Religious identity is often discussed in isolation, yet it rarely exists alone. Faith is deeply entwined with race, gender and socioeconomic status. With each layer shaping how individuals experience belonging, bias, and representation. The resources provided explore these intersections, offering insights for educators striving to create inclusive environments.
I think Kwame’s TED Talk Appiah, K. A. (2014) was an interesting way to highlight how intersections occur outside of Western societies. Bringing in the history of the separation of religion and science in Europe as a foundation was a strong way to guide the audience through the Western framing of ‘religion’ as a ‘thing’ or tangible, physical presence. This helped me reflect on how dominant narratives shape understanding, and served as a reminder that people’s intersecting backgrounds influence how knowledge is constructed and shared.
In my own teaching context, this is particularly important. UAL hosts a diverse student body, and the inclusivity of learning materials has a direct impact on engagement (University of the Arts London (UAL), 2024). Recognising my own positionality, as a white, working-class man from the Midlands, helps me understand that I may unconsciously select references that align with my own experiences. As such, intentional choices are necessary to counteract this bias. As Choudrey (2016) notes, the lack of visibility for minority students negatively affects their performance and contributes to attainment gaps. GIRES’s guidance reinforces this, highlighting that identities are “complicated and layered,” and that inclusivity requires awareness of how culture and faith shape experiences. These readings have helped me reflect upon the importance of my own bias’s, it has helped to underline the responsibility I hold to create equitable learning spaces.
Jaclyn Reki’s article Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice (2023) frames religious marginalisation through the lens of intersectionality. Reki argues that religious individuals, especially those from minority faiths, often face epistemic injustice (Reki, J., 2023). This occurs when individuals are dismissed as credible knowers because of their identity. Reki highlights how Muslim women, for instance, face layered misrecognition, not only due to their gender and race, but also because their religious practices (e.g., wearing the hijab) are misread as signs of oppression or irrationality. These intersections multiply the burden of misrepresentation, often silencing voices before they can speak. This idea of epistemic injustice was very new to me in all honesty, my work as a technician doesn’t often see a cross over to speaking/discussing the faith of students or staff. Through these readings however I can see how the idea of epistemic injustice has much farther reaching consequences than I noticed before starting this module.
Homa Jawad’s article Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women highlights how faith, gender and race intersect to shape the lived experiences of visibly Muslim women in sport, often placing them in a space of hyper-visibility but limited inclusion. This reinforces the importance of intentional resource selection in teaching, ensuring that materials reflect the diversity of students’ identities. In my own practice, being aware of how my background may influence these choices is essential. This aligns with findings by Advance HE (2018), which stress that inclusive curricula must reflect multiple worldviews and cultural perspectives to foster equal engagement. The Diversity and Inclusion Data Report 2024 UAL (2024) highlights how inclusive teaching practices contribute to a greater sense of belonging for underrepresented student groups. Jawad’s work is a timely reminder that visibility alone is not enough; true inclusivity requires cultural sensitivity and meaningful representation.
REF’s
Appiah, K. A. (2014) Is religion good or bad? (This is a trick question). Youtube [Online]. 16 June. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2et2KO8gcY
Choudrey, S., 2016. Inclusivity: Supporting BAME Trans People. Gender Identity Research & Education Society (GIRES). Available at: https://www.gires.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/BAME_Inclusivity.pdf [Accessed 1 July 2025]
Jawad, H. (2022) Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women. [Online]. Available at: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/religionglobalsociety/2022/09/islam-women-and-sport-the-case-of-visible-muslim-women/
Reki, J., 2023. Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account. Hypatia, 38(4), pp.779–800. Available at: https://philarchive.org/archive/REKRIA [Accessed 16 July 2025]
University of the Arts London (UAL), 2024. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Data Report 2024. London: University of the Arts London. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk [Accessed 16 July 2025].
University of the Arts London (UAL), 2024. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Data Report 2024. London: University of the Arts London. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0030/472836/UAL-EDI-data-report-2024-PDFA.p