Blog 2 Faith
Faith Intersectionality
As someone who is British born Indian and always lived in London, who has many identities in life, I call it wearing many hats, 1st a man of colour, 2nd a gay man, 3rd a man of Indian heritage, 4th a man who was born in the western world and 5th a Hindu. This subject has been somewhat hard but really opens my eyes and mind to the environment that we work and teach in.
As a practising Hindu, faith is important to me. It’s something that have I been brought up with, as my parents are first-generation immigrants from Fiji & India and still wanted to keep their faith and heritage for their children’s lifestyle. In the same way not denying them the new world that they were going to bring them up in.
Intersectionality of faith has so many layers, which need to be unravelled and reassembled. Kimberle Crenshaw`s theory on intersectionality shows how faith intersects with other identity factors. From the workshops and readings, we were given, there were a few things what stood out to me like:
“[As a Muslim female body and has real consequences for how she is perceived and the opportunities to progress that are therefore open to her]’ because she is wearing a veil. `[Muslim female body has become a symbolic battlefield in the war against Islam and the perceived Muslim enemy ‘within` (Razack2008: Razack et al.2010).]”. Mirza, H. S. (2018) Black Bodies ‘Out of Place’
In my 27 years of working in the fashion industry with various jobs as a gay man of colour, I have not encountered discrimination in the same way as she has for being a Muslim and female and wearing a veil. But reading more into this has made me aware of the context and implications people are challenged by.
In the studio space, we ask students to look closely at what they are designing and what message it may be giving out to avoid any discrimination through gender and religion or which could be marginalised.
I’m open to the students about my sexuality, as it allows students from the LGBTQ plus community to feel comfortable. If they choose to, I’m happy for them to have discussions with me about their experiences in their country or if they feel they’ve been discriminated against at the university. I have found in the time I have been working for the university that a lot of students cannot or have not come out about their sexuality due to the fact the laws or family pressure have not allowed them to. This is something that I acknowledge how I have been privileged, that my family and community have been supportive to me. The website Inclusive Mosque and the introduction called Raise Your Gaze, had a great impact on me by the fact that they are supporting large, diverse communities and people, by welcoming them and showing that there is a space for everyone in this world.
“The story of Sojourner Truth shows that there is a tendency to treat race and religion as two different axis of difference that are to be discussed separately (Smiet 2021,19). Authors like Smiet are now showing that they need not be.” (Rekis J (2023)). As Truth really shows us, people can judge through race, but pardon them through religion and this can make them more comfortable because it’s something they belong to. In the world today, some countries are trying to claim a higher place in their hierarchical world position through this method, but which is causing more battles.
Challenging Race, Religion and Stereotypes in the Classroom, (Trinity University (2016) ). I really enjoyed watching this video as it made me think how I can have these conversations with students in my studio spaces, ensuring they can challenge diverse views, and knowing the environment is a safe space for them to discuss anything. As a university we have a large, diverse community of international students as well neurodiverse students helping us to learn from each other.
REFERENCE LIST
Mirza, H. S. (2018) Black Bodies ‘Out of Place’ in Academic Spaces: Gender, Race, Faith and Culture in Post-race Times. In Dismantling Race in Higher Education, Eds. Arday, J & Mirza, H. S. Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. pp 175-195. ‘Threatening Bodies’, pp184-187
Inclusive Mosque Initiative (2016) Our Mission [Online] Available at: https://inclusivemosque.org/our-mission/ (Accessed 10 May 2024)
Rekis J (2023). Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account. Hypatia 38, 779–800. https://doi.org/10.1017/hyp.2023.86 (Accessed 10 May 2024)
Trinity University (2016) Challenging Race, Religion, and Stereotypes in the Classroom. [Online]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CAOKTo_DOk (Accessed 12 May 2024)
Navin, I found it really insightful to read your personal experience of intersectionality and faith and how you apply this to your teaching context to make the learning environment feel inclusive and more comfortable for students of marginal identities. It’s interesting that you note there are students who may struggle because their intersectional identities may present personal difficulties. I’m interested to know how you navigate these experiences and perhaps how you go about offering support to those students who feel they have to hide aspects of their identity.
This also highlights the fact that obstacles around identity are often intersectional i.e. faith intersects with race, gender, sexuality to create unique personal experiences but also problems because of societal, familiar, cultural barriers.
It’s also good that you have considered intersectional approaches to fashion in the studio space where you work and encouraged students to think about the importance of clothing in shaping identity.
Hi Dalia
I created a new workshop this year, based upon the draping methods of a sari. Traditionally this is worn by women, but I wanted the workshop to be inclusive to all students with gender and neurodiversity students, so in the workshop I used my own body to drape on and found this worked removing any hierarchy between students and myself, allowing fun and laughter throughout the workshop. In the workshop I talked about the different methods of draping a sari which could show positionality and personality in the diverse culture when warm, it still relates in society today.
We talk to students about cancel culture in fashion when certain fashion brands have used people’s heritage without understanding the background, it is a very important part of the students’ learning outcomes.
One of the things I find helps the students is that I am with the same group of students throughout their MA, and this allows for trust and knowing who I am. If they wish to have conversations about who they are and where they come from. This gives us a safe space in studios to have discussions.
Hi Navin, really enjoyed reading your blog.
Your comparison between your own experiences and those of a Muslim woman wearing a veil really brings to light the unique challenges faced by different individuals within marginalised communities. It highlights to me how crucial it is to understand and acknowledge the diverse experiences that intersectionality encompasses.
Your personal approach to students in helping them with their own identities and creating an inclusive and supportive environment in the studio space is really commendable. Being open about your sexuality and encouraging students to share their experiences I imagine really creates a sense of belonging and safety for your students – as you say which allows for deeper discussions in a safe environment, which is so important at university.
Hi James
When I was young are used to hide my dyslexia, as I felt that I would not be included with my peers. It’s something which stayed with me for a long time in life. Coming into the teaching world it’s something I want to ensure no student felt like that in the studio space. So, one of my objectives was to be open to students as much as possible. I found this approach allows students to have someone that they could relate to. When we are working in studio space is it is important students learn to respect one another and understand the diverse culture we enjoy at the university which they might be unfamiliar with. I feel we have really come forward in life from the time I was a student, but I still understand that we need to work on inclusive practice more at the university. And not play tick box service to this subject.
Your comment that you had not experienced discrimination in the same way interested me… I also have had many years experience in the creative industries and feel my experience of intersectionality is different to some of the other industries that I have read about
Hi Liz
Thank you for your comment. I find as I’ve got older it’s very important to pause, stop and think before replying to people because this has a better impact on me reducing any discriminations that maybe there in conversations or emails. It is important that we all learn to work together, as fashion and the arts world, really allow us to have a diverse culture which we need to embrace.