Locating meanings in young Muslims' lived experience at schools in Christchurch, New Zealand ...

378 Pages·2015·2.19 MB·English

by  Erin Loo

Go, and you will return: Locating meanings in young Muslims’ lived experience
at schools in Christchurch, New Zealand via an adapted IPA method
influenced by Ramadanian philosophies (IPA-R).

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
University of Canterbury
Christchurch, New Zealand

Erin WH Loo

Dept of Human Services & Social Work
School of Linguistics, Arts & Political Sciences
2015

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Acknowledgements
The completion of this thesis would not be possible if not for the support and guidance from my
two supervisors, Dr Andrew Frost and Associate Professor Mike Grimshaw. I truly appreciate
everything that was done by both to make it possible for me to complete this thesis. The
combination of Andrew’s knowledge of social work practice and theories and Mike’s expertise in
religious studies have certainly given me the best of both worlds. I am also deeply appreciative of
the pastoral care from my Oral Chair, Associate Professor Kate van Heugten. The constant
encouragements and kind words made the end stage worthwhile.
I acknowledge too the contributions of my past supervisors, particularly for the peer-review
process: Dr Hazel Ashton and Dr Annabel Taylor.
I thank also the following persons who have helped make this study possible:
Dr Mohammad Alayan and wife, Dr Maysoon Salama, Dr Park Hong-Jae and wife, Ustaz Mohd.
Erfino Johari (Director of Education Malaysia-New Zealand), Ahmed Al-Noory, Akram
Alamoudi, Anas Sedayo, Dr David Giles and Dr Alison Loveridge.
My unofficial baby-sitter: Zoe O’Flaherty #peanutbutterfrappe #raspberrycoke
My supportive bff - Joyce Ng #MAS #USJ13
Zuliyanti Ainul & Rabia Ijaz - for the help in the last few crazy days #bigthankyou

And the many others – fellow postgraduate and Malaysian students at UC and Lincoln, and friends
in Room 329, especially Simon, Birian, Andrea, Hong, Khan, Rosa, Joe and Lizzie: know that I
have enjoyed the friendship and care.

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I also acknowledge the grant awarded by the BRCSS Committee (Building Research Capability in
the Social Sciences) under the PhD Entry Level Award (New Settlers Network) for this study.

For:
Trixie: mummy will always hold your hand #otters #purplelotus
Megan: there’s a place where I’ll see your face again #withhope
My late father, sisters, mum, and large extended family

My participants who not only shared their stories with me, welcomed me into their homes, but
was there for me, again and again and again…and told me not to give up as Allah knows best
when is the best time. Thank you so much. Shukran.

