Representing Other Religions: Unearthing the Disconnect Between Religious Knowledge and Attitudinal Change

• In Event: Social Studies Education in Global Contexts

Abstract

With the unfortunate abundance of religious conflicts in the world, it is important that attention is devoted to how students position themselves in relation to religions they do not associate with. From a qualitative study of six Ghanaian schools, I examine students’ representation of the religious other and reveal that, students mediate their lessons on religion through the lens of their religious experiences and metanarratives of their own faiths. Consequently, they hold two forms of knowledge – official knowledge written on tests and what they believed to be true based on their religious experiences. I explore the reasons for the creation of this dual knowledge system and its implications for social education curriculum and pedagogy.

Author

• Richardson Addai-Mununkum, University of Wisconsin - Madison