The Art of Memory: Islamic Education and its Social Reproduction

Abstract

The study of education can be to complex societies what the study of religion has been to societies variously characterized by anthropologists as ‘simple,’ ‘cold’ or ‘elementary.’ Recognizing this potential, sociologists and social anthropologists have recently indicated a renewed interest in the study of how schooling, especially higher education, implicitly defines and transmits a culturally valued cognitive style, ‘a set of basic, deeply interiorized master-patterns’ of language and thought on the basis of which other patterns are subsequently acquired (Bourdieu 1967: 343; see also Cole, Gay, Glick and Sharp 1971).

Prayer and pedagogy: Redefining education among Salafist Muslim women in France

“…Although Islamic education centers on truths enshrined in foundational texts, it is problematic to infer from this a lack of mental flexibility or thoughtless technical training (Eickelman 1978). First, as I will show, the existence of doubt is something that is explicitly discussed and not exactly discouraged.…”

Qur'anic school sermons as a site for sacred and second language socialisation

“…Minimally, a Muslim must be able to recite (some) Qur'anic verses in Arabic and listen and respond to Qur'anic recitation and citation with the proper speech, demeanor and affect (Eickelman 1978;Denny, Sachedina, and Kennedy 1983). Almost all Fulbe in northern Cameroon memorise a few short chapters of the Qur'an (always the first suura and usually the last 11) to use in the five daily prayers.…”

“…In recent years, there has been increasing attention to this schooling tradition, but it remains understudied relative to its global prevalence (Wagner 1999). Research on Islamic education in Africa has focused on the core curriculum of elementary Qur'anic school -that is, the memorisation, recitation, reading and writing of the Qur'an without explanation of the literal meaning of the sacred text (Bray 1986;Denny 1987;Eickelman 1978). This prior research on Qur'anic education in Africa has produced rich psycholinguistic, sociological and anthropological accounts of pedagogical practices and their effects.…”

Vaders. Vaderschap in cultureel perspectief

“…Zelfs vrouwen die in de maatschappelijke en politieke arena succes boeken 'are careful to portray themselves in ways that suggest they are not radically challenging traditional gender roles' (p. 95), uitgezonderd een kleine schare van feministen (Eickelman & Piscatori, 1996). Traditionele cultuuridealen met betrekking tot het gezin en de moederrol behouden dus hun aureool van authenticiteit, hoewel ze in de praktijk op nieuwe wijzen geı¨nterpreteerd en gepraktiseerd worden (Camilleri, 1973;Eickelman, 1978;Mernissi, 1985).…”