All that stayed, much gratitude and love, x.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Chapter One - Introduction ........................................................................................................... 11
1.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................... 11
1.2 My PhD journey .................................................................................................................... 11
1.3 Introduction and Idea Conception ........................................................................................ 14
1.4 Aims and significance of study .............................................................................................. 19
1.5 Research question ................................................................................................................. 21
1.6 Islamic Epistemology ............................................................................................................. 21
1.7 Taking the qualitative approach ........................................................................................... 26
1.8 Relevance of thesis topic ...................................................................................................... 29
1.9 Islam: An overview ................................................................................................................ 35
1.9.1 The five pillars of Islam and the six articles of faith ...................................................... 39
1.9.2 Meaning (makna) and intention (niat) in Islam ............................................................ 40
1.10 Muslims in New Zealand ....................................................................................................... 41
1.11 Locating my research within the context of lived experience .............................................. 43
1.12 Summary and Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 47
1.13 Structure of thesis ................................................................................................................. 48
1.14 A note on the terms and spelling used in this thesis ............................................................ 49
2. Chapter Two - Literature Review .................................................................................................. 51
2.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 51
2.2 Overview of school social work practice ............................................................................... 56
2.3 Limited literature on school social work practice ................................................................. 59
2.4 Models in practice ................................................................................................................. 60
2.4.1 A New Zealand example................................................................................................ 63
2.5 The 4A’s approach for school social work intervention ........................................................ 64
2.6 Social Workers in Schools (SWiS), New Zealand - Background ............................................. 67
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2.6.1 Overview of SWiS services ............................................................................................ 67
2.6.2 SWiS – Models of practice ............................................................................................ 68
2.7 Summary ............................................................................................................................... 69
2.8 Young Western Muslims at school........................................................................................ 70
2.8.1 An approach of counterstory narratives ....................................................................... 71
2.8.1.1 A courageous awakening .......................................................................................... 72
2.8.1.2 ‘Textbook Muslims’ ................................................................................................... 74
2.8.1.3 Multiple selves and fluid identities ........................................................................... 75
2.8.1.4 Islamophobia ............................................................................................................. 76
2.8.1.5 Guilty by association ................................................................................................. 78
2.8.1.6 Coping mechanisms .................................................................................................. 79
2.8.1.7 Stressors .................................................................................................................... 81
2.9 Summary ............................................................................................................................... 83
2.10 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 84
3. Chapter Three - Theoretical Framework ....................................................................................... 86
3.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 86
3.2 Being and the formation of a Western Muslim identity ....................................................... 91
3.2.1 Ramadan on ijtihad (critical reasoning) ........................................................................ 93
3.2.2 Freedom, meaning and truth ........................................................................................ 99
3.2.3 Ramadan’s ‘clash of perceptions’ ............................................................................... 101
3.3 ‘Space of testimony’ (dar al-shahada) ................................................................................ 102
3.3.1 Ramadan’s philosophy of pluralism ............................................................................ 105
3.3.2 Ramadan’s framework of reconciliation ..................................................................... 105
3.4 Summary ............................................................................................................................. 107
3.5 Making sense of the sensemaking approach to data analysis ............................................ 108
3.5.1 The sensemakers ......................................................................................................... 113
3.6 Sensemaking ....................................................................................................................... 116
3.7 Ramadan’s applied ijtihad (2009) as a tool to make sense of young Muslims’ meaning-
making 123
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3.7.1 Ramadan’s applied ijtihad and Park’s meaning-making model (MMM) .................... 126
3.7.2 How do I read Tariq Ramadan? ................................................................................... 128
3.8 Summary and Conclusion ................................................................................................... 131
4. Chapter Four - Methodology ...................................................................................................... 134
4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 134
4.1.1 The departure from traditional IPA to an IPA approach influenced by Ramadanian
philosophies (IPA-R) .................................................................................................................... 135
4.2 Method selection ................................................................................................................ 142
4.2.1 A qualitative approach for social work research ........................................................ 142
4.3 Phenomenology .................................................................................................................. 146
4.4 Helmut Wagner’s (1983) Phenomenology of consciousness and sociology of the life-world
147
4.5 The Idiographic Focus ......................................................................................................... 150
4.6 Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) ................................................................ 151
4.7 Ethics Approval ................................................................................................................... 154
4.7.1 Cultural Advisor ........................................................................................................... 155
4.7.2 Risks and benefits, confidentiality and privacy issues ................................................ 156
4.7.3 Translation of information sheet/consent forms into Arabic and engagement of Arabic
translator157
4.8 Sample selection and size ................................................................................................... 158
4.8.1 Gatekeepers ................................................................................................................ 163
4.8.2 Recruitment of participants (inclusion and exclusion criteria) ................................... 165
4.8.2.1 Test/pilot participant .............................................................................................. 165
4.8.2.2 Research participants .............................................................................................. 167
4.9 Data collection: the semi-structured in-depth interviews .................................................. 169
4.9.1 Seidman’s (2013) three steps interviews .................................................................... 173
4.10 Data transcription and rounds of analysis .......................................................................... 174
4.10.1 Data transcription ....................................................................................................... 175
