Religion, the public sphere and higher education

Professor Craig Calhoun, London School of Economics and Political Science

 ‘Discussion of different ‘non-binary’ sexual and gender identities is growing on universities campuses. Liberating for some students, it is unsettling for others.’ 

I found this line particularly interesting as I have never before wondered what a person of authority in Christian faith (as an example) would say about people identifying as non-binary. This strikes me as my own ignorance coming to light and certainly aligns with the religious illiteracy and compartmentalisation expanded on in this paper. 

‘Gender and sexuality are challenging issues for universities that struggle to combine respect for religion with clarity that a lack of respect or denigration based on gender or sexuality cannot be countenanced.’

I think this point is key and core to the conversation around intersectionality. It seems apparent that universities are unable to effectively communicate a message around sexuality, gender and religion that is cohesive and unifying. 

“The point is that members of minorities may need some level of in-group solidarity and recognition as a basis for extending themselves into wider relations. Despite this, it is common for casual observers to criticise the self-segregation of minorities and not of majorities.”

This particular excerpt reminds me of the Shades Of Noir case study, which highlighted a member of staff’s failing to intervene and prevent dissociative and marginalised segregation of students which formed during a lecture breakout session. I think I need a bit more time to process and re-read this excerpt so that I can get an idea about what I can promote in my role, and to my colleagues, to help recognise different situational self-segregation and to champion in-group solidarity. 

“In this as in other aspects of academic life – such as our images of how to teach which are almost always more heavily influenced by how we were taught than by research – all of us are products of our youth. We update our knowledge in our areas of specialism more than we update our tacit understanding of other aspects of social life, such as the religious life of our students”

It was interesting to hear an honest view of how many teachers teach, in such a way which is so heavily inspired by how they were taught. My experience of my teaching developing has been a recognition of where and how I have been taught, and where I can move away from aspects which were discriminatory, inappropriate and marginalising. It has also led me to become acutely aware that teachers are not just educators, but should be able to empower students no matter their background or ability, rather than holding a mirror and acting as a role model to be duplicated in a very narrow sense.