Event information
Muslim Identity and Muslimness Nurtured through Nonformal and Informal Education in Tanzania
Venue – Hybrid. Information on how to attend can be found in the order confirmation email
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About the event
This event is part of the School of Education's Bristol Conversations in Education research seminar series. These seminars are free and open to the public.
Host: Language, Literacies and Education Network (LLEN) and Centre for Comparative and International Research in Education (CIRE)
Speaker: Nozomi Sakata (Associate Professor, Hiroshima University)
Muslim Identity and Muslimness Nurtured through Nonformal and Informal Education in Tanzania
The increasing interconnectedness and interdependency between global and local have extended into nonformal and informal educational spaces, including religious education. The present research explores the global-local nexus of pedagogy in contemporary madrasas and communities in Tanzania.
Taking two rural regions in Tanzania as cases, it qualitatively examines to what extent and how everyday teaching at madrasas and homes may embody influences of globalised education policies. In so doing, it focuses on the way Muslim communities nurture children’s identity as Muslims, as well as their Muslimness. Semi-structured interviews with 36 Muslim participants demonstrated an amalgamation of localisation, contextualisation and globalisation, which are intricately connected.
The accounts of the participants indicated their pursuit of Islamic teaching in their own way, with a substantial emphasis on everyday practices as Muslims, such as praying, dressing and singing over memorisation or recitation. Islamic pedagogical approaches have been shaped by Nyerere’s (Tanzania’s first president after independence) philosophy and emphasise practical over traditional instruction.
The participants’ national identity and religious identity – in this case, Muslim identity – are thus inextricably woven together, suggesting a syncretic fusion where Islam and local traditions blend. These fusions create local distinctions, differentiated from Middle East practices, and show Islam’s multiplicity, which then challenges a Western perception of Islam as universal and homogenous. Here, the participants’ Muslim identity intersects with Tanzanian history and produces a Muslimness that is integrated with national identity.
Biographical details:
Nozomi Sakata is an Associate Professor at Hiroshima University’s IDEC Institute, specialising in Comparative and International Education. She holds a PhD in Education and International Development from University College London and an MA in Anthropology and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research focuses on educational policy reform and pedagogy in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. She explores learner-centred and alternative pedagogical frameworks through qualitative approaches, aiming to bridge global education policies with local practices.