Understanding – Demystifying stereotypes
Figure 1: Faith Painting (Saatchiart, 2021).
I love this ‘Faith Painting’ by Dana Andreea’s from Saatchiart (fig. 1). Our colours and varying identities create who we are. The cultures and experiences of life that intertwine but also paves way for systemic discrimination and misrepresentations.
Society can paint communities with one single brush, however, there lies an array of identities and cultures that overlap as highlighted throughout the entire paper by Crenshaw (2013).
Due to the impact of my personal experience I try to embrace my multi – faceted identities of my students. Creating improved methods taking into consideration other intersections, such as socio-economic impacts, demographics, race, faith and gender this will bring clarity and an understanding of the role of religion. This is supported by Mayrl and Oeur (2009, p.13.)
Revising the curriculum is a way that could reflect an understanding of religious and faith beliefs and how this impacts intersectionality. The data below (fig.2) indicates that we have students from seven known religious and faith backgrounds which equates to 28.9% of students. 10.7% would rather not say, 2.3% unknown and 58% no religion.
Figure 2: Religion data college wide from Dashboard 2024 – 2025. (UAL,2025)
We often pride ourselves of creating a good student experience that we forget about nurturing holistic development this is also shared by Maryl and Oeur (2009, p.1).
There is a clear divide between operations and the institution. The University attempts to create two categories religious or no religion. The curriculum is geared to the majority – no religion. What about the minority? This concern is shared by Mayrl and Oeur (2009, p.13.) and reports this is up for further debate.
Marginalisation comes to mind.
Should we not be recognising our students with all their interactive identities formed and forming?
It is our duty as Simran Jeet Singh suggested to challenge stereotypes and engage with differences constructively. (Trinity University, 2016)
My role
Diversifying learning methods, discussions and resources, offering different perspectives will encourage student agency. I have learnt through this unit that embracing intersectionality builds communities of change, but how do I do this.
Re – occurring theme
A re – occurring theme of leading by example and gaining a deeper understanding of intersectional identities is a thread that is woven throughout.
The idea of leading by example was highlighted in the reading from Ramadan,2021 where the (MWAs) Muslim Women Academics in UK universities used their faith to challenge stereotypes and lead by example. (Ramadan,2022, p.2.)
This could be regarded as using their faith to draw attention to negative responses, to climb the ladder or a form of tokenism. (Ramadan,2022, p.2.) I referred to this in my previous blog, this is also supported by Crenshaw (1991, p.22) and mentioned as disempowering.
Reflection
I reflected on a female Muslim student who informed me that they wanted to book an academic support tutorial with myself or one of my non-white colleagues for we could relate to their challenges and their cultural identities. Arguably, this could be fulfilling a stereotype, for I may be a woman of colour, my understanding can still be limited due to my socio-economic background, my own religious preferences or my other identities. Everyone is looking to be understood.
I may not always get it right, nevertheless my aim is to keep trying to demystify the stereotypes and to embrace different brushstrokes of all identities to exist within a greater masterpiece of equity and equality.
References
Crenshaw, K.W., 2013. Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of colour. In The public nature of private violence (p.22). Routledge.
Mayrl, D. and Oeur, F., 2009. Religion and higher education: Current knowledge and directions for future research. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 48(2), p.13
Ramadan, I., 2022. When faith intersects with gender: The challenges and successes in the experiences of Muslim women academics. Gender and Education, 34(1), pp.33-48.
Trinity University. (2016). Challenging Race, Religion, and Stereotypes in Classroom. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CAOKTo_DOk [Accessed 14 May 2025].
Image References
Figure:1
Saatchiart (2021). Saatchiart.com Dana Andreea Faith Painting. [online] Saatchi Art. Available at: https://www.saatchiart.com/en-gb/art/Painting-Faith/1011883/8666227/view [Accessed 14 May 2025].
Figure: 2
UAL (n.d.). Active Dashboard. [online] UAL. Available at: https://dashboards.arts.ac.uk/dashboard/ActiveDashboards/DashboardPage.aspx?dashboardid=5c6bb274-7645-4500-bb75-7e334f68ff24&dashcontextid=63868148628299205 [Accessed 25 Apr. 2025].
Your point on nurturing holistic development really resonated with me and made me think about how I teach in my role. I feel as a technician I am often so focussed on teaching a complex technical skill, and making sure students do things ‘properly’, that I often do not consider holistic development, and how this links to religion and beliefs.
As you say, many students are still forming their identities and realising what is important to them and what their beliefs are, therefore it is important to support this development alongside academic development.
It was interesting to read your reflection and learn about how you have experienced this topic in your role, especially in relation to intersectionality. I can see why students may want to speak to people who they believe have had similar experiences to them, and while it could be stereotyping, I think it demonstrates how important representation is. It should not be underestimated how valuable it is for students to see people like them in a variety of roles throughout the university.
Thanks for your comments Rosa. Yes for sure you are right representation is really important regarding students development and support within the institution whichever mode that may be executed.
I think we are all in some way still developing our own identities and seeing where we belong in this complex society. Exercising empathy is paramount irrespective of our religion or beliefs.
What a great example, using Dana Andreea’s Faith Painting from Saatchi Art to show the complexity of cultures and faith that come together but can also lead to discrimination and misrepresentation. This is something I reflected on in my blog post too. There are no easy answers, but being more aware of intersectionality, in both our own identity and our students’, is key, as you highlight.
I also found the example of the student asking for a non-white member of staff very meaningful. It made me reflect on my own positionality as a white tutor, how this might be perceived, and the assumptions students may carry about us, justified or not. It shows the importance of trust, empathy, and openness in our work.
Yes you are right there are no easy answers but we can only try and make a difference using the power and resources that we have. I have learnt a lot from our discussions and the research material explored about intersectionality, empathy comes to mind constantly. Without this there would be no understanding or respect towards any of our identities.
This is a really thoughtful and considered post. Your exploration of the role that faith, religion, and belief play within the broader framework of intersectionality highlights an important and often under-examined aspect of equity in higher education. The way you connect personal reflection with theoretical frameworks—particularly drawing on Crenshaw, Mayrl and Oeur, and Ramadan—adds depth and clarity to your argument here.
Your observations about institutional binaries around religion, and how these can contribute to the marginalisation of students with faith-based identities, are especially relevant. The emphasis on curriculum development as a site for inclusive practice is well-placed, and your reflection on student interactions brings to life the nuance and complexity involved in fostering genuinely inclusive learning environments.
I also appreciate your engagement with the idea of representation—acknowledging both its value and its limitations. Your commitment to ongoing learning and leading through practice feels particularly resonant in the context of staff responsibility for shaping equitable student experiences. This post offers a valuable contribution to the wider conversation about intersectionality and inclusion in academic settings.
Thank you for your comments Rory. I totally agree that as staff we have a responsibility for shaping student experiences. I can recall back to my educational encounters and teachers that left a real impact on me and my learning journey both negatively and positively. We are in a most powerful position where we can make differences to our students experience. The exploration of intersectionality is complex and has many layers and all are valuable and creates the individual. This all refers back to what Claudia says about trust, empathy and openness when working with students and colleagues alike.