4.10.1.1 Data Translation .................................................................................................. 176
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4.10.2 Declaring my interests ................................................................................................ 179
4.11 Data analysis ....................................................................................................................... 179
4.11.1 The peer review process ............................................................................................. 181
4.12 The issue of trustworthiness and rigour in an IPA study .................................................... 182
4.13 Summary and Conclusion ................................................................................................... 185
5. Chapter Five - Reflections on participants and informal engagement ....................................... 191
5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 191
5.2 Fariz ..................................................................................................................................... 193
5.3 Hakeem ............................................................................................................................... 200
5.4 Imran ................................................................................................................................... 205
5.5 Hanna .................................................................................................................................. 208
5.6 Sureen ................................................................................................................................. 213
5.7 Zul ........................................................................................................................................ 219
5.8 Aleesya ................................................................................................................................ 223
5.9 Summary and Conclusion ................................................................................................... 227
6. Chapter Six - Findings .................................................................................................................. 228
6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 228
6.2 Striving for istiqamah .......................................................................................................... 230
6.2.1 Striving for istiqamah in the social realm ................................................................... 232
6.2.1.1 Parties/Alcohol/Drugs ............................................................................................. 232
6.2.1.2 Gender relations ..................................................................................................... 234
6.2.1.3 Peer pressure .......................................................................................................... 236
6.2.2 Striving for istiqamah in personal realm ..................................................................... 236
6.2.2.1 Prayers/Fasting/Religious obligations ..................................................................... 236
6.2.2.2 Modesty/Headscarf ................................................................................................ 240
6.2.2.3 Projecting the good image of Islam ........................................................................ 241
6.3 Locating a sense of belonging ............................................................................................. 242
6.3.1 Locating a sense of belonging via personal efforts ..................................................... 243
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6.3.2 Locating a sense of belonging via the actions of others ............................................. 253
6.4 Normalizing self .................................................................................................................. 258
6.5 Summary and Conclusion ................................................................................................... 269
7. Chapter Seven - Discussion ......................................................................................................... 272
7.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 272
7.2 Overall summary of key findings......................................................................................... 273
7.3 Striving for istiqamah- acts of everyday ijtihad .................................................................. 277
7.4 Locating a sense of belonging: pathways to inclusion and well-being ............................... 286
7.5 ‘Normalizing self’ – braving encounters of difference ........................................................ 298
7.6 Research questions ............................................................................................................. 304
7.7 Implications for practice and policies - Utilizing the 4A’s model of school social work
practice with young Western Muslims ........................................................................................... 308
7.8 Summary and Conclusion ................................................................................................... 312
8. Chapter Eight - Conclusions ........................................................................................................ 315
8.1 Background ......................................................................................................................... 315
8.2 Synthesizing the study ........................................................................................................ 315
8.3 Reflections: the three selves in research ............................................................................ 317
8.3.1 The researcher self ...................................................................................................... 318
8.3.2 The personal self ......................................................................................................... 320
8.3.3 The situational self ...................................................................................................... 321
8.4 Broader implications for relevant practice and policies ..................................................... 322
8.4.1 Implications for young Western Muslims at school in New Zealand .......................... 322
8.5 Limitations of this study ...................................................................................................... 325
8.5.1 Recommendations for future research ....................................................................... 327
8.6 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 327
8.7 Positioning statement ......................................................................................................... 328
References .......................................................................................................................................... 330
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Appendix 1: Additional information on Islam ..................................................................................... 354
Appendix 2: Queries from Human Ethics Committee (HEC) ............................................................... 357
Appendix 3: HEC Application – Reply to queries ................................................................................ 362
Appendix 4: Role of a Cultural Advisor ............................................................................................... 367
Appendix 5a: Guardian / Parent Information Sheet and Consent Form ............................................ 368
Appendix 5b: Child Participant Consent Form .................................................................................... 371
Appendix 6a: Child Consent Form (Arabic) ......................................................................................... 373
Appendix 6b: Information Sheet (Arabic) ........................................................................................... 374
Appendix 7: Semi-structured Interview schedule ............................................................................... 377

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Abstract
This thesis explored the lived experience of Muslim students in schools in Christchurch, New
Zealand; how they made sense of their experience and the meanings they placed on it, and
their coping strategies. Its central argument is that young Western Muslims engage in a
highly personalized version of everyday ijtihad in managing their social affairs within their
everyday encounters of a secularised environment. For this group of participants, their acts of
sensemaking helped them construct meaning frameworks in building their social identity. As
the findings of this study suggest, this identity is constantly shaped and re-shaped along
dimensions of time and space. It is a result of individual awakenings that find synergy within
their own critical reasoning, a form of everyday ijtihad. The use of an adapted IPA method
influenced by Ramadanian philosophies (IPA-R) was necessary to enable the exploration of
the participants’ Muslim consciousness while the small sample size made it possible to study
the personal experiences of a group of young Muslims from an idiographic approach. A
limitation of this study stemmed from the constraints of member-checking that was
substituted with the peer-review process. This study conceptualized that understanding
young Muslims’ sensemaking and meaning-making is part of inclusive practice and within
the broader context, suggests that the IPA-R approach is a solution to the ‘textbook Muslims’
approach.

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