanding similarities and differencesdifferences

sustainable development of the earthsustainable development of the earth Religious education also recognises the Religious education also recognises the

changing nature of society, includingchanging nature of society, including changes in religious practice and expression changes in religious practice and expression and the influence of religion in the local, and the influence of religion in the local,

national and global communitynational and global community

Pedagogy: The Warwick Pedagogy: The Warwick Interpretive ApproachInterpretive Approach

RepresentationRepresentation of religions and of religions and ‘cultures’ showing their diversity‘cultures’ showing their diversity individuals, groups, traditions – ‘culture’ individuals, groups, traditions – ‘culture’

debatedebate InterpretationInterpretation

comparing and contrasting familiar and comparing and contrasting familiar and unfamiliar conceptsunfamiliar concepts

ReflexivityReflexivity Pupils relating learning to their own Pupils relating learning to their own

concernsconcerns constructive criticism at a distanceconstructive criticism at a distance critique of study methods usedcritique of study methods used

Start Start anywhereanywhere: with examples; with : with examples; with pupils...pupils...

Warwick RE Project: Warwick RE Project: Bridges to ReligionsBridges to Religions

Source material is Source material is ethnographic ethnographic studies of children studies of children in family and in family and schoolschool

Children in class Children in class compare and compare and contrast their contrast their concepts, concepts, experiences and experiences and beliefsbeliefs

Warwick RE Project: Warwick RE Project: Bridges to ReligionsBridges to Religions

Texts deal with Texts deal with similarity and similarity and differencedifference

Diversity of Diversity of views of children views of children in class is in class is recognised recognised (meat eating, (meat eating, vegetarianism, vegetarianism, special diets)special diets)

Interpretation, Dialogue, Interpretation, Dialogue, ReflexivityReflexivity

Students listed Students listed questions raised by questions raised by zakahzakah

developed drama pieces developed drama pieces out of their questionsout of their questions

dramas prompted dramas prompted discussion about discussion about situations that poor situations that poor people can be in people can be in

Muslim boy spoke Muslim boy spoke about what about what zakahzakah meant to himmeant to him

students tried to relate students tried to relate zakahzakah to their own to their own moral and spiritual moral and spiritual concernsconcerns

Pedagogy: A Dialogical Pedagogy: A Dialogical Approach IpgraveApproach Ipgrave

Levels of dialogueLevels of dialogue Primary (acceptance of plurality)Primary (acceptance of plurality) Secondary (openness to differenceSecondary (openness to difference ) ) Tertiary (pupil interaction)Tertiary (pupil interaction)

Use of children’s religious languageUse of children’s religious language Provide opportunities for structured Provide opportunities for structured

dialogue (children's involvement)dialogue (children's involvement) Children negotiate viewpointsChildren negotiate viewpoints Project developmentProject development

Phase 1 in one schoolPhase 1 in one school Phase 2 between schools in LeicesterPhase 2 between schools in Leicester Phase 3 Phase 3 eeBridges projectBridges project

From From eeDialogue to Dialogue to MeetingMeeting

Children from Children from East Sussex and East Sussex and Leicester meet Leicester meet for a residential for a residential weekend at Pyke weekend at Pyke House, Battle, House, Battle, Sussex, Sussex, December 2003December 2003

How can RE contribute to How can RE contribute to living together?living together?

RE teachers should work with other RE teachers should work with other educators:educators:

Council of Europe project ‘intercultural Council of Europe project ‘intercultural education and the challenge of education and the challenge of religious diversity and dialogue’religious diversity and dialogue’

Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Teaching Tolerance Project or Belief, Teaching Tolerance Project (Values Education, Peace Education, (Values Education, Peace Education, Human Rights etc)Human Rights etc)

Proliferation of citizenship Proliferation of citizenship programmes in Europeprogrammes in Europe

Spectrum of Citizenship Spectrum of Citizenship EducationEducation in Europein Europe (McLaughlin 1992)(McLaughlin 1992)

MINIMALMINIMAL MAXIMALMAXIMALexclusiveexclusive inclusiveinclusiveelitistelitist activistactivistcivics edcivics ed citizenship edcitizenship edformalformal participativeparticipativecontent ledcontent led process ledprocess ledknowledge-basedknowledge-based values basedvalues baseddidacticdidactic interactiveinteractivetransmissiontransmission

interpretationinterpretationeasier easier more difficult more difficult

Religion in Education: a contribution to Dialogue or a factor of Conflict in transforming societies of European

Countries (REDCo)1 University of Hamburg2 University of Warwick3 Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes /

Sorbonne EPHE4 Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Free

University Amsterdam)5 University of Stavanger 6 University of Tartu7 Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität

Münster (University of Münster)8 Deutsches Orient Institut (German

Institute for Middle East Studies)9 Russian Christian Academy for

Humanities (St. Petersburg)10 Universidad de Granada