Teaching and Learning > PROJECTS
Supporting cultural and religious diversity:
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I find out the dates and significance of holy days and religious festivals so that I can accommodate the needs of students from diverse cultural backgrounds?
- See http://www.support4learning.org.uk/religious_calendars/religious_calendars.cfm. The left hand column - 'religious calendars on-line' - enables you to choose from series of resources. The first one, produced by City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, can be printed off as a wall chart. However, it does not indicate which days need to be 'no work days' for members of different traditions. The resource produced by the 'East of England Faith's Council' provides this information and can be found at http://www.eefaithscouncil.org.uk/calen.htm
- The right hand column is also worth your attention - 'religious resources online'.
- A calendar of religious festivals can be ordered from http://www.shap.org/calendar.php - 'The Shap Calendar of Religious Festivals'.
2. I feel uneasy that the content of the course I teach (e.g. psychology, philosophy etc.) reflects a western understanding of the subject matter rather than the cultural backgrounds of my students. Should I adapt the course content to accommodate a broader range of cultural perspectives?
- New legislation has recently been introduced which has given rise to concerns, and some uncertainty, about implications for the curriculum. The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, introduced in response to the Employment Directive, outlaws discrimination on grounds of religion or belief in employment and vocational training. While this will have implications for students engaged in work-based learning, there is no consensus as to whether it applies to academic study more broadly. For further information about this legislation, we suggest that you visit http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1258
- Nevertheless, there is a strong argument to be made
that course content ought to be(come) more culturally inclusive. This, however,
is not without problems. For instance, learning a range of cultural perspectives
about a particular subject might not reflect the knowledge base that students
need to acquire in order to work in specific contexts. Our questionnaire
respondents replied with some useful tips:
- Stress that the course content reflects a western perspective and welcome comparative and contrasting views from students wherever possible.
- With respect to teaching evolutionary theory, try to illustrate to students that this theory is not necessarily incompatible with religious perspectives on creation.
- Avoid using the word 'we' when discussing examples as this suggests that there is one viewpoint to which everyone subscribes.
- Mix students from different cultural backgrounds in the classroom setting so that they can learn from each other.
3. I am concerned that some of the content of my course involves culturally or politically sensitive issues (e.g. sex/sexuality, terrorism, evolutionary theory, dissection of animals). How do I deal with this?
- Ask student their views beforehand.
- Make it possible for students to opt out of sections of the course if necessary (e.g. dissection, watching videos with sexual content).
- Avoid topics during particularly politically sensitive periods. One institution issued guidelines to all staff not to discuss terrorism and the Middle East in the build up to the Iraq war.
- Staff must approach such difficult issues with sensitivity and knowledge. There is a need to for staff to be more informed about cultural and religious diversity.
4. Academic study ought to be critical and reflexive. At what level is it appropriate to challenge the cultural attitudes of students (e.g. sex, gender, political views linked to religion etc.)?
- This is an aspect of academic study which our respondents felt unwilling to compromise. One way of handling it is to stress that there are divergent opinions on different topics and that from an academic perspective it is important to be aware of these. Awareness of diverse views can also make one's own position stronger - one needs to be able to withstand critique. The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 also raises issues here (see faq 1 above).
5. I could really do with help to avoid giving offense to students from diverse cultural backgrounds. I feel ignorant about significant cultural beliefs and practices (e.g. attitudes towards food, alcohol, sex, dress, male-female relationships).
- The PRS-subject centre is in the process of developing
a series of resources to assist colleagues.
- Developing on-line search engine to answer specific questions about cultural and religious diversity.
- Producing a series of case studies that illustrate situations and how they were dealt with.
- Developing a module for staff training on cultural and religious diversity.
- Running a series of focus groups with students to canvas their needs and concerns.
6. I am aware that some students in my class are uncomfortable with the main styles of teaching used in the UK. They have problems with group work and are less likely to ask questions or challenge the view of the teacher. What shall I do?
- We are in the process of putting together an annotated bibliography of academic articles that discuss, as well as critically assess, the issue of divergent teaching styles according to cultural context. This will be made available on our website. Our respondents also suggested that it is important to find out from international students what teaching styles they are used to and how staff can make it easier for them to get used to the British method. One-to-one sessions at the beginning of a module would enable colleagues to gather student views. Problems arise when students are 'thrown in at the deep end' and have no opportunity to adjust. Our respondents indicated a lack of knowledge about teaching styles in other countries.
7. We have difficulties encouraging some of our students to attend social events. Could this be due to food and alcohol restrictions imposed by their religions? How should we deal with this?
- Our respondents indicated that they had organized social events that were 'alcohol free' and that they liaised closely with catering staff to ensure that food was clearly labeled according to different religious restrictions. See http://www.etiquetteinternational.com/Articles/TableOfferings.aspx - "Taboo Table Offerings: The Intricacies of Intercultural Menu Planning" for a brief discussion of different cultural attitudes towards food and alcohol.
8. Some forms of clothing worn for religious and cultural reasons cause problems in the teaching environment and in work placements (e.g. due to health and safety regulations). What should I do?
- See 4.10, p.23 of ACAS guide to new Employment Equality (religion and belief) legislation at ACAS guide on Religion and Belief in the workplace.
This page was originally on the website of The Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies. It was transfered here following the closure of the Subject Centre at the end of 2011.
