Violence and Extremism (1)

8/3/2019 Violence and Extremism (1)

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Violence and Extremism Violence and Extremism

LynnLynnDaviesDavies

Centre forCentre for

InternationalInternationalEducation &Education &ResearchResearch


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Educating AgainstEducating Against

ExtremismExtremismT rentham, 2008T rentham, 2008

Nature of extremism

Nature of extremismIdentity, joining and leavingIdentity, joining and leaving

Segregation, faith schoolsSegregation, faith schools

Justice, revenge and honourJustice, revenge and honourFree speech, offence and humourFree speech, offence and humourT owards critical idealismT owards critical idealism


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B ackground of extremistsB ackground of extremists

Can be highly educatedCan be highly educatedPreference for absolutism, singularPreference for absolutism, singulartruths, polar differencestruths, polar differencesSense of mission and unique place inSense of mission and unique place inthisthis

Religious/political justificationReligious/political justificationDrawn into a brotherhood Drawn into a brotherhood T errorists are altruists, not criminalsT errorists are altruists, not criminals


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Educational alternativesEducational alternatives

Comfort with ambiguity andComfort with ambiguity andprovisionalityprovisionality

Acceptance that political and religious Acceptance that political and religiousleaders may have got it wrongleaders may have got it wrongBut not a relativist stanceBut not a relativist stance

N eed for a value systemN eed for a value systemBut a value system which can beBut a value system which can becritiquedcritiqued


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I ssues relating to faithI ssues relating to faith

schoolsschoolsLocking in of cultural identityLocking in of cultural identity

Promotion of belief system as superiorPromotion of belief system as superiorDisposition to favour others with sameDisposition to favour others with samedevotional orientationdevotional orientationExclusionary beliefs very powerful,Exclusionary beliefs very powerful,especially for the youngespecially for the youngT herefore a need for critical reflectionT herefore a need for critical reflectionon doctrinal errors (e.g. defence of on doctrinal errors (e.g. defence of slavery)slavery)


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T oleranceT olerance

T olerance is a negative value (we onlyT olerance is a negative value (we onlytolerate things we don t like or believetolerate things we don t like or believein)in)If we are less judgemental, do we slipIf we are less judgemental, do we slipinto moral indifference?into moral indifference?Distinction between beliefs and actionsDistinction between beliefs and actionsin terms of tolerancein terms of toleranceT herefore we need a means to knowT herefore we need a means to knowwhat to disrespect what to disrespect


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T he myth of equal valueT he myth of equal value

Modern multifaith education tries to teachModern multifaith education tries to teachthat all faiths are equal and not inthat all faiths are equal and not incompetitioncompetitionBut this is hypocritical and untrueBut this is hypocritical and untrueUnlike cultural identities, religious identitiesUnlike cultural identities, religious identitiesare exclusive, not able to be overlaid orare exclusive, not able to be overlaid orhave parts exchangedhave parts exchangedT o present the view that religions are inT o present the view that religions are inharmony is to presuppose that they are allharmony is to presuppose that they are allgoodgoodSo R.E. should look at claims to truth , past So R.E. should look at claims to truth , past

wrongs in the name of religion, and alsowrongs in the name of religion, and alsoreligion alongside other ideological systemsreligion alongside other ideological systems


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I s education meaninglessI s education meaninglesswithout a religiouswithout a religiousdimension?dimension?

View that religion has a concept of human View that religion has a concept of humandignity and worth that exceeds any seculardignity and worth that exceeds any secular

account (in spite of UDHR)account (in spite of UDHR)Radical Islam teaches that there is no suchRadical Islam teaches that there is no suchthing as morality in Islamthing as morality in Islam simply what simply what

Allah taught. Allah taught.View that secularism is a moral vacuum View that secularism is a moral vacuum Contemporary curriculum (such as sexContemporary curriculum (such as sexeducation) seen as immoral and devoid of education) seen as immoral and devoid of

responsibilityresponsibility


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C itizenship educationC itizenship education

dilemmasdilemmas Citizenship education is both the Citizenship education is both thepromotion of (assumed) commonpromotion of (assumed) commonvalues (freedom, responsibility,values (freedom, responsibility,honesty), irrespective of class, sex,honesty), irrespective of class, sex,gender, ethnicity, cultural and religiongender, ethnicity, cultural and religion

and, at the same time, is about and, at the same time, is about encouraging young people acquire theencouraging young people acquire theskills to question and evaluate values skills to question and evaluate values (Watson 2004)(Watson 2004)


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N ationalistic values?N ationalistic values?

