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Mini skirts and headscarves: undergraduate student perceptions of secularism in Turkish higher education

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Abstract

This article is based on a qualitative study that examines the perceptions of advanced undergraduate students in five Turkish state universities regarding their understanding of the concept of secularism and its manifestation within the higher education sector. The study further illuminates these students’ perspectives of how the university may change in relation to their understanding of secularism. This inquiry was guided by four central questions posed to the students: (1) what is your understanding of the concept of secularism?; (2) how does secularism manifest within universities in Turkey and your institution in particular?; (3) are there aspects of your university you would like to see change as a result of secularism?; and (4) in what ways has your identity influenced your academic decisions?

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Notes

  1. Imam comes from the Arabic word Imam and means a person trained to lead the prayer in a mosque.

  2. Medrese is derived from the Arabic word Madrasah and is a college where teaching and learning revolve around Muslim religious laws and scholastic theology.

  3. Seriat comes from the Arabic word Shariah meaning compilation of Islamic sacred laws.

  4. The word hijab comes from the Arabic word hajaba meaning to hide from view or conceal. In the present time, the context of hijab is the modest covering of a Muslim woman.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Administration, Michigan State University, 425 Erickson Hall, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela

  2. Department of Educational Administration, Michigan State University, 401F Erickson Hall, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Fatma Nevra Seggie

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  1. Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela
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  2. Fatma Nevra Seggie
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Correspondence to Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela.

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Mabokela, R.O., Seggie, F.N. Mini skirts and headscarves: undergraduate student perceptions of secularism in Turkish higher education. High Educ 55, 155–170 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-006-9040-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-006-9040-6

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