Community perceptions of moral education as a response to crime by young Pakistani males in Bradford

Abstract

While increasing attention from academics and the media focuses on the lives of Muslim communities in the west, little attention has so far been given to insiders' own perceptions of their social lives. This paper, borne out of broader research on their perceptions of crime, aims to analyse some internal discourses on moral education. The ethnographic data, collected between October 2004 and July 2005, is used to try to show the potentials and the pitfalls of formal (in mosques, madrasahs and schools) and informal (in family and community) means of provision of moral education. The paper argues that prevention of deviance through moral education seems to be neglected in favour of punishment, retrieval or rehabilitation. Female deviance, however, seems to be addressed by prevention strategies that are based on protection and the limitation of certain interactions, rather than on moral education.

Visits to the country of origin: how second‐generation British Pakistanis shape transnational identity and maintain power asymmetries

“…By health, I refer to a broad idea of well-being that covers spiritual, mental and physical health. While there is evidence in the literature on British Pakistanis of teenagers (especially females) being taken to Pakistan to protect them from Western influences (Shaw 2000: 155), the growth of Muslim facilities and spaces in Britain (Bolognani 2007a) has reduced the need to send one's children to Pakistan. On the other hand, although their success is controversial, punitive, correctional or rehabilitative visits have apparently grown in popularity.…”

The changing public face of Muslim associations in Britain: Coming together for common ‘social’ goals?

“…Overall, we see that, although the ‘mediated politics’ over Islam has been widely seen as a constraint facing the organizations, in many instances Muslim organizations have had sufficient ingenuity and resources to respond by learning media skills, so that they try to shape the message that appears about Muslims in the news. Although there is ample evidence of a general mistrust about the public representation of Muslims and fatigue with ‘media work’ among community activists (Bolognani 2007), over time the organizations have come to view participation in mediated public debates as an opportunity for advancing their aims. Indeed, a new generation of skilled and media-savvy Muslims activists has emerged who regularly engage with journalists, policy makers, academics and activists from other faiths, in a self-conscious attempt to redress perceived biases in media coverage.…”

Unedited Workshop Proceedings: Debating Multiculturalism 1

“…58 However, the empirical evidence suggests that multiculturalism is so deeply institutionalised in British society that it has become 'received wisdom' which permeates thinking, policy and practice to an extent that precludes critical analysis. This has had a range of unforeseen consequences -from the suppression and/or denial of research findings, through the reluctance of professionals to intervene in 'community affairs', to the development of contradictory and potentially highly 58 See Macey (1999band Bolognani, 2007a on Bradford young Mirpuri men's involvement in crime, rioting and terrorism.…”