T eaching national curriculum andT eaching national curriculum andculture can (as in Occupied Palestine)culture can (as in Occupied Palestine)provide confidenceprovide confidenceBut promoting Britishness is actuallyBut promoting Britishness is actuallymore divisive than cohesive: what ismore divisive than cohesive: what isdistinctive about British values?distinctive about British values?Patriotism can promote civic illiteracy Patriotism can promote civic illiteracy and uncritical support for government and uncritical support for government


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R ights R espectingR ights R especting

Schools (U NIC EF)Schools (U NIC EF)Developed in N ova Scotia and UK Developed in N ova Scotia and UK Premised on U N Convention on the Rights of Premised on U N Convention on the Rights of the Child as basis for all school lifethe Child as basis for all school life

All children, teachers, parents and ancillary All children, teachers, parents and ancillarystaff learn about the conventionstaff learn about the conventionT

eaching/learning methods andT

eaching/learning methods andrelationships match thisrelationships match this Active participation in decision Active participation in decision- -makingmakingEmphasis on working for changeEmphasis on working for change


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W hy does it work?W hy does it work?

It It appealsappeals toto children schildren s self self--interest interest II t connects them to children everywheret connects them to children everywhereIt It derivesderives fromfrom aa higherhigher authorityauthority (all(all but but 22of of thethe world sworld s nations)nations) andand isis not not simplysimply thetheschool sschool s rulesrules / / missionmission statement)statement)

It It linkslinks toto what what enablesenables peoplepeople toto learnlearnDoes not give permanent behaviouralDoes not give permanent behaviouralidentitiesidentities


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W hy does it work? (2)W hy does it work? (2)

Use of U N CRC avoids moral or culturalUse of U N CRC avoids moral or culturalrelativism; knowing what is a right and what relativism; knowing what is a right and what

isn t isn t Realisation of conflicting rights promotesRealisation of conflicting rights promoteshigher order thinking and reasoning skillshigher order thinking and reasoning skillsChanges teacher behaviourChanges teacher behaviour

Research shows adolescents in RRSs haveResearch shows adolescents in RRSs havehigher self higher self--esteem, greater participationesteem, greater participationContagion effect: learning about own rightsContagion effect: learning about own rightsresults in support for rights of othersresults in support for rights of others


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R ights and cultureR ights and culture

N eed to learn about cultures orN eed to learn about cultures or diversity as it affects rights, not as diversity as it affects rights, not asstereotypical propertiesstereotypical propertiesa) when rights of a group are infringeda) when rights of a group are infringedb) when the rights of others areb) when the rights of others areinfringed in the name of a culture orinfringed in the name of a culture orreligionreligion


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C ritical idealismC ritical idealism

Answer to extremism is not moderation , but Answer to extremism is not moderation , but a highly critical and informed idealism. T hisa highly critical and informed idealism. T his

needs 5 types of criticality in education :needs 5 types of criticality in education :1. political education including conflict studies,1. political education including conflict studies,

comparative religion, noncomparative religion, non- -nationalisticnationalisticcitizenship educationcitizenship education - - critical scholarshipcritical scholarship

2. Understanding of rights and responsibilities2. Understanding of rights and responsibilities--critical (dis)respect critical (dis)respect


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C ritical idealism (2)C ritical idealism (2)

3 . Skills to weigh up alternative ideals3 . Skills to weigh up alternative idealsand means to pursue themand means to pursue them criticalcriticalthinkingthinking

4. T he acceptance that ideals should be4. T he acceptance that ideals should beprovisionalprovisional critical doubt critical doubt

5. T he acceptance that ideals and their5. T he acceptance that ideals and theirholders may be mockedholders may be mocked criticalcriticallightnesslightness


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Caf joke after unsuccessful

attack on Saddam HussainFollowing the attack, the Iraqi

Information M inister has summoned allSaddam s body doubles to a meeting totell them:

T he good news is that our belovedleader has survived, so you all still have

jobs. T he bad news is that he has lost an arm .

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Violence and Extremism (1)